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[Omega man 2]

Right, finally get my engine fixed and running fine. Let it warn up turned off checked the oil, everything fine

Got in to take it for a spin, put my foot on the clutch and CRUNCH Horrible grinding sound while pressing the clutch and trying to move.
Goes into gear with the engine running without pressing it

It was fine when parked 2 months ago :-? :-?

Is this the bearing? Or has my clutch plate disintegrated?

[Entwood]

When similar happened to me ... some 30 years ago on the MG .... I was expecting all sorts of disasters .. droped the clutch to find that 3 of the radial springs in the clutch plate had dropped out for some reason, and it looked one had jammed between the friction plate something else.. hence no drive at all. Everything was checked over and a new plate fitted .. worked great ...

So it might just be the friction plate has failed, corrosion ?? .. OK its a drop-the-gearbox job .. but it's not that expensive.

Just had a thought, did you rebuild the engine in-situ or externally ??  If the latter you may have just got the line-up all wrong ?

[Omega man 2]

Well before the rebuild I drove it and the clutch was fine. did the rebuild with the engine in the car without moving the gearbox or engine.

Its only a new clutch kit

[Seth]

Sounds very much like the pressure-plate (or diaphragm) is stuck in the 'depressed' position.
This might be caused by the withdrawal bearing becoming siezed on it's sleeve. You could try leaving the engine warm up with the gearstick in neutral - it might just do the trick and release it!  
Personally though, I'd be removing the gearbox pronto - the culprit will be easy to find.

[Entwood]

Thinking on a tad ...  what would make the clutch fail like that ?? ...

You say a crunch and then the grinding ......  has the car actually moved at all in the 2 months ?? and was the parking brake on  

The reason I ask is simple .. when I used to have to go away for work trips, if the car was left for more than about a week in wet/damp conditions, on pull away the first time there was always a bit of a bang as the handbrake shoes released .. I thought they were corroding on to the drums a tad. If yours hasn't moved for 2 months this might have put undue stress on the drivetrain and the weakest part .. the clutch plate .. has given up ..

Might be worth jacking the back end up and spinning the wheels before you try and drive off on the new clutch

[Omega man 2]

Well, I had the handbrake on the whole time with the gearbox in neutral.

By the sound of it I'd be afraid to drive it. I'll give a go jacking up the rear end. Next in the pipeline is to slide back the gearbox and take a peek :-?

[Seth]

Yes mate, so would I - you've gone this far, so at this point in time, a clutch inspection is neither here nor there.
I can pretty well guarantee that the problem will be obvious to see, once the 'box is removed.
Good luck!

[Omega man 2]

Right, I've got the gearbox off the engine and can't see anything wrong at first glance.

I'm not sure how to check the clutch. It's the one part of the car that I'm not 100% on.

Can someone talk me through on how to check it?