Thread: Before I drop the gearbox.....

Originally Posted by Brett1066

The symptoms - cannot put the car (94 Defender 300tdi) into gear when the engine is running. Engine off, can select all gears regardless of whether I depress the clutch pedal or not. Can start it in gear, get a lurch and then car stalls if I take my foot off the clutch pedal.

It would seem that the clutch isn't fully disengaging. My guess - and take it with a grain of salt, it's difficult to diagnose from the other side of a forum - is that you have a bent or very worn clutch fork. That still doesn't explain why it is stalling though - does it still stall when you select first and start?

Dervish - yep, it will stall if I put it into first and then start her up. I have a new clutch fork here, but was hoping it was something a little easier to replace than that - I figure if I have to replace the clutch fork, it would probably be wise to do the whole clutch while it is open as I don't know when it was last done.

On advice from here, I recently removed my engine to fix the slipping clutch. If it is the fork, and I don't how to id that, removing the engine is an easier job than doing it by shifting the gearbox. clutch forks on Defenders can punch through, so replace it with a heavy duty one
Don.

Before you go pulling anything out, check the hose that goes from the metal line from the master cylinder to the slave cylinder. If this is worn, it can expand so all the pressure is lost to the slave which in turn does not disengage the clutch.

I had this problem with my 200 Tdi and changed master and slave cylinder with the same issue. I changed the flexible hose section and no more probs.

Chenz - yeah I am hoping it is this, I saw someone on one of the UK forums say that hose caused them the same problem. Will whip it off when I get home from work today, and take it down to Pirtek tomorrow to get a new one made up. Fingers crossed that will be the end of my problems......well, this particular problem anyway

Originally Posted by Brett1066

Can start it in gear, get a lurch and then car stalls if I take my foot off the clutch pedal.

I'm comfused about this bit. So if you start the engine with the gearbox in gear and the clutch pedal pushed to the floor, it will keep running UNTIL you release the clutch, at which point it stalls?

If so, this seems like the clutch is actually disengaging, otherwise it would just try to drag the car along while you try to start it in gear.

Or will it stall immediately as soon as you cease engaging the starter motor?

Before you worry about doing anything else with the hydraulic side of the clutch, have you removed the slave cylinder from the bell housing and watched the piston moving with somebody pushing the brake pedal for you? If this is fine, I'd leave that alone for now. Can you visually sight through the slave cylinder hole into the bell housing and spot the clutch pivot arm?

Don't give up just yet, there's more knowledge in this forum that you can shake an armful of sticks at.

Originally Posted by TeamFA

I'm comfused about this bit. So if you start the engine with the gearbox in gear and the clutch pedal pushed to the floor, it will keep running UNTIL you release the clutch, at which point it stalls?

If so, this seems like the clutch is actually disengaging, otherwise it would just try to drag the car along while you try to start it in gear.

Or will it stall immediately as soon as you cease engaging the starter motor?

Before you worry about doing anything else with the hydraulic side of the clutch, have you removed the slave cylinder from the bell housing and watched the piston moving with somebody pushing the brake pedal for you? If this is fine, I'd leave that alone for now. Can you visually sight through the slave cylinder hole into the bell housing and spot the clutch pivot arm?

Don't give up just yet, there's more knowledge in this forum that you can shake an armful of sticks at.

To be honest I'm not entirely sure whether it is stalling once the starter stops engaging or because I took my foot off the clutch. Not having much room in my shed I haven't been game to do this too often, and as my driveway slopes it is a right trying to push her back into the shed after testing anything.
But I will check the piston is moving in the slave, I can (kinda) see into the bell housing, and from what I can tell the slave pushrod is still connected to the pivot arm - ie that little plastic clip seems to be in place still, though I can't see it. Will try and get some pics tonight when I get home

Try transfer case in neutral whilst diagnosing.
You'll soon here the gearbox turning if the clutch is not disengaging.