I have a 1968 XKE Coupe rescued from about 10 years of storage, fortunately in a dry spot. Getting it going, first the fuel system, new oil, then the ignition, new hoses, hand turned with Marvell Mystery down the holes, got the engine running nicely, replaced the radiator. Now to the clutch. I flushed the fluid and was very happy to see that the clutch hydraulics work, the slave cylinder doing its job. But if I try to select a gear it's obvious that the clutch is not disengaged, so I'm assuming the plate has stuck to the flywheel. It would be nice to get it free without having to pull the engine. My first thought is to put it in gear with the engine off, depress the clutch to take the pressure off, and hit the starter to try to crack it loose. I'm sure others have done this before and would appreciate ideas.

 

I have done something similar to an older XK150 with the same problem. It may have some risks if done in an enclosed space. What I did was pull the car out onto the laneway, put it in first, pushed the starter and got the car running (idling) down the laneway. Then I pushed in the clutch pedal and the brakes. There was a big noise and the clutch was freed. If you had the rear end up on jacks you might be able to do something similar with less stress on the clutch. Pulling the engine is a last resort but may be needed.

 

Agree with above. Get the car hot, really hot then try to engage gear. If that fails, you can try turning off the engine, put the car in gear and with your foot depressing the clutch and on the brake, try and start it.

Make sure you have loads of room in front of you and be prepared to switch the engine off! Brutal but worth a go.

 

That is the way to do it!
Damp and humid conditions will rust or freeze the Clutch plate on to your flywheel.
roll it out on to a long clear driveway or street.
Put it in first gear then crank it, it feels painful but after a few feet you will hear a big POP!
As other suggest warm
the car up first, I’ve done it before
you do not have to pull the engine out!
Hopefully😀🙏
gtjoey1314

 

The first post "cure" is a bit different than I have had success with. The method I have used was to have the car in an area that will allow you to drive a bit.
(parking lot very good). Start car in first gear, with your foot pressed on the clutch and then accellerate/decellerate. (on/off gas vigorously).
Hopefully, you will hear a clunk & the clutch will operate.

Second: This done on a customer's '66 coupe that did not sit a long time-Winter- The above method tried several times with no success.
So...
Car up in the air-with a hole saw...you will need to drill a hole alongside of the ready factory hole in bottom of bellhousing.
Save the cut piece to restore later. Now..the tedious part: 9/16th wrench: loosen one of pressure plate bolts, rotate engine 180 degrees, and loosen the opposite bolt. Do same for all six. About 2 full turns. You will begin to see a gap appear between bolt holes of the pressure plate & flywheel. You may have to do this process 2-3 times. I used a very long, thin spatula to get between clutch disc & flywheel & "pop" disc free. Reassembly is reverse of above,
careful to torque bolts in a diagonal fashion. It is a tedious job, yet the results are positive.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. This worked for me - I jacked up the back onto stands, jammed a wood wedge behind the clutch lever at the bell housing so the pressure plate was held released, got the engine hot, started it in 4th gear and ran it up 2-3000 rpm with the back wheels spinning free, then stamped on the brake and suddenly the plate was free with no nasty noises. By using the wedge I could keep the revs up at the same time as pushing the brakes, I'd tried without the wedge but then had to use one foot on the clutch pedal so couldn't keep power on while braking. Gentler and safer than dropping it onto spinning back wheels.

 

I had wondered if that was possible. I don't need it now for this car but would appreciate the details if there is a next time. What's the details of the extra hole - how big, where, and what does it do for you? Thanks