Thread: Puma Clutch Death Rattle Again

Originally Posted by stig0000

iv also noted how much drive line slack there is on pumas, my td5 with 118k and off road use, and its got no were near as much play as most pumas

the worst bit is that its NORMAL play, wev had alot customers complain of clunks and slack but compere it to a new and used defender its the same,

After getting the rear diff in my 2007 Puma replaced last week, a HUGE amount of clunking/slop has disappeared. The difference is startling and most noticable.

At standstill, just depressing the clutch in and out swiftly used to make internal clunking noises. Now they are gone.

1st to 2nd, and 2nd to 3rd used to clunk very noticably. Now there is no clunking between the gears.

Not sure how a new diff can make such a difference, but there you are. I've only done 300-400Kms since it was fitted, so am hoping the noises don't come back after a few thousand KMs or whatever.

Have had our Puma for two years now. Drove a 200 tdi 110 for 14 years prior to this.Like all Defender owners I was not happy with the use of electronics in the Defender as such. Heard all the gloom and doom regarding the Td5 on it's launch and now look how revered it is on this site.I think the Puma will be likewise thought of in the future. Technology will move on no matter how much I wish it would 'nt. I still cannot work the DVD recorder thing the Mrs. bought a few years back. Last night I could not get it to open so as I could put my VHS tape in. Must get the instructions out sometime.
14 years in a Tdi and I considered it a truly wonderful thing to drive. The Puma feels fragile compared to the Tdi. It is very quiet on the road. One can even have a conversation with the mrs. while travelling at 60 mph. The radio can be heard at volume 4 instead at volune 14. I kept hearing an unusual noise from somewhere in the back and it was very annoying. Turned out to be my daughter's MP3 player comming through the headphones. Yep the Puma is that quiet.After a long journey and you turn it off your ears do not ring in the silence.
Your left leg and left arm will not get the same work out as they do in previous Defenders. The clutch and gear change are so light and smooth. One almost feels inclined to put on that old difficult to get into gear face just to show passers by just how strong your left arm is.
The doors close with a solid clunk and not a rattle. Overtaking is a joy. Thought the Tdi was good given time to wind her up. The Puma just goes without having to drop back and wind her up. Should have been called Cheetah.
Going from a speed restriction to higher limits catches out other motorists. They always start overtaking early and get a bit of a shock when the Puma takes off and they find themselves stranded in the outer lane. Have often had to drop back to let the aforementioned motorist back in.
As for the electronics-what about them?My biggest complaint is the stuff under the driver's seat. Don't have the same space I had in the Tdi for that stuff I always packed in and never needed. Only electronic problem I had was a sensor needing replacing. Apart from that I had a leaking power steering reservoir which I fixed myself so that was like owning a "normal" Defender. Had the clutch replaced (rattle on turn off) and power steering box replaced(damp patch on top seal). Both could have gone on for a long time yet but I used my unheard of 3 year warranty. Nothing there that can be blamed on the electronics.
One does got a shock seeing Ford stamped on various components rather than Land Rover or even Leyland in some cases. Sadly the days of Land Rover designing a bespoke engine for the Defender are long gone. It simply will not sell in a large enough volume to make it worth their while.I doubt if the New Defender will be any different in that respect. If as we are led to believe the replacement Defender will not have beam axles and wonderfully simple coil springs it can only get more complicated and more dependent on electronics. So those out there who do not want to buy a Puma because of it's dependence on electronics and are wanting for it's replacement I have one question, namely Why? Things will not get any less complicated. The backroom boys in suits who concoct emissions regulaions will see to that.
A series 3 diesel Land Rover could be rebuilt from the chassis up giving you a good, solid, reliable and easily maintained Land Rover such as we are all hankering after. Sadly there are a few downsides. You won't hear the wife talking to you(I know some would not list this in the negative column) at 50 mph. She will not go 60,you will not hear the radio at volume 14 let alone volume 4. You will not hear the kids in the back let alone the MP3 player. Your ears will ring once you turn it off. Whether you could go 4 or 5 hours non stop is open to question. Overtaking skills will no longer be needed.You will however experience the full thrill of open top driving with all the windows and doors closed.Not to mention well developed left leg and arm muscles. I have a series 3 that I can poke at whenever the need arises and I need a fix.
Sadly there have been cases of bad quality control with some Puma components but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
For years people wanted Land Rovers to be easier to drive, less tiring, less effort involved and with better on road manners. Well it is here and it is called Puma. Me? I am off to nail this DVD recorder thing once and for all. There must be an easy way to get my VHS tape in. As for the serious Defender stuff I leave that to Derek, Allan and the rest of you who push Puma to the limits of it's capabilities. But I do take pride in the fact that I can probably polish mine better than any of the above mentioned owners.