Thread: Clutch problem with Tdi 130.

Check the master and slave and slave cylinders, as well as the line between them for any cracks, and also check the joins. Tiny leaks are common, enough to let a little air in and will cause the symptoms you have described.

Search will show up many similar cases in defenders.

most commonly providing you are loosing no fluid and the pedals height hasnt changed (which indicates that the clutch fork is bent and is on the way of giving up) then you have one of 3 problems.

1. The flex line is bulging when its hot creating enough volume to rob you of hydraulic pressure to actuate the clutch
2. the fluid is boiling off with heat from the exhasust and you cant compress the gas enough (changing the fluid fixes this one)
3. the master cylinder is intermittantly recirculating

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

most commonly providing you are loosing no fluid and the pedals height hasnt changed (which indicates that the clutch fork is bent and is on the way of giving up) then you have one of 3 problems.

1. The flex line is bulging when its hot creating enough volume to rob you of hydraulic pressure to actuate the clutch
2. the fluid is boiling off with heat from the exhasust and you cant compress the gas enough (changing the fluid fixes this one)
3. the master cylinder is intermittantly recirculating

OK, so what you're saying is that if I was losing fluid and if the pedal height had changed, then it is most likely that I have a bent clutch fork. However I'm not losing fluid and the pedal height hasn't changed, so it's probably not that.

So what's my course of action here? Maybe replace the flex line and the fluid for starters?
Is there a master cylinder kit or do I just replace the whole thing?

if the pedal height changed but returned to normal or never changed just dissapeared for a bit its not the fork.

My starting point would be a clean and flush of the fluid as its probabley over 12 months old and will probabley be off. While you're flushing the fluid block the hose in stages starting at the MC outlet if you can move the pedal after bleeding then its the MC recirculating.

yes there is kits availalble for them and its a fairly common MC used on trailers with hydraulic brakes so parts or complete replacement shouldnt be a problem.

IME the flex hose is usually good for about 5 years which is about when you'd be doing the cooling system ones.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

My starting point would be a clean and flush of the fluid as its probabley over 12 months old and will probabley be off.

Twelve months old? It's probably fourteen years old!

Thanks for that advice mate, that's brilliant.

I dealt with similar issue just other day. To expedite diagnosis and planning I went this way.

-remove slave (its two bolts): have a good poke and prod and feel of fork and especially socket for push rod. Helps rules out having to pull engine / gearbox.

-whilst slave is out you can check for small fluid leaks, IME when the slave dies it leaks fluid, the master more often re-circs / leaks air / plays up. I guess check the flex hose too?

-if all above looks okay, ring a trailer mob, get em to send you a 3/4 trailer brake master... remove pedal box and replace master, new fluid and away you go. It is cheap enough to go straight to without frigging around replacing fluid before you end up replacing master anyways.

Steve.

Originally Posted by roverrescue

I dealt with similar issue just other day. To expedite diagnosis and planning I went this way.

-remove slave (its two bolts): have a good poke and prod and feel of fork and especially socket for push rod. Helps rules out having to pull engine / gearbox.

-whilst slave is out you can check for small fluid leaks, IME when the slave dies it leaks fluid, the master more often re-circs / leaks air / plays up. I guess check the flex hose too?

-if all above looks okay, ring a trailer mob, get em to send you a 3/4 trailer brake master... remove pedal box and replace master, new fluid and away you go. It is cheap enough to go straight to without frigging around replacing fluid before you end up replacing master anyways.



Steve.

Excellent advice. Thanks.

Just want to say thanks for the advice on this forum. I'm having a problem getting the little girl into gear at the moment, changed the master cylinder to no effect so I'm thinking that she may need a more detailed inspection to find the problem.

The advice found here is invaluable and much appreciated