Changing the clutch in my MG got to be a much bigger job than I figured. Start with the fact that the transmission has a cross brace underneath that's part of the car, so it can't be removed unless the engine comes out. Clutch job? Engine comes out.
Snapped off the air injection pipe when I tried to unscrew it. Just one of those parts that leaves a hole in the exhaust manifold. Fortunately, I found one cheap on eBay.
Used a come-along to pull the engine out, suspended from the rafters in my garage. Seems the ratchet mechanism on this quality product from a well-known far-eastern country was a bit dicey. Came out of the car okay, but as my buddy was ratcheting it down, I was reaching for the wood blocks to put the engine on when the ratchet let go, dropping the engine from about 3 feet up onto the floor. Thankfully, my foot was not under it, the car was not under it, and the only damage to the engine was a slightly flattened oil pan. Cheap come-along went in the trash.
New clutch kit required pressing the old release bearing off the clutch arm and pressing the new one on. Had to find a shop with the right press to do that.
Putting the engine back in with a better come-along, find out I can't line up the transmission shaft with the engine. Much fiddling under the car, and much worse without an engine hoist that can be moved around. Finally conclude I have to unbolt the motor mount cradles to lower the engine enough, and two of the studs snap off. New motor mounts ordered.
Finally get it back together. A little voice says to check the clutch operation BEFORE putting the rest of the world back together. Shoot. Clutch won't release. Bled the hydraulics again. Still won't release. Dad asks if I greased the splines on the transmission shaft first. Uh, no, wasn't in the clutch kit instructions or the service manual.
Engine back out, very sticky coming out again. That must have been it! It was stuck on the shaft. Greased the splines, this time it goes together smoothly putting the engine back in.
Clutch STILL won't release. Finally notice that the spring fingers on this aftermarket clutch looked different from the OEM clutch. Finally stick a mirror and flashlight through the starter hole, and see the pressure plate doesn't budge at all. A kindly fellow MG Midget owner measured his clutch arm travel for me, and confirmed I was getting the right amount of travel at the clutch arm. It's got to be the wrong pressure plate, though it's in the right box.
Send out for the OEM clutch kit. This time, the pressure plate looks like the old one. Engine comes out again (boy, it gets easier the more you do it), and another clutch kit goes in. Engine goes back in for the third time. This time, the clutch releases. Success!
Spend the next several hours putting the carb back in, the starter, the radiator, exhaust connection, oil pressure gauge fitting, fuel line, radiator hoses, heater hoses, and making good progress.
Just before I refilled the cooling system I glance and notice the cooling fan is on my workbench, not bolted to the fan clutch behind the radiator. The radiator is already in. There's no clearance to squeeze the fan in and bolt it on, the radiator has to come out. Again.
Time for cold one.