Hi all,

we recently purchased an 04 sportka with 50k on the clock for minimal money earlier this year. when test driving i noted the clutch was biting high but not slipping when setting off in second gear from a stand still  and needing a replacement quickly we bought it as it was rather tidy too. 

having kept the clutch biting high in mind, and having already tried to bleed it and seeing a lot of black/grey coming through after approx 1ltr of fluid it didn't really make much difference.

the issue is, the clutch currently isn't slipping however the clutch appears to be biting right as you are taking your foot of the pedal now so has seemingly got worse over the last 2k miles. 

the clutch pedal also seems rather stiff in comparison to our other 1.3 ka. the clutch on the sportka for example is as stiff as a first generation bmw mini or peugeot 306. or is it meant to be a little stiffer than the 1.3 ka?

could the clutch pedal stiff for any other reason than the clutch friction and pressure plate needing replacement? 

also whats the best clutch kit to buy?

 

many thanks

rob

New clutches & cables on the 306 were lovely...the problem was when they made them RHD they just draped the clutch cable under the hot exhaust so it dried out quickly! 🤦‍♂️  The plastic gearbox fork bearings also wore out over time which caused a rough feel.

The SportKa clutch will be a little heavier than the 1.3 clutch as it's designed to take more torque, and ultimately the SportKa is expected to be driven a in a more...erm...sporty manor!  If there was a lot of black/grey in the fluid I wonder if that's rubber from the clutch MC seals, meaning you're not getting the full efficiency of the MC.

yeah they were fine when looked after, ive had several 306 cabriolets over the years, stupid place for the cable routing but at least they aren't hard to change lol. my mentioning of the 306 clutch was to try and give an example that a few people maybe able to relate to so they could state wether it is normal for the sportka clutch to be as heavy as a bad cable in a 306. i can't think of any other car ive owned or driven with a similar clutch pedal heaviness other than my old dolomite 1300 but im guessing not many people would know how hard they can be lol

 

fair enough, so in that case it could be worth just changing the clutch master cylinder while im at it.

 

many thanks