Clutch probs!

[BIg StEvE]

Had a few dramas on the weekend. The clutch has siezed up on me i think because the clutch pedal has become as hard as hard can be and i cant change gears. Clutch is brand new when we put the 3.9 a couple of months ago. Any ideas? Water could be a factor as i did get stuck in a bog for a while. The funny thing is it worked after for a for a fair while then got stiff fairly quickly with no strange noises!

Extra info
- Have bled the system (Pedal drops completely still)
- Have clutch fluid
- Clutch slave is fairly new
- No strange noises when it happend

Anyone had similar problem and can point me in the right direction?

[RangingRover]

i'd suggest starting by removing the slave cylinder from the bellhousing, and get someone to push the pedal down a little bit (carefully, so as not to pop the piston out!), and see if its working properly. If thats all good, then obviously something is wrong with the mechanical side, and the gearbox is going to have to come out.... but i couldn't begin to imagine what it would be, unless your pressure plate is jammed up with dirt and mud and not allowing the diaphragm springs to operate, or the thrust bearing is jammed on the splines, and can't slide....

[walker]

Yep, I would go through and check all the easy stuff first. Pull apart the master and slave cylinders. I had a problem last week that ended up just being a broken spring in the master cylinder.

Is the clutch engaged (no drive) or dissengaged (drive)?

Could be a spring has popped out and is jamming the pressure plate.

[justinC]

You may have a broken clutch fork, by the sounds of it. The pivot ball may have pushed through the fork.
Have a look at the pushrod when you take off the slave, and if it is a long way inside the bellhousing and you can't pull it out at all then it is a possibility.

JC

[BIg StEvE]

Yep, I would go through and check all the easy stuff first. Pull apart the master and slave cylinders. I had a problem last week that ended up just being a broken spring in the master cylinder.

Is the clutch engaged (no drive) or dissengaged (drive)?

Could be a spring has popped out and is jamming the pressure plate.

Clutch is engaged. Cant get any movement in the pedal to disengage it!

[Loanrangie]

Steve, rangie clutches are absolute bastards to bleed, i now have a fool proof way of bleeding - get a 1 meter lenght of clear plastic tube that fits the bleed nipple, attach hose and hold the other end up high (bonnet height with end in glass jar) open the nipple and pump untill fluid reaches height of clutch m/c, leave open and watch the air bubbles escape. Once bubles stop rising close the nipple and give it a try, should now be good if not repeat above - this works a treat for brakes as well.

[TRobbo]

Steve, I suspect your problem is mechanical rather than hydraulic.
As JustinC said you will be able to check a few things inside the bellhousing by removing the slave cylinder. From memory you can detach this from it's mounting without the need to open the hydraulic system.
Water can do funny things and I suspect this is your culprit. you have said that you were stuck in a bog recently and I have seen many cars come out working fine only to find the clutch ceases after being left to sit overnight thus allowing teverything to dry out properly and mud/rust to bake on between the pressure plate and flywheel.
afaik the only way to fix that is to pull the clutch out .... again.

[BIg StEvE]

Steve, I suspect your problem is mechanical rather than hydraulic.
As JustinC said you will be able to check a few things inside the bellhousing by removing the slave cylinder. From memory you can detach this from it's mounting without the need to open the hydraulic system.
Water can do funny things and I suspect this is your culprit. you have said that you were stuck in a bog recently and I have seen many cars come out working fine only to find the clutch ceases after being left to sit overnight thus allowing teverything to dry out properly and mud/rust to bake on between the pressure plate and flywheel.
afaik the only way to fix that is to pull the clutch out .... again.

Yeah this is what i thought might be the case. It did sit over night but worked for 10 minutes or so in the morning then became hard very quickly.
Will pull the slave off as i have done this before. If i cant find anything there looks like its gonna end in $$$ again. Might be worth looking at replacing the box at the same time cos its a POS!

Thanks for your help guys!

