Its been a while since I've been on here. My 71 V12 E Type has a Tremec 5 speed. I used the stock slave and master. Recently my clutch has stopped disengaging completely. When I have help depressing the clutch while I look at the travel, it appears that I am getting plenty of travel. I replaced the slave about 2 years ago. I rebuilt the master last weekend hoping that would solve the problem. Today, I adjusted the rod out at least a 1/4". No change whatsoever. The throwout bearing, clutch, pp have less than 10K on them. I am suspecting that the throwout bearing surface may be worn down. I can get the transmission out without removing the engine, but don't want to open it up needlessly. Any thoughts?

 

The clutch can "stick on" if the car is left a long time. Is this your situation ?

 

I agree it could be a clutch disc stuck/rusted to the flywheel or clutch plate. The way I have unstuck them, was get the car in the drive or street with nothing in front of you. With the engine warmed up, put it in 4th gear and start the engine with the clutch pedal depressed. If the engine starts drive the car with the clutch depressed. If you have to stop shut the engine off. I would stay on the side streets until it breaks loose.

You could go to Harbor freight and pick up an inspection camera and take a look at the throw out bearing.

 

When you say you rebuilt the Master cylinder, what all did that entail? Often the bore needs to be resleeved, putting in new seals will not help a worn bore. I've had good luck with White Post Restorations.
https://whitepost.com

 

I should have said not releasing enough to put into gear. The clutch is not disengaging. The clutch master cylinder looked great inside. Rebuilding it made no difference whatsoever.

 

Well, I adjusted the rod as far as I could. I still can't get the clutch to release enough to put it in gear. It isn't stuck. I drove the car recently. It just started easing forward while stopped. If I took it out of gear, I couldn't get it back into gear without shutting it off. Started the process of removing the transmission. I've either a bad throw out bearing or worn fingers on the pressure plate

 

Unfortunately it sounds like you need to remove the gearbox and clutch for inspection.

 

Unfortunately is a very nice way of putting it lol. I have the console out, a/c unit aside and the cover off of the tunnel. Removed the bolts from both ends of the driveshaft and I now am faced with lowering the rear suspension. Just to back the driveshaft out enough to pull the transmission. Oh, and did I forget having to remove the exhaust system? I have always loved having this car, yet the older I get the less I remember why.

 

Ok, so I get that you rebuilt the cylinder... fine and good. New rubber, etc. and that the bore looked OK. Even if there is no scoring, pitting, etc. over the many years that the clutch has been actuated, it's conceivable that the bore has worn and now there is insufficient pressure to get the clutch to do what it's supposed to do. A rebuild was a good idea and I attempted to rectify several cars' cylinders myself. After results like yours, I decided to just send them to White Post, and be done with it. Apple Hydraulics and a company called Sierra also do them. It appears that WP does a complete job, internals, etc and warranties it 'forever', whatever that means.

 

I'll post what I find wrong. I'm taking the transmission out. I adjusted the rod so far that the pivot arm would touch the bellhousing when the clutch pedal was depressed. No matter how good my master and slave are or aren't, the pivot arm pushed as far as possible still doesn't allow the clutch disc to turn free enough to put the car into gear. I could start the car in gear without it stalling the engine and then drive it. But if I put it into neutral I couldn't put it back into gear with it running. I may be entirely wrong, yet my mechanical sense tells me that something has to be wrong with the throw out bearing or the pressure plate. None of it had 10,000 miles on it from when I converted the car to a 5 speed. But something has definitely gone wrong.

 

Is it the original bell-housing, or a non-Jaguar product to match up the 5-speed gearbox ?

 

as you can see, the pp bearing surface is very worn. I don't know how thick the material in the throw out bearing is when new so I have no idea how worn it is.
This conversion used the original bell housing, pressure plate, throw out bearing, yoke and hydraulic components.
One thing that bothers me however is that when released, there was no clearance between the surfaces of the pressure plate and throw out bearing. I don't know how there can be. The slave cylinder doesn't withdraw at all. The pressure of the pressure plate seems to be the only thing that pushes the rod back into the slave cylinder.
I have replaced the clutch in this car before. This car is not stock, nor do I drive it like a garage queen. I don't abuse the car, but I do drive it. I love doing high rpm shifts. I wind the engine up a good bit. But I don't want to do this again. Any suggestions appreciated.

 

Based on your description of the noise, " If it whines and I keep clutch down and shift it into neutral the whine stops", I believe it is the pilot bushing, not the TOB that is the source of the noise. Your mechanic should be able to measure crankshaft end play without disassembling the engine. If end play is within spec, it is reasonable to believe the crankshaft thrust bearings are in good condition.