Midas Cars Forum - www.midascarsforum.com

Today I got caught in a bad traffic jam and my clutch started to drag. I had this happen a few times last summer in heavy traffic but it's been alright until now. Why should getting slightly hot and bothered affect the clutch?

Is it cable or hydraulic?

If it is hydraulic a fluid change may help, brake fluid is hygroscopic, absorbing water molecules, if it is older fluid it may have water molecules which when hot turn to steam and give a spongy, ineffective or at times grabbing clutch.

streetsy wrote:Is it cable or hydraulic?

Clue is in the topic title!

Where is the biting point normally?
Could it be heat expansion of the cable? I had that once on one of my past cars,
Can't be too sure which one.
Maybe my Fiat Tipo
Not every day I admit to that one....

The bite point seems the same, and as the cable is self adjusting it ought to compensate if there was any expansion.
Sorry about the Fiat..

Is the clutch pedal modified? An unmodified pedal has only 75% of the original throw in a Midas. It's a must to have them cut and rewelded to prevent any clutch problems.

I see now, I'd had a few beers at the time of my posting

I had a similar problem with my 1275 many moons ago, the one I built my Midas out of infact. I thought it was to do with the actuation of the clutch, I tried everything with the hydraulics and even simulated a traffic jam with my old man in the car and checked the clutch lever operation, it was still good. This made me point to the clutch itself. I changed the complete clutch, it was then fine. I later found out from an old mate who raced minis that I had probably got a warped clutch plate that was made worse by heat and maybe caused by uneven spring pressure from the diaphragm.
This worked for me but I hope you find that it is something simpler causing the problem, Obviously exhaust every other avenue before you go for a clutch strip down.
Good luck Geoff I hope its an easy fix.

Thanks fozzza but I never seem to do easy fixes...I think it's going to be a new clutch - it's probably done at least 80k miles so I can't complain, although I usually do!