[Reddo]

Hum....in Disco Dave we had a similar problem which was the result of the plastic support/end of the throw-out bearing collapsing and jamming onto the sleeve over the gear bow input shaft during some arduous off-road work. Seems the thing got too hot and simply melted down. Replacement unit had an extended SS support tween the plastic end to which the fork attaches and the bearing - obviously LR had seen the problem and modified the unit accordingly!

[Ralf the RR]

Here's a thought.
If it is mud and gunk within the clutch, then maybe removing the slave and squirting the hose in there might cure the problem.

Not sure if this is a valid fix, and may cause more problems.
Any experts out there with an opinion?

[BIg StEvE]

Here's a thought.
If it is mud and gunk within the clutch, then maybe removing the slave and squirting the hose in there might cure the problem.

Not sure if this is a valid fix, and may cause more problems.
Any experts out there with an opinion?

I would say water would be one of the only options that would not cause more harm. maybe rust but should not cause it to slip!

[walker]

One of the guys in the LROCV has cut away a piece at the top of the bell housing and then screwwed it back in place. Now after a big day out in the mud he just removes that piece and flushes out the clutch with a high pressure house, seems to work well.

[MJ]

It will almost certainly be as justinc says; always change the fork when doing the clutch, and never use a second hand one.

Also do you not fit the wading drain plug to the bell housing when going off road; the bell housing can be completely sealed with the plug and a bit of silcon when asembled.

Mark

[Chris F20 maniac]

hey mate,

im with justinc as well, i recon a broken clutch fork would be the most likely problem seeing as you cant depress the clutch pedal at all and you have had your clutch replaced once before. its probably just snapped and got jammed up.

do you know if they changed the fork as well when they did the clutch?

[TRobbo]

It's not that hard to change your clutch. If you hire a portable engine crane (relatively cheap) from one of the numerous hire companies around, undo the 10 or so bolts securing the engine to the bell housing and then you can slide the engine forward to get at the clutch. You can choose to pull it right out, and if so label everything as you disconnect it, or attempt to do it with the engine in situ. hey perhaps it's a good time to pull the radiator out to give it a proper flush through the fins while you getting more room in the engine bay. You can use my garage if you need it.

[Philip A]

No one has picked collapsed flexible hose!!!!
If I am correct do I get a prize?
Buy a new flexible hose and see if that fixes it.
If not you have zee BIG problem.
Regards Philip A

[BIg StEvE]

Thanks for all the ideas guys but the way its looking at the moment time wise it will have to sit there for a week or so before i can get stuck into it.

No one has picked collapsed flexible hose!!!!
If I am correct do I get a prize?
Buy a new flexible hose and see if that fixes it.
If not you have zee BIG problem.
Regards Philip A

Wouldnt u be able to see this? Mine looks like it did when i replaced it last!

Will let u all know what i find when i get around to it!

[rangemann]

did you get round to doing it yet??

[BIg StEvE]

did you get round to doing it yet??

Pulled the slave off last week and the clutch fork had enough play in it that it would hit the back of the housing. From there i kinda cracked the shits and organised a truck to pick it up so the boys at LRA could fix it.

Will cost me a bit but i dont have the time to fix it myself.

Can let u all know what the result is when i find out from them.

cheers

steve

[Loanrangie]

So it was your's on the back of the tray truck i saw getting onto the ring road !

[rangemann]

From there i kinda cracked the shits and organised a truck to pick it up so the boys at LRA could fix it.

[BIg StEvE]

So it was your's on the back of the tray truck i saw getting onto the ring road !

Could have been. It was meant to be picked up around 10 am on monday when i was at work. Pretty standard for my rangie to be sighted on the back of a flatbed thou!

[Loanrangie]

I would have towed ya

[BIg StEvE]

Well the good news is the problem is fixed. The bad news is it cost an arm and a leg. The problem turned out to be a collapsed thrust bearing.
Now the wanker that put my 3.9 engine in should have replaced it with the new clutch and im not so sure he did. (Long story)
If he replaced it there is no doubt it should have lasted longer than three months. Agree?


Anyway appreciate all ur help guys!