Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 M3W clutch failure & high vibration

After 8 weeks Morgan decided that they would do nothing about warranty as my car was 1 month out of the 30 month warranty period despite the fact that the car had only a total mileage of 3200km.
All of this time the car had stood dismantled with the Sydney service agent waiting for a decision. The service agent then very promptly repaired the car replacing the clutch plate, clutch slave cylinder, bearing & new Centa coupling donuts. The Australian distributor contributed to the labour costs & supplied the parts at cost. Total repair bill for me was A$3600.
Driving home the car performed beautifully until the RHS turn indicators & hazard flashers stopped working. Back to the service agent where the car
waits for a solution. What next! Phil, next time I will get your mods.

In the software world we have moved to “continuous delivery”... so you never stop development or costs. Morgan ownership is the same it seems.

Such a shame but well done Morgan Cars Australia for providing help.

+1 Disgraceful company stance at that mileage - good luck for the future with the car.

Or maybe not....

This is a difficult one Richard.

Where do you draw the line on warranty?
Time may be up but at three thousand odd Ks.....

Not good

Sure you know the story when you part with your cash so from the legal perspective the position is clear, however it highlights the risks when purchasing what has turned out to be a problematic experiential vehicle as fun as they are.

I trust Morgan HQ and the local agent came to some arrangement on costs as this has not been a great advertisement for their product or the first incident of a major failure which in turn raises the question of “fit for purpose”

I think the real disgrace is the Morgan Motor Company taking 8 weeks to make a decision on their approach to warranty and advise the owner.

Not much customer or product support here!

This sort of behaviour must send a shiver through potential Morgan car buyers....

Walt207, I hope this gets sorted and you're back on the road soon.

I seem to recall a recent post here regarding a TM'er with a similar problem - there may be some help at hand.

Hi Phil, My clutch problems continue. My M3W is a 2015 manufacture. The clutch failed at 4800km. it has happened again at 4800km.
the original repair was done by the Sydney Australia Morgan service agency.
the repair included a new slave cylinder, spigot bearings & Centa rubbers.
this time they are replacing both the master cylinder & the slave cylinder.
I drive the car carefully to avoid lugging & keep the rpm around 2800 minimum.
It seems something is out of alignment.
What do you recommend? will your Centa bearing kit solve the problem & how much will it cost? I have a good mechanic who specialises in MGs & vintage cars.
Regards, Ken Jones

Now then Ken, all I can think of at this distance is to give you a list of things which I would check out if it were my car.

I don't think the problem will lie outside of the clutch / intermediate shaft assembly so check first of all on the condition of the intermediate shaft bearings just behind the clutch - they should show no signs of movement whatsoever. If there is movement here remove the bearings and check if the play is in the bearing itself or in the housing where the bearing sits or on the shaft inside the bearing. both of these areas should be shiny clean like new, If there is any black powdery deposit in the aluminium casing it should be replaced or repaired with a "top hat" insert. if the shaft shows brown rust like deposits then this is bearing creep and means a new shaft is in order. Check these areas dimensionally, to be certain, before replacing either. If all is good with the bearings and their fits then do a check for true running and straightness of the shaft. Clamp the aluminium plate securely on the bench and use a dial test indicator to check for true running of the part of the shaft where the inner centa rotor fits and then check the flange where the clutch is mounted - both on the outside diameter and also on the face. if the shaft runs out by more than 0.05 mm total indicator reading then take it out and check it all over between centres on the lathe to try and identify where the run out is. Check also for any damage to the shaft and its faces and shoulders ( I have seen some butchered items in this area!) you may be able to re-machine the face where the clutch bolts on to get this true and it might be possible to straighten the shaft under a hydraulic press if it is slightly bent. If all is good here then mount the clutch flywheel / ring gear on the shaft and make sure this all runs true with the DTI - check for damage to the face of the flywheel where it mates with the flange on the shaft. A check of the true running of the gearbox input shaft might also be good but I doubt if this is where your problem lies

My support bearing is designed to prevent the shaft bearings from being forced out of line by the somewhat unpredictable forces exerted by the rubbers in the Centa coupling, especially as they start to fail, but will not fix something which is running out of true to start with. My kit will give you a more rigid set up, much smoother running, reduced vibration, high temperature resistance and the ability to change the rubbers in 30 mins. Sadly, it will not fix something which is already broken - sorry.

The price of the Centa upgrade kit is £356:00 plus a bit of extra postage to Aus. You can get the mods for the quick change done by any competent machine shop and the drawings are here. http://www.bleazey.co.uk/M3Wstage3text.html

Do let us all know how you get on.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask if I can be of further assistance.

Phil