Clutch Cork

[Ian]

I'm looking for a source for supplying the cork inserts in the wet clutch of my TA. I'm located just north of Toronto Ontario Canada. Any ideas are welcome.

Thanks,

Ian
TA2758

[AbingdonSpares]

I have a completely rebuilt cork clutch for a TA if you are interested. Send me a PM or email at martin@abingdonspares.com
Thanks

[dirk w dondorp]

department Classified adds?

[phil cassie]

G'day Ian In answer to your post .... drink plenty of red wine. But seriously I purchased a bag of corks from a do it yourself home wine bottling company. I then cut a short length of 1/2" tubing in half lengthways and used both halves clamped with multi grips to compress one cork at a time to fit in a hole. One cork will fit two holes. Cut off excess cork so it is approx. 1/8" proud of clutch plate. Last time I relined a clutch a friend used high temperature araldite and glued a cork floor tile to both sides of the plate, cleaned it up in a lathe, took his wifes roast out of the oven and cooked the clutch for a few hours.
Regards Phil TA2833

[Ian]

Thanks Phil,
I have all the equipment to do the job and am anxious to start. I just wasn't sure if cork had different grades, and wanted to get the right one. The procedures that I have read, all say to remove the gearbox upward through the interior of the car. Is this what you did? Any hints are appreciated.

Thanks,

Ian

[phil cassie]

Hi Ian
I have used both ways and believe that removing geabox from inside the car is the easiest. Remove seats and floorboards and transmission tunnel. Remove tailshaft place jack under sump wwith a piece of wood to spread the weight, remove rear engine mounts. The hardest bit of the whole job is removing the clutch release lever from the clutch shaft, after removing the bell housing bolts revolve the clutch shafte 90 degrees so it diengages from the throw out bearing. Bye Phil

[Phil Dadd]

Hi Ian,
Another point of view; I have just relined and replaced my clutch, I used tapered corks -- the sort that used to be used in beer bottles, This enables you to push the thin end in and then alternate by pushing the thin side in from the other side. It is essential that you boil the corks. In this way they are soft and will slide in without any problems. The following day, roughly trim the corks and then finish with a sander or lathe. I bought a bag of these these from a local Home Brew supply shop. There is an excellent article by Bill Davis which explains everything. Google "MG TA Cork Clutch" or http://www.billdavis.org/MGTA/Cork.html and you should find the article.
Another alternative; Some Fork Lift Trucks have wet clutches and these are basically a sheet of material bonded onto the clutch plate. It is imperative that lines or channels are cut in the sheet to allow the oil the run through these. This method is being used by the main TA restorer here in OZ. He used this technique about 20 years ago and after a 40,000 mile trial, now uses this technique as standard. Hope this helps.
Phil TA 2982

[olson_gene]

I would hesitate to use tapered corks, might they not come out? You can get an inexpensive wine bottle corker from home wine making shops. Boil the corks, the corker compresses the cork, then a plunger pushes the cork into the wine bottle (or clutch plate). The cork will expand on both sides of the metal plate, it will not come out. Snder or lathe to trim corks to size. You do not want them too long or clutch will not release. total length of corks on new plate from Peter Radcliff is 10 mm. This works well (at least in my SA).
SA2580 same wet clutch

[Phil Dadd]

Ian. this is the value of the forum. Different opinions from all over the world! Since 1954 I have relined 4 cork clutches, each with tapered corks. My TA has had three as I always replace the corks if I need to remove the gearbox or motor, and has travelled at least 150,000 miles since then. Wine bottle corks were a rarity in the 1930's, so the beer drinking Brits ( and Aussie's too) used tapered corks. They do not fall out! The corks MUST be boiled to soften and expand. I have no experience with the straight wine corks, nor corking devices thus I cannot express an opinion. Read the Bill Davis article and form your opinion from that. Best of luck!
Phil D. TA 2982

[Ian]

I have a completely rebuilt cork clutch for a TA if you are interested. Send me a PM or email at martin@abingdonspares.com
Thanks

Hi Martin,

We finally got around to pulling out the gearbox on the TA and have verified that it is an original clutch. Do you still have that rebuilt clutch? If so, what will it cost me?

Ian
ian@murraymfg.ca

[Gene Gillam]

Ian, suggest you email Martin if you haven't heard from him yet.