Young lad just texted, something snapped behind clutch. Hmmm...

He reckons some white plastic thing broke and looks like the cable been sucked back into possibly the cylinder or whatever is behind there.
Clutch pedal operates normally but is no longer operating what it should be so wondering what it could be. He is getting it towed back later but it will be wednesday before i can get it to my friendly grease monkey.
Its a 2000mk1 1.6 petrol model.
Any ideas ?

There are two cables that the gear stick operates, one controls the left to right movement in the gear box, via the gear stick. And the other the up down movement. For example the later shifts the gear selector between 1st to 2nd......3rd to 4th ....and once passed the gate 5th gear. The "gate" movement [left to right] is controlled by the other cable. Now to me it sounds like the white plastic ball that is attached to one of the cables has parted company with said cable. So though the gear stick appears to be selecting gears,it isn't.

I would have thought that that if it is the left to right movement cable that has broken, you should still be able to select between 1st and 2nd or 3rd and 4th dependent on what position it was in when it snapped. Of course if it was the up down movement cable that snapped, you will not be able to select gears.

A new cable will solve the problem.

Just a word of caution, when the cable is replaced make sure the mechanic snaps the white plastic sphere that is attached to the cable, into the retainer at the gear box end. [You can apply pressure to it using a hammer shaft, you will hear it click and see it seated and locked into its retaining lug...shaped like the letter C ] The mechanic who fit a new clutch for us in a Mk1 1.8 Zetec did not do this. And after a week it slipped out of the retainer that connects it to the selector in the gear box. In our case we could not select reverse gear, hence we could not get it off our drive which is up hill when reversing out.

[quote name='grabster' timestamp='1287847838' post='101959']
Young lad just texted, something snapped behind clutch. Hmmm...

He reckons some white plastic thing broke and looks like the cable been sucked back into possibly the cylinder or whatever is behind there.
Clutch pedal operates normally but is no longer operating what it should be so wondering what it could be. He is getting it towed back later but it will be wednesday before i can get it to my friendly grease monkey.
Its a 2000mk1 1.6 petrol model.
Any ideas ?
[/quote]

it sounds like the piston as come off or snapped, to replace the master cylinder the part alone will cost you about £100. this pic will help you..

silly me

Clutch pedal, Clutch pedal why was I thinking gear stick..............it's been a long day herding the grandchildren around town

i had the master cylinder go on mine - started leaking. i managed to get a genuine part from ebay for about £50.

its a little bit fiddly to fit, and bleeding a clutch is a PITA but apart from that its an easy job and takes 1.5-2hours? i cant remember how long it took me.

Doesnt the focus use a hydraulic clutch pedal and not a cable?

[quote name='cressws1' timestamp='1287865684' post='101995']
Doesnt the focus use a hydraulic clutch pedal and not a cable?
[/quote]

yes

i suspect he is talking about the piston that connects the cylinder to the pedal that has snapped? its white

on the mk1 its an hydraulic system. my clutch played up once and after close inspection it was a slave cylinder that services the clutch that was going so i had to get a new one it was a gearbox off job and cost me £260.00 fitted .

Well im gonna have to drag the car back later but the sketch the son showed me points to the piston having snapped.
Looks likes its hands in pocket time again.

[quote name='grabster' timestamp='1287894292' post='102014']
Well im gonna have to drag the car back later but the sketch the son showed me points to the piston having snapped.
Looks likes its hands in pocket time again.
[/quote]

tell me about it...

Got a mint little car very reasonable for the wife, and as the son was wanting to drive. I said right you invest in half the car, and share it with your mother. But with you having it whenever you wanted, as she could use mine if needs be. Logic behind that was if he had brass in it, he would drive right in his head.

Anyway six weeks after passing his test he had it on it's roof stuffed in a ditch on a country lane, write off. Anyway come his 21st I bought him a tidy Ford Escort now he faired better with that, he managed to keep it on its wheels and off its roof for a good fourteen weeks. Going into the motorway services, but failing to negotiate the bend.....you can guess the rest, another write off.

I said right son, that's the last car I put under your arse. Because it appears to me it is just a case of how much do I need to spend until you manage to kill yourself.................You know what, when he did eventually have the money to buy his own, he would shave the odd wing mirror off, but never crashed em......mind you by then he had passed an advanced driving test whilst in the RAF Police .