Hi,

My clutch has started dragging slightly when the car is warm. So, for example, reverse gear graunches slightly when engaging. I haven't touched the clutch for years, so I'm thinking it might be water in the fluid, evaporating when warm, simply some air in the system, or both. A good excuse for taking the slave cylinder off completely and giving the system a flush out and general refresh. I've had a slave cylinder repair kit in stock for years, so thougt I'd simply fit this to the cleaned cylinder. The kit was sold as being for an SP250 and is Lucas (rather than Girling) and marked "308049/02# Clutch Slave Cyl Kit Dart". The trouble is that, having got everything apart, the main seal in the kit is clearly way too small. My cylinder measures at a diameter of 1" but it seems that the seal in the kit is (maybe) 7/8". All the other bits in the kit (boot, circlip & bleed nipple cover) are fine.

Does anyone know if Daimler fitted different slave cylinders over the years? Or maybe the kit I have is for a different "Dart" - a Dodge even!?

Thanks

Well the part number for the slave cylinder is meant to be 308049 (Daimler) the Girling number is 64068867 so I think at least the label for the kit is right.

Thanks for the reply. Looking online, it looks as if 7/8" and 1" cylinders were fitted to the SP but I've no idea when, or why. My car is a B Spec. Presumably a 7/8" cylinder has a longer throw (but less mechanical advantage). I've found a kit on eBay for my 1" cylinder. Looks like it was fitted to many cars of the period, including TR3, TR4, etc.

Hi
From the Girling Catalogue the Slave Cylinder has 2 numbers 6010230W or SP2036.

Regards

Colin

Thanks again. I wonder if the clutch internals are different for the two slave cylinder sizes. I'd guess that the clutch itself is the same and that Daimler just fitted two sizes of slave cylinder; maybe to reduce the clutch pedal pressure, or maybe just because they ran out of stock on the assembly line & made a 'tactical substitution' to keep the line running. I used to work for Jaguar Cars & these things do happen at times

I'm planning on sticking with my 1" slave cylinder, just in case the internals are different & the throw of the clutch lever needs to stay the same.

The Daimler Catalog references Girling #3010320 for the slave cylinder, but provides no Girling number for the kit.
I installed a Girling cylinder #64068867 (SC303 - Mfr Date : 11/77) many decades ago, but am unable to check its seal part# or size.
The original cylinder fitted in Aug 1961 employed Girling seal #64676889, which is close to the 7/8" mentioned.
Girling slave kit #SP2036 (Mfr Date : 5/72) contains the Girling seal #64673723, which is 1".
(Girling part numbers are stamped on the inside of the outer seal lip)

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Lucas (rather than Girling) and marked "308049/02# Clutch Slave Cyl Kit Dart."

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Is there a label that could be peeled off the Lucas box to see if there is a Girling 'SP' number for the 7/8" kit referenced beneath?

I've posted a short video here -

I can't see matches to any of the numbers mentioned ?!

Hi
One of the problems with old cars in general is what previous owners have modified. There was a period when stuff Labelled Lucas was made in the Far East and the quality was suspect. I had a number of slave failures. In the end I managed to obtain an original old stock one which works well.
I see from your video and would suggest you order a kit for that number.
Regards
Colin

Yes, thanks for this.

As you say, modifications were no doubt made, especially when the cars were perhaps 20+ years old, being run as 'old bangers' on a shoe-string budget and official spares were dwindling.

I would like to know if Daimler built the SPs with two different slave cylinder sizes though - just out of interest. Meanwhile, the 1" cylinder I have has worked fine for the 40 years I've had the car, so a new seal kit of this size should keep me going

Andrew

The SP was at its lowest price between the late 60's and the middle 70's the Classic scene took off and the SP with it though albeit slower than some, most SP owners from the early 70's were very keen and mostly good amateur mechanics who strove to keep the cars original, as the price increased the the well off owner appeared and started to modify the cars using commercial garages or specialist "experts" that fitted all sorts of modifications some useful some just to make the ownership easier, why send a fortune on a 5 speed box when an overdrive is more in keeping, don't get me on the subject of r&p steering.