Thread: Series 2 clutch issue

Originally Posted by Cadas

2 cm doesn’t seem like enough. A longer rod won’t really help as it won’t make a difference to the travel distance.

Increasing the travel on the cylinder is a function of the amount of fluid being pushed in. Up at the pedal box, is the rod adjusted correctly?
Also, check the pedal stop on the back of the pedal box itself and the one in the foot well.

If all of that is fine, then there may be some leakage inside the cylinder.

Unless the gear box has been rebuilt, it’s unlikely to be the release mechanism.

Thanks for this info.
The pedal is at the right height. But, now that I think about it, I don't think there is a pedal stop (unlike the brake pedal). I did wonder what that hole was for.
The master and slave cylinders are new (but replaced by the previous owner).
I haven't yet looked in the pedal box as I was hoping to avoid removing the fluid reservoir (again!). I had assumed it would be a simple matter of bleeding.
Could a crimped hydraulic pipe between the reservoir and the master cylinder be the culprit?

Hi,
A crimped pipe could be an issue but you can see all the pipe so easy to check. If the Flexi pipe is old (just above slave) it could be perished.

But, if the clutch master cylinder is new, then I’d still be checking adjustment of the clutch push rod through the pedal.

They have to be set up specific the the cylinder, and if not then you won’t get the travel. It can be set up through the top of the pedal box, only the top cover to remove.

As to the reservoir, if it’s the bean can type, leave it where it is, just undo the bracket and the plate on top of the pedal box. The reservoir will happily stay in place without the bracket.

Originally Posted by Cadas

As to the reservoir, if it’s the bean can type, leave it where it is, just undo the bracket and the plate on top of the pedal box. The reservoir will happily stay in place without the bracket.

Thanks again the generous information. I have now adjusted the pedal box (giving about 2mm free play in the pedal) and have reduced the pedal height to 140mm from the floor (I had incorrectly thought that my clutch was non-hydrostatic and had it at 158mm).
The slave still pushes its rod only 23mm downwards. I read today that the correct stroke should be between 1 inch (25mm) and 1.5 inch (38mm) - from this URL: Land Rover FAQ - Repair & Maintenance - Series - Drivetrain - Clutch Operation Explained "How to determine whether a problem is hydraulic or the clutch itself: Get somebody to activate the pedal. You should be able to see the lever on the slave cylinder move back and forth about 1 to 1 1/2".
So I am concluding that my problem is hydraulic.
That brings me to the pipe I had made but kinked when I bent it to fit the distance between the reservoir and the master cylinder. I'm attaching a photo of two failed attempts to bend this pipe properly.
Would this be preventing the master from sending enough fluid to the slave? And therefore depress the rod only partially?
Thanks in advance.
kinked pipe 1.jpgkinked pipe 2.jpg

G'day Shane,

Looking at the photo's of your clutch setup for the slave cylinder, you don't need the spring!. The spring is pushing the slave piston up into the cylinder and giving a clearance that needs to take up before the withdrawal sleeve contacts the clutch plate fingers. The hydraulic system is self adjusting and the clutch withdrawal sleeve sits softly on the cover plate levers.
Setup the adjustments as per the manual and then see how the clutch is operating and go from there to determine the next step to check if necessary.
(My 1966 2A has been my daily driver for 46 years and it doesn't have a spring on the slave cylinder.)
Hope this helps.
Chris

No, it would just make it hard to press if you move the pedal quickly.

You may have checked this but I can't see it - is the free play on the pedal set correctly?

I am beginning to wonder whether both the master and slave cylinders are the right ones - it seems very unlikely that they could be incorrect, as they are pretty specific to the vehicle. If the Master is set correctly, it should displace the amount of fluid needed to move the slave through the specified distance. If it does not, there must be lost motion or 'lost' fluid somewhere.

Given everything you have checked, the only way I can see for 'lost' fluid is a faulty master cylinder, either a manufacturing defect or a valve seal that is allowing a bit of fluid past it before sealing. Any free play could be in the pivot of the pedal or the trunion that the pushrod goes through, but this is likely to be part of the set free play.

Another long shot occurs to me - The master cylinder is similar but not quite identical to the brake master cylinder for an 88. They appear to be identical, except that the brake cylinder has a 3mm longer stroke. I can't work out exactly what that would mean if you have the wrong one.

Probably a daft suggestion but did you bleed the slave cylinder?

Originally Posted by Cadas

Probably a daft suggestion but did you bleed the slave cylinder?

Yes. What do you think about the kinked pipes (photos)? Could this be the sole source of the problem?