Clutch biting point just dropped to the floor

Well, by some miracle I now have a working clutch again!

Took about 4 hours because a) I'm slow normally, b) I'm even slower when doing things on the car because I don't want to rush things, make a mistake and canoe it up, and c) the £12 pattern part from MX5Parts simply would not let the brake pipe connector screw into it...


It's like the £12 part had threads in the connection bore that were wayyy too shallow, it's like they were barely there, so I couldn't screw in the connector by hand and didn't want to force it.

In the end we managed to remove the piston and spring from the old part, replace those with the OEM Overhaul kit that I had (fortunately) also bought, and then refit it. Complete PITA!

The connector screwed easily quite far into that part, so I don't know if it's the original OEM part or if someone's replaced it previously and custom-made a connector to fit its screw threads.


Anyway, it's in, it's bled through, it works


Things I've learnt:

- BUY A PROPER FLARED SPANNER THINGY for the brake union connector, because the standard spanners just round the connector off. (Halfords, £5.99 IIRC)

- screwing the union connector thing in first by hand is a good idea and, going from mine, you should be able to get about halfway in before it's too tight and needs a spanner.  (The non-fitting part permitted about 1 turn of the connector and did let it 'bite', but any further felt like it was going to cross-thread.)

- when you're bleeding the brakes, don't hurry it because the Father-in-Law wants to go out, and either use a proper kit or a rubber tube thing, or place a rag over it to stop it spraying out everywhere if nothing else. DON'T let it just spit out under pressure because, joy of joys , it goes over your wing and front bumper and literally eats your paint within seconds (I know it already looks a state, that doesn't mean I wanted it to get any worse...)

- the Father-in-Law's idea of 'good enough' is not my idea of 'good enough' and I think I'll redo it (or get it redone) with a new OEM part next time.

- Quit while you're ahead - don't get cocky and try and un-seize that battery clamp bolt underneath the boot floor, because you'll only slice your finger open to the point that you wonder if you need stitches...