Just got a Panda on Sunday. Very clean, well taken care of, full service history, 49K miles. The clutch pedal is very low, maybe 1 1/2 inches of travel, and must be really pressed hard to disengage and shift gears. The cable looks new.
1) What is the most likely/least expensive problem (I'm thinking stretched from previous use and rusty from sitting)
2) Renewal sounds easy enough from Haynes manual- any hidden secrets/hints?
3) Ballpark cost of a cable?- My Canadian accent in Wales means the locals keep trying to rip me off, thinking I'm a Yank.

Cheers,

Justin

2 words, buggered clutch.
Possibly about £100 fitted price. Only a rough guide though.

Pete
K&N Induction Kit On A Panda?? Never!!!

I'd tend to agree with Pete about the clutch

The new cable suggests the old one broke because of the effort needed to operate the clutch:
looks like you found out why it was for sale...

Travel is quoted as 127mm in Haynes - about 5 inches in English - it is adjustable with a nut on the gearbox end of the cable.

May just be rusted up through lack of use, but I expect you'd need to get it to bits to free it off, so a new (maybe 60 UKP) clutch while you're there is probably the best answer.

Cheers, Pete. I think. Just what I like in written communication: conciseness and colour. However, could you elaborate on which part of the clutch (pressure springs?) and the technical description of "buggered"?

Cheers again,

Justin

Originally posted by toecutter
Cheers, Pete. I think. Just what I like in written communication: conciseness and colour. However, could you elaborate on which part of the clutch (pressure springs?) and the technical description of "buggered"?

Click to expand...

Possibly the actuating arm pivot, or the driven plate sticking on the gearbox shaft splines. Unless anyone else knows different.

According to my Concise Oxford dictionary...

Bugger: (often foll. by up)
a - ruin; spoil (really buggered it up; no good, it's buggered).
b - (esp. as buggered adj.) Brit. exhaust, tire out.

I've had a similar thing with one of mine in the past. It was the actuating arm sleeve that runs over the spindle, that was worn. The sleeve only cost a couple of pounds but you need to seperate the engine and gearbox. If you're doing this, you might as well replace the whole lot, release bearing, clutch and plate. A LUK replacement kit is around the £30 mark I think.
Happy Pandering.

Russ