Thread: Defender clutch problem - had me unhappy...

Alright so the scenario is this.

Heading off the Fraser Island on Sunday.

Friday afternnon, picked up some conduit from the electrical store (getting electrickery in the shed [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img] ) and was on the way home when the clutch started to slip something awaful :!: 8O

The engine was revving willingly but I was going very slowly (holding up a L/Cruiser behind me [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] ). Naturally, given that the LR repair place is closed of a weekend I thought my trip to Fraser would be delayed, at the least.

Also had concerns of a $1,000+ clutch rebuild. Didn't fancy that at all.



I managed to make it up to the repairer (who had only recently fitted the new clutch master cyclinder for me) and they had a look at it.

Much to my relief, they said it was a hydraulic problem, fairly easily and quickly fixed.

Apparently (I'm not sure I have this exactly right), there was some air left in the line which meant that each squeeze of the clutch pedal pushed more fluid into the lines, but it was unable to all flow back to the reservoir (master cylinder) when pedal pressure was released. This built up to the point where the clutch began to constantly slip.

The shop said this was the 2nd Defender they had seen this happen on, and it manifested itself a week after the clutch cylinder job last time, as well.

They did manage to fix it for me (not sure exactly what it was they did) but the thing drives properly again, so the Fraser trip is a goer :!:
(Thanks Harry :!: [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img] )

The main reason, apparently, for the problem in the first instance - the fluid lines are actually higher than the top of the reservoir on the master cylinder, so even when bled there is often air still trapped in the system.

British design at it's best :!: :roll:

When I first bought the disco I had to get the brake disks machined. I took it to the local mechanic and asked him to do it, while it was there I mentioned that the clutch was making some noise, wasn't slipping, but I didn't like the sound it made. I asked him to check it out, now he had the vehicle for a couple of days, drove about 80 kays in it.

When I went to pick it up he assured me there was nothing wrong with the clutch, they can make that sort of sound after sitting around for a bit, something about surface rust on the flywheel.

O.K. he's an expert, not an apprentice, I took his word for it :roll: .

A couple of weeks later the clutch just pood itsself, no slip just gone. I was not impressed, I was on holiday down south, not enough money to get it fixed by a mechanic and no manual.

Have you ever tried to get a series 1 disco gearbox out on the front lawn :!: :?: I couldn't for the life of me work out how to get to some of those bolts, so I rang the same mechanic to get some advice, figured he'd go out of his way to help me.

No way, wasn't interested at all, he lost my business. To make it worse, he's an old family freind of my wifes so she wouldn't let me go off at him.

I mean, what if we'd been in the middle of the simpson :!:
certainly won't be getting any more business from me