Clutch is dead

Hi guys,
last saturday I wanted to drive our MG (TF), started engine and pressed the clutch pedal. It stayed down on the floor:pinch: ! Seems like the clutch release arm is seized.
Need to mention, that she stood for months in case of a shoulder surgery last year. Two weeks ago I charged the battery and drove her a little bit without any problems.
What to do:-? ? Roger Parker says, let the engine run to heat the gearbox area and try releasing oil (I still own 1/2 can of Plusgas). Or will I have to take the engine/subframe out to get access to the gearbox and change the clutch as well?
I'm looking forward to remove all the rusted and seized threads and screws underneath!

Take the easy option first and do as Roger Parker suggests.

If you do have to take the box off get the uprated arm as well.

MGTF MG TF Uprated Clutch Release Lever Arm PG1 Gearbox Brand New mgmanialtd.com Completed

I managed to change all the clutch and the seized release arm. After bolting the gearbox back to the engine, I tried to put the driveshafts back in. I had changed the securing clips at the gearbox side oft the driveshafts. They slide in easyly, but they can also easyly be pulled out.
What do I wrong? Will I have to use brute force? Can they be moved by the help of a long screw clamp?
BTW: we (my beloved wife and me) are at the Lake District since Sunday in the evening. We even got a sunburn walking on cat bell yesterday and Ullswater today.
Unfortunately wie had to use our family car (X-Type Estate) for this journey, as the MG is still at home and dismantled.
Any advice is highly welcome.
Kind regards
Christof

Check the clips are correct size first. They should sit a little proud when open. They should shut enough to sit below splines to allow the shaft to slide in and then open to lock shaft in place. That aside once everything is bolted back together the shafts wont fall out so will drive as normal. I have come across cars where clips are missing.
Hope this helps.

Thank you for the advice. The clips were original parts.
Forgot to mention: driving on British motorways is a pleasure! Especially in three-lane-motorways in Germany there are many drivers sleeping in the middle lane. For overtaking them you've to change to the "fast" lane. The UK drivers are much more disciplinated than the German ones. And rhey're using their indicators!
We love driving in the UK so much!

c.steffan wrote: Forgot to mention: driving on British motorways is a pleasure! Especially in three-lane-motorways in Germany there are many drivers sleeping in the middle lane. For overtaking them you've to change to the "fast" lane. The UK drivers are much more disciplinated than the German ones. And rhey're using their indicators!
We love driving in the UK so much!

Are you sure you are in England:-?

This does not sound like any motorway I have driven on!

Regarding the drive shafts:-

They should push in firmly, and retaining ring should firmly locate the drive shaft, so it is not easy to pull out.

It might need a good "tap" with a large hammer and block of wood to locate the ring in the groove of the output shafts.

I would not want to drive unless they were firmly secured. Remember how tight they were to get out!

Peter

I'm still in the process of de-rusting the subframe, dampers and so on. At the moment both rear upper suspension arms and the anti-roll-bar are removed, so the rear hubs are hanging nearly free. The idea is now, to line the driveshafts horizontal to the gearbox, use my large 3/4 32mm nut on the hub nut and give it a "big bang" with my largest hammer. Hope to move the shafts right in the gearbox.
Lots of work still to do...

Yesterday in the afternoon I tried the final solution to force the driveshafts into the gearbox: a piece of wood and the 500g-hammer. The result was very impressive. Not so for the retaining ring, but the inner gaiter got a long cut.
I'm excited.
The next step means to buy new gaiters and hub nuts, remove the complete driveshaft, detach the outer cv joint (any advice for this job?), replace both gaiters.
The idea is now to try to force the driveshaft first in to the gearbox (possibly by the help of the old hub nut and the above mentioned sledge hammer) before I'll try to mount the hub back on.
Sometimes I feel so tired...

One step forward....two steps back

:bang:

Really should not need that much force.

The drive shafts and all of the rear suspension is back in and on the subframe now. The secret of the drive shafts were the securing clips: the new bought ones were a little bit too small! I used the old ones and the shafts went into the gearbox as they should.
Next jobs are to fill in some gearbox oil, renew the subframe mount threads, change the gearbox cable joint ends, get the subframe into the car, connect and bleed the clutch as well as the brakes, connect all hoses and plugs, fill the anti-freeze and bleed it, charge the battery...
Regards
Christof

Christof . You are tired ! I am tired just reading what you are doing ! Keep going and you will be driving the MG in the Lake District next year and loving it .

John

This week I wanted to drill out the sheared M8x1,25 subframe mount bolts and renew them with a thread repair set.
What the f...!
Only one thread went in as it should. The next one lost his tongue before it went in completely. The third hole was too large for the delivered 8,3mm-drill!? The fourth was a real desaster: drilled the bolt out and tried to remove the rest of the old bolt. The result was a hole of >10mm and nearly no more steel sheet around.
Filled it with liquid metal and tried to drill a new hole. Just broke into bits.
At the end I stuck two of the repair threads into the too big holes by the help of more liquid steel.
Now I'm in doubt if this dodgy construction will stand the new stainless subframe mounts. If I had welding experience (and equipment!) I had liked to weld a nut in...
At least I managed to fix the rear subframe mounts by the help of six new bolts (and two of the old ones, for my peace of mind).
Maybe I'll have to bring her to a garage to fix the subframe mount bolts. After dismantling the complete rear of the car also an alignment will have to be done.
I'm sooo tired...