2003 Mini Cooper
clutch working fine then quit. Couldn't shift gears at all.
Replaced slave cylinder. Now, when push down clutch pedal,
the clutch fork shaft is raising up about an inch out of transmission. This causes slave cylinder to blow seals. If fork lever is held down with your hands, clutch works fine.
What would cause the clutch fork shaft to raise up like this.
Please help. I need/love this car.

 

How many miles on the car?

 

100,000 miles

 

I sincerely hope someone can/will answer this question.
2003 MC, approx 1k miles.
The transmission is out of the car.
The fork does not appear damaged, but it will slide all the way up until it touches the spline. Should there be an upper bushing on the fork that prevents this?
Fork looks ok unless there is an upper bushing damaged that is not visible.

 

Or, is it the TO bearing that holds the fork in place?
The TO bearing was BAD.

 

It sounds like you got it and hopefully by now you have figured out the problem and are motoring but just in case; there are 2 bushings that should be present on the on the TO bearing arm. One on the end where it recesses in the bell housing and one where it enters the housing and yes the TO bearing will hold the fork arm in the proper place. It sounds like the TO bearing went, the arm slid and the bushing on the end of the arm slipped out and got lost(?) in the bell housing. So if you haven't already you are going to have to drop the tranny and replace that TO and bushing or pay someone else to do it.