Vanishing clutch

[daddyr]

My wife has only infrequently driven my KA in the past but on several occasions complained at having difficulty selecting first or second gear when going slowly. I just poo pooed it as being that she was driving an unfamiliar car but now I have had it happen to me.

Normally the clutch takes quite high up but yesterday, after stopping in a traffic jam, I put my foot on the clutch to change into first and the pedal just went right down and I couldn't select first - or second. It felt just as if the clutch had disappeared.

I have had a similar problem on an old microbus but that was consistent and cured by bleeding the clutch. This problem with the KA seems very intermittent as I haven't been able to reproduce it since and I think, as I can't find any clutch fluid reservoir or mention of one in the handbook, that the KA has mechanical activation.

Before I take it into the local Ford agents who will probably find some reason for charging an arm and a leg, even though its still in warranty, can anybody suggest some possible reason for this being able to happen?

[fantazein]

my ka has done 150,000miles and still original clutch never had a problem

My wife has only infrequently driven my KA in the past but on several occasions complained at having difficulty selecting first or second gear when going slowly. I just poo pooed it as being that she was driving an unfamiliar car but now I have had it happen to me.

Normally the clutch takes quite high up but yesterday, after stopping in a traffic jam, I put my foot on the clutch to change into first and the pedal just went right down and I couldn't select first - or second. It felt just as if the clutch had disappeared.

I have had a similar problem on an old microbus but that was consistent and cured by bleeding the clutch. This problem with the KA seems very intermittent as I haven't been able to reproduce it since and I think, as I can't find any clutch fluid reservoir or mention of one in the handbook, that the KA has mechanical activation.

Before I take it into the local Ford agents who will probably find some reason for charging an arm and a leg, even though its still in warranty, can anybody suggest some possible reason for this being able to happen?

[Steve]

doesnt the KA have a cabled clutch and not hydraulic? Best check that out.. sounds like it just needs an adjustment.

[daddyr]

doesnt the KA have a cabled clutch and not hydraulic? Best check that out.. sounds like it just needs an adjustment.

If that is the case then I would have thought that no amount of mis-adjustment would cause it to not work only infrequently. It felt as though the clutch pedal wasn't attached to anything.

[Steve]

did it spring back up ok?

I just cannot see ford fitting hydraulic to the KA. Alot of smaller cars have cable as it is more cost effective.

hopefully someone will come along and confirm either way. If it is hydraulic then I reckon you have a seal gone in one of the cylinders. I had exactly the same symptoms on a honda I once owned. If i pumped it then it would work again.

[Brian R Harding]

Hydraulic 

[unofix]

We have a winner for restarting the oldest post ever 😂