big problem, urgent help please

[bainswor]

I have a 1977 2dr rangie. The problem is witht he clutch. the last couple of weeks the first half of the clutch has been realy soft then the last half it would engage and disengage. last couple of days the 2inches closest to the floor is where it would engage. Now it wont engage at all. It hasnt been slipping. When I bleed it lots of air comes out, I have put ablut 350ml of fluid through it and no change.

Anyone have any ideas?

Regards Barnaby

[Rovernaut]

I had a similar problem with my Disco clutch, it ended up going to the flor and wouldn't return up by itself.
I took the clutch master cylinder off and re kitted the rubbers in side.
It could be the master cylinder or the slave cylinder has Shat itself?

[tony cordell]

one Defenders the clutch fork wears and the operating rod pushes through it losing the clutch.
just a thought

[Davidh]

On mine, the thrust bearing had so much dirt and grit inside it, that it seized and wore down to the point where the bearing face was no longer making contact with the pressure plate. The pedal was going to the floor but the thrust bearing was too small now to operate the clutch.

Could be a scenario? Annoying thing is that you won't know until you pull the gearbox out!

[daddylonglegs]

Early Rangerovers have a solid cast clutch release fork, so they dont suffer the problems of disco's and defenders of the fork pivot wearing out the thrust bearing can seize and spin on its plastic carrier as David H suggests,or a collapsed pressure plate diaphram, but if you keep getting air when attempting to bleed the system then it sounds like the clutch master cylinder is at fault.
Bill.

[Ralf the RR]

I have just done a complete rebuild on the master and slave on our 80RR.
They are a compete PITA to bleed.
I used a power bleeder, but with not a huge amount of success.

Ended up driving the thing up a bank so the the front is relatively high.
This allowed the slave to bleed a bit better, but still not perfect.

[bainswor]

the pedal does return to the top. Bleeding it didnt make any difference. since not being able to get it into gear last night, it has worked just, I mean just a couple of times today, everything happens in that last inch, engages and disengages.

I think I might take the master cylinder out tomorrow and get new seals put in it. or would I be better off getting it reconditioned. Any guess as to price? seals/recon

And the slave cylinder or just the master first?


if the seal in the master cylinder was gone would that explain all the air when I was bleeding it?


Thanks again guys.

Regards Barnaby

[the_grubb]

I would put my money on the master cylinder.

It has been noted before that during normal operation the piston within the master cylinder only travels a small distance, keeping this region of the cylinder smooth within an ageing cylinder. Once the piston travels further (perhaps due to a little air entering system due to a leak) up the cylinder into the previously unexplored region where the bore is not as smooth, this can damage the seals. Hence only a little 'softness' to begin with then as the seal wear at an increasing rate as they travel over this less smooth region more and more often and further and further up leading to eventaully total loss of pressure.

I believe this is only true in certian makes (Landrover being one) due to the material that the bores are made of.

Hence when bleeding (be it brakes or clutch) if you don't pump the pedal but rather gravity or pressure bleed the system, you save wear on the seals.

I would pull the master cylinder, check out the seal and bore. Both are relatively back pocket happy (if I remember correctly from a non-gen supplier) so therefore would replace both new.

Good-luck!

[the_grubb]

if the seal in the master cylinder was gone would that explain all the air when I was bleeding it?

Yes it could

[Ralf the RR]

Any guess as to price? seals/recon

Master Seal kit - $15
Slave Seal kit - $30

Don't get them from your local auto parts supplier.
They will be the wrong ones! Trust me, I know!