Clutch HELP, before i torch the veicle

[paddymoo]

right then, next problem i cant figure out...

recently rebuilt s3, didnt really touch the engine and gearbox though, just put everything onto a new chassis, and replace anything that was broken...

now i have the old girl all done up, and running, but the clutch wont work... so far i have

bled it 4 times...
replaced the pipes
replaced the slave cylinder
tried to adjust it at the master cylinder end, but woth no joy
bled it again
rammed it into gear with the engine running and driven off down the road to see if that will shake it, but still the clutch wont engage,

an ideas out there?

[Henry Webster]

It probably seized on, I used to get this on my Series 1 every time I'd left it for a few months.

What usually worked for me was to start in gear, then tear across the yard and stand on the clutch and brakes.

After a few goes this usually frees it! :lol:

[hobbit]

It probably seized on, I used to get this on my Series 1 every time I'd left it for a few months.

What usually worked for me was to start in gear, then tear across the yard and stand on the clutch and brakes.

After a few goes this usually frees it! :lol:

Agreed have to be a bit hard with it, but normally it will free off

[Henry Webster]

Agreed have to be a bit hard with it, but normally it will free off

Sorry, I probably didn't make myself clear!  This needs to be a horrible violent manoeuvre, but it usually does the trick!

[hobbit]

Or get someone to do it for you and dont look

 :lol:

[paddymoo]

aaaaaaaararrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhh

okay, now i have the petrol, and the vehicle is going to get torched if someone cant help me out....

so the clutch was seized, i took the gearbox out and had to chisel it away from the friction plate....

its all gone back together, and it was bled, but still didnt fully engage.

next try, new slave cylinder, but got a bit brutal with it and stripped the thread for the fluid pipe.

another slave cylinder in, a full day bleeding the damn thing, and now the clutch still doesnt fully engage. there seems to be air getting sucked in somewhere, but all the connectors are done up and there is nothing i can see that is leaking.

this is driving me nuts.

HELP!

[deranged rover]

for sale: - 1 box supersize Swan Vestas. All guaranteed working. Complete with safety instructions and HSE leaflet  :lol:

[deranged rover]

I take it you clean up the flywheel and the pressure plate?, if not, the rust remnants can cause drag and not allow the clutch to fully disengage. i'd suggest putting a tyre between the landy and a sturdy wall, stick it in gear and fire her up. Pressing the clutch fully will clean off the plates and warm it up a little, allowing it to free up and bed back in. The wall obviously stops you shooting off down to the shops. :shock:

[mark.yellow.series.3]

i would try a new pressure and friction plate, assembled with copper grease or the red stuff you get with it. and an easy-bleed kit, uses tyre pressure to force brake fluid through the lines, it a piece of cake to use on your own and it gets all the air out.

[Dave B]

I presume from the descriptions, that it wont fully DISengage, ie, putting foot on pedal, dont do much....

Check the length of the push rod between the slave cylinder, and the actuator.  They wear, doesnt look like they do, but I know from experience they do....  

Likewise, the one between the pedal and master cylinder.  All the adjustments there are all OK of course?

Also, that "Everything" has actualy gone back into the right places...  And the right way round!  On some early examples, if you managed to get the friction plate in back to front, it jams and you get the symptoms you describe, often with some very expensive noises.  From memory, I think that is not easy to get wrong, even on a SIII.

Is the spigot bearing in the center of the flywheel OK?  And (lightly) lubed.

Remember to keep the friction surfaces spotlessly clean, even finger prints can cause clutch judder (when it does release!)  Grease or oil, can also show the problems you describe (sticking) not just terminal clutch slip as if youre driving an auto'...  Be very sparing with any lube on/near the release bearing, use the propper very high temperature stuff if you have to, but the release bearing is lubricated internaly, not on the outside.

If the pedal feels slightly springy, there may just be some air still in there, as someone else said, try presure bleading it, even feeding the new fluid in at the slave, and catch the crap etc, that comes out of the master cylinder.  

After all, air bubbles rise, not sink...  Take care though, that can get very messy!  And ruin paint etc...

If it wont bleed that way, back off the pedal stop, and push rod, as there should be free flow in/out of the resovoir available when the pedal is fully up...  If not, you'll never get it to work!...  (Been there!!!)

If all else fails, unless  you've already done it, strip and service the master cylinder too.  I've had one fail in the past after a long period of "rest"...  It now works the slave of a 200TDi/LT77 in my SIII coiler with no trouble at all.

To try to free a stuck clutch.  Park up with nothing in front of you (wall's included!)  Engine off.  Pull the LT wire from the coil.  Engage Top Gear (4th, High Range).  Press clutch peddal FULLY to the floor with your left foot, and stand on the brakes with your right, hand brake on too (if that actualy works!)  Then, blip the starter, say for 1 second max..  It'll either free with a loud bang, or stall the starter.  Don't try that more than say 3 times max, or you'll burn out the starter...  If the gearbox gives out, oooeerrr...  (Starters are torquey things after all) But you'll change the clutch when you pul the box to fix that  :D

If it free's, OK, put the wire back on the coil, and start up in a similar way to the above, and pull away in second, so you slip the clutch a bit more than usual, but only for the first time...   It should be OK after that...

Like all things..  If it used to work, it can again, but convincing it of that can be a pain in the A$$!

Enjoy!

Dave B.

[MattW]

It probably seized on, I used to get this on my Series 1 every time I'd left it for a few months.

What usually worked for me was to start in gear, then tear across the yard and stand on the clutch and brakes.

After a few goes this usually frees it! :lol:

I have the same problem - thanks :) I'll be giving this a go. The old girl has to be ready for the Billing show in a couple of weeks.

Matt

[MattW]

Worked 1st time - stunning!  8)

Thanks
Matt