Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi all, i am new to this forum as u might have gathered. I bought my first 4x4 2 weeks ago it's a 1981 MQ SWB Diesel. I didn't pay much for this car as it's unlic and needs a bit of work. i got the motor running and it seems to run fine (starter motor was seized up,bit of grease fixed that) but when i put the clutch in and then can just get it in to gear(forwards or reverse) and then let the clutch out nothing happens.
The car has sat for about 2 years and hasn't been started for about a year or more. i have been told it could be the the pressure plate or clutch plate that is stuck or seized on the g/box shaft. In the car without it running or without my foot on the clutch is seems to move into gears easily so i guess the gearbox works (fingers crossed) and i was told the handbrake was seized dunno if that has anything to do with it. (can push the car backwards, forwards is a bit harder)

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or ideas on this as i have played around with cars a bit but never a 4x4 or a diesel so excuse my stupidity.

i have many more questions but i don't want to bore you all, and is there anyone from perth on this part of the forum.

thanks

if the handbrake is siezed, your best be is to:
remove the rear tail shaft off the handbrake drum, and attempt to remove the drum, once you have the drum off, you may as well strip down the handbrake assembly and grease the adjusted, give the drum and the shoes a clean up or replace them, give the cable a bit of cable lube while your at it too,

id be thinking if the clutch was siezedand you were to start it in gear the car would leap forwards or backlwards depending on the gear,

i would be recomending a full lube job if its been sitting for so long, diffs, gearbox, transfer, engine, clutch and brake fluid, drain and replace the lot, also check wheel bearings,

oh, and i would recomend draining the tank, and refilling it with fresh fuel.

Might sound silly - but is the transfer in neutral

Dont forget a quick oil change and filter in case the old one doesnt lubricate enough and siezes the engine.

Cheers and good luck!

Oh and welcome to the forum.

Tom

Shorty40 wrote:Might sound silly - but is the transfer in neutral

Not so silly .....

My dog once jumped from the rear set to the drivers seat and knocked it from low to neutral on his way out after a rabbit ! ...... took 5 mins for the penny to drop !

and i was told the handbrake was seized dunno if that has anything to do with it. (can push the car backwards, forwards is a bit harder)

If the rig can be moved by pushing it then the handbrake isnt siezed.... atleast in the not moving for anyone position !!
Try pulling the handbrake on and if it doesnt move at all then its ok.


As for the clutch.....
start it in gear with ya foot on the clutch.... if it jumps foward and wants to continue to drive off then the clutch has probably siezed its self.
If this is the case.......To fix.....
Try "loading up" the clutch..... start in gear and drive it ... hard acceleration followed by hard deceleration & braking, this will free the clutch "if" its siezed between the flywheel and pressure plate.

"If" its siezed on the gearbox input shaft spline then ya got dramas... could try a can of CRC / WD40 and hope like hell !!!!!

Also worth looking at is the master cylinder and slave cylinder for the clutch.....
Has it got fluid ?
When you depress the clutch does the clutch fork move back n forth ? ( you can see this on the top drivers side of the bellhousing where the rubberboot is located)..... if there's no movement here then its either the master cylinder or slave thats stuffed.

To chech the master or slave cylinders simply crack open the bleeders on one then the other, the one thats not working wont blow oil out under pressure...... <<<< messy job here so a bit of tube like windscreen wiper water hose is good as it slips over the bleeders and a bottle can be placed at the other end to collect the wasted fluid.

Brake fluid is VERY easily contaminated by water.... pay to replace ALL brake and clutch fluids as the rig has been siting for so long ....


Have fun
Kingy

p/s ..... Welcome

Thanks for the reply guys, i checked that the transfer was in neutral but didn't make any difference. when i was trying to drve it (mind you it needs a front windscreen so i can't drive it far yet) when trying to put it in gear it sort of grinds a little bit and i got it in reverse once and it jumped back with my foot on the clutch and nearly hit my car than was about 6 feet behind it and then stalled. I first started it when i got it without an alternator and noticed he had dumped most of the oil ( no damage done), so i got an alternator at a good price and refilled it with oil. Yeah i plan to drop all the oils and the fuel tank drain plug has been out for a week to drain and refilled with a new diesel.

I originally thought it might have been the clutch coz it was low on fluid but i cleaned the whole system out and adjusted pedal and new fluid seems better, the rod that comes out of the slave cylinder moves but when i had the clutch setup off the car the i moved the but the rod pushes in the gearbox (sorry forgotten the name of that) and that moves but doesn't really spring back The advice i got about the clutch was from a family friend who owns a transmission shop and said i could take it apart in a few weeks when he as a spare hoist and i will just put a new clutch in and grease it up. (unless the one in there is tip top )

I got the high pressure water cleaner and cleaned the underside of the car and got the grease gun and greased all the grease points under the car. i have got a couple of other questions to ask but i will leave them to a later date.

thanks

Sacha

The Nuetral transfer got me pinned for a few mins the other week too.
Had a flat battery so was roll starting it for a coupla days, i worked on it abit one arvo and when i roll started it the next morning i had no clutch and the gears were grinding a little, got out checked everything and was at the bottom of the hill just about and i saw the stick in neutral. took a few mins, the worst part of it was that i had run outa hill dam thing is too hard to push up hill with any success, had to get a mate to tow start me, was very late for work that morning.....

cheers,

Screwy

oh no i was confused guys, i will sound like the biggest idiot saying this. I am 99% sure i put the transfer stick from a gear to neutral and then tried driving it with no luck. I just asked someone then and they said it has to be in 2L on the transfer otherwise the car wont move, so next chance i get i will try that and see if i have any success.

sorry guys for the misunderstanding

hope this works so i can drive it now (atleast move it)

The car is still the same, when i put the transfer into 2L or whatever it is and then try to get it into gear it just grinds so i guess the gearbox has to come out in the next few weeks.

by the sounds of one of 3 things has happened....

1st
the clutch plate has become corroded onto the input shaft of the gearbox
remedy....
pull g/box out and fix.

2nd
The clutch plate is corroded between the pressure plate and flywheel
remedy....
as I described in a previous post above.

3rd
the pressure plate has broken springs
remedy....
pull g/box out and fix

Best bet is obviously to pull the gearbox , atleast you get a look at it and once out a NEW clutch kit can be fitted and you WONT have any more problems !

yeah thats what i plan to do in the next couple of weeks when a family has a spair hoist at his workshop for a day.

thanks again for your help V8Patrol

Mine does a similar prob at the moment. the clutch leaks all it is fluid out and it dont work. Even if I hold the clutch all the way in it losses pressure and the clutch starts to engage. So of to nissan for the rebuild kit. Was just as cheap to go there as anywhere else - $45 includes piston spring and other bits.