Nightmare!

I spent six hours on Saturday getting to the offending clutch. As you can see from the photo above the pressure plate splines are as rotten as a pear (on closer inspection a number of them have bent inwards/collapsed). The main observation on this clutch failure ordeal is that the bloke who designed this engine needs to be dispatched to the nearest insane asylum as soon as possible! This engine/gearbox/clutch unit has clearly been designed on a computer and can only be easily maintained or repaired by a fully equipped Fiat garage - the DIY mechanic is confronted by a massive and time consuming operation when attempting to change a clutch plate and housing, an operation that on older vehicles that I have owned was quite a simple job.

Not only has the engine designer (must have been Italian) located several bolts in inaccessible places at the back of the engine that have caused me a great deal of angst he has ensured that the home mechanic will have to trot down to the nearest automotive suppliers to buy a set of Star Drive Sockets that are needed to fit the clutch housing! A set of these Star Drive Sockets has cost me £23 today (see photo above). The only reason I have spent this extortionate amount of money on this bizarre continental socket set is because the prospect of several more days of travelling around on those vile buses fills me with dread! I calculate that the £23 that was forced from my wallet by the thoughtless engine designer will be saved next week by not having to fork out on expensive bus journeys.

After standing and staring at this new addition to my toolbox I have decided to treat this new socket set as a family heirloom! The Star Drive Socket Set will be scrupulously cleaned after use and will, upon his 18th birthday, be passed on to my son - so that on day he may make use of this expensive and almost certainly never to used again tool!