mgf crunchy reverse gear

hi ive just bought a mgf , the reverse gear is very crunchy and sometimes quite stiff when first used, ive tried putting it into another gear first but this dosent always help. also i went for a long drive and it became harder ro select any of the gears(but not impossible) the next day the gears seemed fine on a short journey - is the problem old or a shortage of clutch fluid? the resovoir under the bonnet is half full -should it be topped right up to the top? please any help will be most appreciated:)

jasper11;14614 wrote: hi ive just bought a mgf , the reverse gear is very crunchy and sometimes quite stiff when first used, ive tried putting it into another gear first but this dosent always help. also i went for a long drive and it became harder ro select any of the gears(but not impossible) the next day the gears seemed fine on a short journey - is the problem old or a shortage of clutch fluid? the resovoir under the bonnet is half full -should it be topped right up to the top? please any help will be most appreciated:)

Hi, :welcome2:
Your master cylinder has a level mark on it pretty near the top. So it sounds as if you need to fill the reservoir.
next, check the slave cylinder and the clutch arm.

You will need to open the engine access to check the slave and the clutch arm.
Undo the back of the hood, 5 clips(watch your fingers!) Remove the carpet and insulation. You should now see a large cover held with 10 or 12 10mm bolts. Remove the bolts and the metal cover.
From the nearside of the car, the slave cylinder is just visible on top of the gearbox bellhousing. Check for any leaks. Get someone to operate the clutch and see that the arm moves freely.(They can seize, especially if the car is seldom used) Try to get some grease(I use spray white lithium grease) onto the arm.

If you need more info come back to us.:yesnod:

This is a photo of the slave cylinder and clutch arm from below, showing one method of greasing the arm. The arm is swathed in grease/oil absorbing material and a piece of cable tidy to hold it in place.

whats the best fluid to top it up with ? do i just unscrew the top and poor it in?

jasper11;14619 wrote: whats the best fluid to top it up with ? do i just unscrew the top and poor it in?

I use dot 5.1 brake/clutch fluid. Yep, just unscrew the cap and fill it.

many thanks i'll give it a try in the am

The crunching into reverse is a common problem both my F and TF do it. I find the best way to avoid it, although not 100% accurate, is to go into neutral and then select reverse using a reasonably heavy handed action.

Being and MG, they like to embarrass you and tend to crunch into reverse when anyone is watching:lol:

MGFmad;14625 wrote: The crunching into reverse is a common problem both my F and TF do it. I find the best way to avoid it, although not 100% accurate, is to go into neutral and then select reverse using a reasonably heavy handed action.

Being an MG, they like to embarrass you and tend to crunch into reverse when anyone is watching :lol:

You got that right!

Get into the double de-clutch habit and never crunch again.

thanks , the crunch wasnt helped by the fact my clutch fluid had gone below the minimum -doh should really read my handbook when driving a new car

thanks for your help over my crunchy gearbox , i filled the fluid up and its fine now , will keep an eye on the level to see if its losing any but so far so good

sounds complicated , how do u do that?