Odd landrover clutch situation

[julianf]

Defender 300 tdi clutch pedal -

Not been on the road since 2015. Clutch was bled. Seems to work fine, except....

Sometimes when i go back to it, its on the floor. As in has fallen, against the physical springs, and is on the floor. Must have been sucked down?

If i lift it manually, as soon as its over the "cam" point of the spring, it lifts up to normal position, and behaves like any other clutch would again, rising up to where it should be, no detectable fluid loss - works just like you would expect.

Stays like that a day or two, or whatever, and then, when im not looking, mysteriously drops down to the floor again.

You dont have to pump it to regain it once its lifted - just seems to be as if it had never happened the moment its lifted back up again.

Any ideas?

Thank you.

(i know this isnt a car forum, but, well....)

 

[Bullet2012]

Any ideas

Yes, you have a problem with the clutch, simply resolved by fitting an automatic transmissio.

 

[sako243]

If I recall correctly your master cylinder is shot / fluid passing via the seals internally (intermittently at first but will happen more reliably). I think I've had this happen before in the past and a new master cylinder cured it but it's only a vague memory.

 

[julianf]

Master is easier to deal with than slave, I suspect. I'll have a look at th cost of the parts I guess.

 

[drjim]

Had this on an old BMW years ago, I decided it was the flexi hose had failed and fluid was trapped in a false lumen - like an aortic dissection in fact. It came and went so I reckoned it was a flap - again like an aortic dissection!

 

[sako243]

Master is easier to deal with than slave, I suspect. I'll have a look at th cost of the parts I guess.

They're both not too bad to deal with access wise but the slave does have the fork attached which is a pain usually.

Do you know your clutch fork is in good nick and you've not started punching / wearing through it?

 

[julianf]

They're both not too bad to deal with access wise but the slave does have the fork attached which is a pain usually.

Do you know your clutch fork is in good nick and you've not started punching / wearing through it?

No idea at all.

If it's in as bad a state as any if the rest of the vehical it's probably stuffed.

Any simple way to tell?

 

[Dave-sparks]

Master is easier to deal with than slave, I suspect. I'll have a look at th cost of the parts I guess.

Both are pretty easy on the 300Tdi. Slave cylinder was one of the first repairs I had to do on mine and it didn't take long even as a complete novice.

Mine had an issue with the clutch pedal not returning occasionally and having to be pulled up, it came down to the return springs on the pedal having got weak over time.

 

[sako243]

You'd have to pull the slave cylinder but you might be able to see the condition using a mirror or bore cam. From memory there's just about enough space there to poke your head up and have a look but I might be wrong.

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

Master is easier to deal with than slave, I suspect.

Think yourself lucky you don’t have a Puma otherwise you have to pull the gearbox out to change the slave.

Change both for new and fit a braided clutch hose and LOF return spring while you are at it.

 

[puffernutter]

Always best to change both. Either one being new, puts stress on the other.

Cheap enough!

Cheers

Peter

 

[Bullet2012]

bore cam.

Ha , don’t start him off.
Ooh look another thread to be started , about what bore cam should I never buy

 

[MoreWellie]

Always best to change both

I agree, it could be either end and whenever I take a stab at guessing I always guess the wrong end first

And change the flexi hose for the slave cylinder as well

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Won't be your problem but one I had, which took several new master cylinders to detect, was wear in the pedal pivot so when being depressed the pedal moved and disturbed the push rod direction so the piston then wore to one side of the bore.