Clutch and clutch hydraulics

The clutch on an E-Type does a familiar job under unfamiliar loads, given the torque of the six and the weight of the V12. Its three classic complaints are slip, judder and drag, and each has a distinct cause and cost.

The three complaints

• Slip: engine speed rises without a matching rise in road speed, most obvious in a high gear on a hill. The driven plate is worn or contaminated.
• Judder: a shudder as the clutch takes up. Causes range from oil on the plate to worn engine or gearbox mountings, so judder alone does not condemn the clutch.
• Drag: the clutch does not fully release, making first and reverse hard to engage cleanly at a standstill. Hydraulic faults and misadjustment are the first suspects, not the plate.

The hydraulics

Master and slave cylinders age, seals harden and fluid absorbs water. A pedal that sinks slowly, or engagement that varies day to day, points at the hydraulics before the friction parts. Renewal of both cylinders and a flush of fresh fluid is inexpensive relative to any gearbox-out work, so it is the right first step.

When the gearbox has to come out

A worn driven plate or release bearing means gearbox removal. On the E-Type that is a defined but substantial job, which is why a slipping clutch on a car for sale changes its price meaningfully and why contamination from the rear crankshaft seal above it should always be considered at the same time.