Advice on clutch actuator...

[cheapohubby 12]

Hi folks...

Our smartie has started to exhibit "3bar-itis"... I was hoping it was just looking for lubing on the actuator, but after doing that, it still came up with 3bars this afternoon. So far, it's been a temporary issue; turn it off, give it a few seconds, and then start up, good to go.

When I put the actuator back on this morning (after cleaning and lubing it), I noticed that it's tight to the end of it's slots. Does that just mean the actuator is in desperate need of retraining? Or does it suggest that the clutch fork is on it's last leg?

If it's just retraining that's needed; I don't suppose there's any way to force a retrain other than with a Star system? We're now in Nova Scotia, an hour and a half out of Halifax (Lunenburg area), so it's a wee bit of a hike to take it to the dealer.

Unfortunately, most of my tools are still in Ottawa If it's the clutch fork, that day of labor at a garage to have it replaced is going to hurt! I might have to try one of the dome nut hacks to fix it temporarily...

[FlossyTheSmart 81]

There are a few other scan tools that can do clutch reteaching. I know Troy has a Snap-On one that does it, and some of the Delphi ones can do it too. It might take some asking around, but if you're lucky, you might find someone with a tool that can do it.

[MikeT 744]

Alternatively, the clutch linings could be badly worn. A STAR machine could tell.

[cheapohubby 12]

Well, I answered the question myself last night. Pulled the actuator off and took a look at the fork; it was almost completely worn through. Not quite punching through, but at the point where it probably would have any time now (and left us stranded).

Fortunately, I figured that out a couple of hours before the local hardware stores closed. So I scampered off and scrounged up a few options for kludging a fix. Ended up using the acorn nut (couldn't find a big enough one in brass, but found one in chromed steel). After some drilling out and sanding, got it mounted on the end of the pin, and it seems to be working much better now. The actuator bolts are sitting about a half inch from the end of the slot. There's no sign of clutch dragging when I shift into gear. Hopefully this will take care of the 3 bars for a while. I'll pop it off in a month and see how it's wearing in.

[CANMAN 23]

The acorn nut is only a temporary fix, it will only last 3 or 4 monts before wearing a bigger hole in the clutch fork.

Order a new clutch fork and plan on doing a big repair after your trip.

I would recommend cleaning the EGR valve and replacing the transmission fluid since you will have everything apart anyway.

Canman

[tolsen 630]

Weld repair your fork and save a few bucks.

http://smartmaniacs.co.uk/forum/the-cars/fortwo-450-sept-1998-oct-2007/871369-clutch-fork/page3

[joey 9]

My brass acorn nut fix is going on 8 months now. Every few months I remove the actuator, clean off the old moly EP-2 grease and re-apply new grease. I see no wear on the brass nut and the hole in the fork doesn't seen to be getting any bigger. I'll replace the fork someday...

[cheapohubby 12]

I'll keep an eye on the acorn nut, but I suspect it'll last a fair while. I'll probably try and find a brass one to replace it with, and improve the fit on the rod (the steel one isn't seated as well as I'd like). But I'm inclined to believe that brass one should be a good longer term solution. The brass will take most of the wear (being a softer metal). As long as I keep an eye on it, and replace the nut if/when needed, it'll probably last indefinitely.

The biggest annoyance is that it messes up my plan to sell the car (we've got too many vehicles). Guess I'll either have to keep it until I have time to do the work myself (could be a couple of years), or find a buyer who's willing to tinker with it.

[stickman007 309]

My acorn nut mod has been running since I first did it with Bil! So far no issues (I check it once every 6months of so). I'm pretty sure how temporary the mod is based on environmental factors and how it is driven.