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FREELANDER TD4 CLUTCH -- ODD BEHAVIOUR

Is anyone intimate enough with the Freelander Clutch Mechanism to be able to answer this? Note that we are talking about the TD4 with the separate components, and not the all-in-one hydraulics of the petrol and early diesel. Note, too, that you'll need to read ALL the symptoms and not jump to conclusions early -- if this were straightforward, I wouldn't be asking!

Symptoms: Drive 200 miles from Yorkshire to Billing to pick up a bulkhead. Everything behaves as normal, but when trying to pull away from the traffic lights at the M1/A45 junction, the clutch pedal goes down as normal, but the clutch doesn't disengage fully. Impossible to get into gear. Clutch pedal stays down, but can be lifted with the toe. After a couple of attempts, the problem rights itself, and (mercifully) gives no trouble during the nightmare stop/start 100-or- so miles back up the M1 in last Friday's storm rain.

In Dewsbury, problem re-appears whilst trying to back trailer into a restricted opening -- pedal goes down, but clutch doesn't disengage. Pedal can be lifted with toe. Happens a couple of times more, and then rights itself. No more trouble for rest of journey home, or to repairer on Saturday morning. So, it happened perhaps 6-8 times in 2 batches in 475 miles.

The obvious conclusion with hydraulic clutches not working is a seal failure, either at the master or slave end. Master has been replaced, but I'm not sure that it was to blame. Stripping the old one shows no sign whatever of distress, and no hydraulic fluid on the 'wrong' side of the seal. Footwell carpet is clean. Anyway, once a seal starts to go, it gets worse -- it doesn't cure itself for 100 miles.

The pedal itself? No, it operates smoothly, and the return spring is VERY strong. It took something serious to hold this down.

Slave cylinder? Can't tell for sure, but the same thoughts about 'self-correcting' seals apply. Also, as far as I can tell, hydraulic fluid level in the reservoir was normal when it was removed. The clutch? Don't know this unit well enough to recognise any known weaknesses. It shows no other signs of impending doom.

Don't want to start diving into the clutch itself unless I have to, but I'm not sure that the symptoms may not return... and I might not be so lucky and get home next time. Does anyone recognise any of this?

GRAEME ALDOUS, Yorkshire

Reply to
Teeafit
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Graeme - it sounds hydraulic to me. I've had exactly the same symptoms on vehicles that have been brought into my workshop. It is generally the master cylinder, although I tend to replace both cylinders at the same time based on the fact that they've done equal work so are probably equally worn out. Given that you have fitted a new master cylinder recently I'd be suspecting that it may be faulty (on a few occassions when a new cylinder has failed rapidly I have found swarf left in them when they were assembled).

Best of luck

Reply to
EMB

EMB -- thanks. Yes, I'm certainly believing that it MUST be the hydraulics, and at the bottom end, too. There's no sign that the clutch itself is mechanically suspect. The more I talk to people about this, the more it suggests (say) a groove in the wall of the slave cylinder -- most of the time the seal accommodates it, but sometimes the fluid leaks past.

Incidentally, the replacement of the master cylinder was on Monday, AFTER the problems, so the new cylinder isn't a suspect here.

All I can do is wait, and see if it does it again -- and this time I'll be ready with my toe to lift the pedal!

GRAEME ALDOUS, Yorkshire

Reply to
Teeafit

About 18 months ago I replaced the master cylinder on my 110 CSW. Within 2 weeks I had to replace the slave cylinder. The higher pressure imparted from the new master cylinder was enough to trash what was left of the seal in the slave. Several people have said to me since then that it is always worth replacing the two together.

Cheers

Peter

Reply to
puffernutter

In message , Teeafit writes

The clutch pedal sticking down on a Freelander is pretty common. And is normally a Hydraulic fault. If you have ruled out the master Cylinder then it will be the slave or pipe work to the slave.

The bad news is .... The slave cylinder is built into the release bearing and so you have to take the gearbox out to do it. Pretty much a

1K job in the UK, as you might as well replace the clutch while you are there.

Happy shopping

Reply to
Marc Draper

For those who responded to this thread a couple of weeks ago, thanks..... I've been seeing how the car behaved itself over a few long journeys before coming back.

Fitting a new Master Cylinder may have done the trick, as it's never played up once since. Can't see why, though, as there was nothing apparently wrong with the old one, and I would have thought that a seal pushing past the fluid would have resulted in at least SOME coming out of the open end and onto the footwell carpet. But no.

Let's hope that this IS a cure, as I don't relish replacing the Slave Cylinder/Release Bearing Unit!

GRAEME ALDOUS, Yorkshire

Reply to
Teeafit

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