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Thread: Sportomatic Adjustment Help Needed. I'm tearing my hair out!

  1. #1

    Sportomatic Adjustment Help Needed. I'm tearing my hair out!

    Hi All,
    My Sportomatic gear change was all working well until I removed the carbs to clean and service them.

    I've refitted the carbs and adjusted the linkages so the engine is now running nicely but the clutch doesn't seem to fully disengage until the 'L' and 'D' gears grind a bit when engaging. Clearly this isn't good.

    So far I have:

    1) tested the vacuum pressure in the tank which seems to be a stable 18PSI

    2) tested that the solenoid is working by connecting my vacuum gauge to the solenoid outlet which usually goes to the clutch servo. This seems to be fine. I get vacuum when in neutral or moving gears (clutch disengaged) but not when in gear (clutch engaged)

    3) adjusted the throttle cam so I have 1.5mm clearance between the spring arm and the bottom of the solenoid valve actuator at idle

    4) tried adjusting the screw on the top of the solenoid valve

    Has anyone got any ideas as to what I can try next?

    Richard

  2. #2
    I had a similar problem on my 68! It turned out to be the hand throttle located next to the handbrake the connection had broken giving the incorrect idol and I could not do anything to adjust the sporto. Replaced the plastic clip set the idol and balanced the carbs and runs like a dream

  3. #3
    Thanks for the response here but I'm not sure the idle is my issue.

    I have a good stable idle so the next test I'm going to try is to check the vacuum being applied to the servo itself. If I have -18 PSI in the tank then I should see -18 PSI at the end of the hose that attaches to the servo itself.

  4. #4
    One quick question - is the control valve solenoid polarity sensitive? Does it matter which wire goes to which terminal?

  5. #5
    Oil Cooled Heart Bullethead's Avatar
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    Jul 2008
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    Richard, if you've found no vacuum leaks and the accumulator tank is OK, the clutch servo works and electrical connections between the shifter and servo are good, there's only two things left to check.

    Address the shifter microswitch first: clean everything and with the shifter in neutral, be sure there's a 0.4mm gap on all contact points. Then remove the two valves from the left intake manifold and unscrew the caps.

    If those little springs are broken or not "springy" enough, the only option is to replace the valves. Pricey for what they are but still available.

    Good luck!
    Russ

    ESR # 1537

    '62 356S Notchback Hotrod
    '67 S Das Geburtstagsgeschenk
    '68 T Targa Sportomatic
    '68 L SW Targa Sportomatic
    '70 914/6 GT

  6. #6
    Checked the microswitch and this is working just fine in both directions.

    The two non-return valves in the inlet manifold must be fine as I get a stable 18 PSI in the vacuum tank. If I stop the engine then this vacuum is maintained so the non-return valves are doing their job properly.

    Next test is to see what vacuum I get going to the servo itself.

    Everything was working just fine before the carbs were removed for servicing so I'm a bit puzzled!

  7. #7
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
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    Australia
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    I've had my 72E sporto over 32 years but I'm not that familiar with 68s with carbs.... With the engine running and in park get someone to tip the shifter back and forward while you listen to the control valve in the engine bay. You will definitely hear it clunk and feel it if it's working. Have you checked the top engine bay fuse? How did you check the microswitch? Grinding definitely means the servo isn't being pulled in enough or at all.

  8. #8
    So have checked the engine is producing good vacuum, and the control solenoid/microswitch are just fine.

    Today I checked that the servo will hold vacuum and operates which it does just fine.

    Just one further thought - the car hasn't moved for 6 months. Could the clutch be just stuck as the Sportomatic system was working just fine 6 months ago.

    If the clutch disk get stuck on a Sportomatic then what is the easiest way to free it?

  9. #9
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
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    Australia
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    I'm not saying that it can't happen, but my clutch disc has never been stuck and the car sat for several years at one point.

    Can you actually see the vacuum servo push rod moving and the servo pulling in suddenly and fully? (Did you use a camera?) Maybe the release lever or shift lever has broken?

    I forgot to add, yes the solenoid wires are polarised.
    Last edited by taldora_2008; 03-02-2021 at 04:08 PM.

  10. #10
    Hi there,
    Any chance you can tell me which connection is the positive and which one is the negative on the solenoid?

    Best, Richard

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