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Clutch Handle on Shifter

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Clutch Handle on Shifter
#1
Bugeye23 Avatar
Bugeye23 Ron G
Fountain Hills, AZ, USA   USA
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1961 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite "Bruno"
Hello,

I just purchased a 1961 Bugeye and will be taking delivery this Thursday! I’m very excited.

Question: The seller is disabled and has what seems to be an ‘auto clutch’ handle on the shifter (seen in picture). I would like to take it off but don’t know what it would be connected to. There is a cable that is attached to the heat shield in between the engine and carbs (upon inspection) but I haven’t looked any further.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Ron


Ron


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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#2
refisk Rick Fisk
Frankenmuth, MI, USA   USA
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Hi Ron,

You are going to have to get under the car to see how the clutch system is configured. The previous owner has apparently installed a cable operated clutch mechanism. My dad did the same sort of thing to a car back in the fifties so that he essentially had a hand operated clutch. I race with a guy who has a disabled left leg and he designed a pneumatic clutch for his Bugeye. It is operated by a simple switch on the gear lever. His system works great and he is very fast!

The cable on the carb heatshield is the standard factory throttle cable and has nothing to do with the clutch.

In reply to # 285844 by Bugeye23 Hello,

I just purchased a 1961 Bugeye and will be taking delivery this Thursday! I’m very excited.

Question: The seller is disabled and has what seems to be an ‘auto clutch’ handle on the shifter (seen in picture). I would like to take it off but don’t know what it would be connected to. There is a cable that is attached to the heat shield in between the engine and carbs (upon inspection) but I haven’t looked any further.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Ron

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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#3
Bugeye23 Avatar
Bugeye23 Ron G
Fountain Hills, AZ, USA   USA
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1961 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite "Bruno"
Excellent. Thank you very much Rick!

Ron


Ron

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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#4
Mtn Sprite Avatar
Mtn Sprite Layne M
Santa Cruz, CA, USA   USA
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1969 Austin-Healey Sprite
I have a friend who experienced a stroke and lost most of the use of his left leg. He is a lifelong MGB driver and the B just sits now.

I would be very interested In how these systems operate and any direction to someone who may supply a similar system.

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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#5
Stoffregen Motorsports Avatar
Stoffregen Motorsports Matt Stoffregen
Cool, CA, USA   USA
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1957 Land Rover Series I "I've Called It A Few Names"
1962 Austin-Healey Sprite
1965 Austin-Healey Sprite
Are you sure it's not a hand operated throttle?


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Instagram - @mstoffregen

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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#6
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rusty1c Peter D
Mountain Green, UT, USA   USA
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1961 Austin-Healey 3000 BT7 "RUBY"
Layne,
Show this website to your friend with the disability. There are also many manufacturers of different hand controls.
Pete

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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#7
refisk Rick Fisk
Frankenmuth, MI, USA   USA
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That's an awful big cable just to operate the throttle.

In reply to # 285855 by Stoffregen Motorsports Are you sure it's not a hand operated throttle?

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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#8
Mtn Sprite Avatar
Mtn Sprite Layne M
Santa Cruz, CA, USA   USA
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1969 Austin-Healey Sprite
Peter,

I don't see any website info in your post?

Thanks

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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#9
rusty1c Avatar
rusty1c Peter D
Mountain Green, UT, USA   USA
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1961 Austin-Healey 3000 BT7 "RUBY"
Layne,
Sorry I forgot to put it in the posting. Google "hand clutch conversion kit for car" you will get all sorts of options.
Pete

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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#10
Stoffregen Motorsports Avatar
Stoffregen Motorsports Matt Stoffregen
Cool, CA, USA   USA
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1957 Land Rover Series I "I've Called It A Few Names"
1962 Austin-Healey Sprite
1965 Austin-Healey Sprite
In reply to # 285857 by refisk That's an awful big cable just to operate the throttle.

In reply to # 285855 by Stoffregen Motorsports Are you sure it's not a hand operated throttle?

They used what they had laying around?


New business website coming soon
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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#11
Stoffregen Motorsports Avatar
Stoffregen Motorsports Matt Stoffregen
Cool, CA, USA   USA
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1957 Land Rover Series I "I've Called It A Few Names"
1962 Austin-Healey Sprite
1965 Austin-Healey Sprite
In reply to # 285868 by rusty1c Layne,
Sorry I forgot to put it in the posting. Google "hand clutch conversion kit for car" you will get all sorts of options.
Pete

I do see all sorts of options, but none of them are cable operated. At least in my brief 5 minutes of searching.


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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#12
Mtn Sprite Avatar
Mtn Sprite Layne M
Santa Cruz, CA, USA   USA
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1969 Austin-Healey Sprite
Yep there's a lot of stuff on there alright. Thanks

Ron, Still interested on what you have on your new car.

With hydraulics already in place seems like it would be a fairly simple mechanical lever engineering project.
Maybe that's what he has going on, if it's not a throttle.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-01-03 12:09 PM by Mtn Sprite.

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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#13
S1 Elan Kurt. Appley
Akron, Ia., USA   USA
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1964 Lotus Elan
1965 MG Midget MkII
If the clutch isn't too stiff, wouldn't take much to rig up a motorcycle cable right ot the lever into the clutch housing.

Kurt

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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#14
rusty1c Avatar
rusty1c Peter D
Mountain Green, UT, USA   USA
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1961 Austin-Healey 3000 BT7 "RUBY"
I think what Ron has is an old version of a hand operated clutch control. Everything made now is done with electronics or large solenoids attached to either the clutch pedal or the slave cylinder.
Pete

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Re: Clutch Handle on Shifter
#15
refisk Rick Fisk
Frankenmuth, MI, USA   USA
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My friend David uses a pneumatic air system on his vintage race Bugeye. He has a horn air compressor keeping a small air tank pressurized and a pneumatic cylinder in place of the clutch slave. A press of the switch on his gear lever actuates a solenoid valve that pressurizes the cylinder and causes it to move. He even designed it with two speeds. When pulling away from a stop the cylinder engages the clutch slowly. Once he's moving he flips a switch on the dash and now the cylinder makes fast release and engagement movements. Works amazingly well. thumbs up



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-01-03 12:59 PM by refisk.

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