MARINA CLUTCH

Q:

I’m having some real aggro with the clutch on a 1973 Marina 1.3. You push the pedal down, engage gear but when you lift the pedal up, there’s no drive – but it comes in 2 or 3 seconds later. What could this be?

A:

That will almost certainly be the clutch hose. Like old brake flexi hoses, they heal up inside. That means you can force fluid through but it can’t flow back fast enough and the sheer force of the clutch diaphragm is doing it. Fit a new hose and it’ll be fine.