David Sparkes

Mines the Diesel, if memory serves (check the workshop manuals) the Diesel Clutch is larger than the Petrol Clutch. What went? It slipped. Cue buying a clutch kit which includes friction plate, cover, and release bearing. I'm pretty sure each componant is available seperately, but it's a case of how often do you like to remove the gearbox and TC. 50k is a reasonable estimate, the original was longer, but I put up with it slipping when on maximum torque. Subsequently I realised it's just putting off the inevitable, and what's the point in driving a crippled vehicle, so when I detect slip, the clutch is changed. I thought, and still think, that 50k is too low, but others point to the vehicle weight and say it isn't so bad. I'm not convinced, but neither am I so convinced that I've looked seriously for an alternative to the standard. Again, I've had conflicting advice, but haven't met anyone who has used a paddle clutch in a 2.5 ton car on tarmac and in traffic (ie no wheelspin). Now I've got the new slave cylinder, and realised how bad the old one was, I'm interested to find out if clutch life is extended. Come back in 30 to 36 months. I'm convinced that with the old slave cylinder the clutch wasn't being released at the same rate I released the pedal, thus the clutch was slipping slightly more than I thought on every change. The effect, if not the cause, was particularly noticable when starting from rest. I've yet to try the difference in low ratio. If I'm expected to comment on your choice of box and TC, I can't, as I have no experience of any Land Rover but my own. Cheers, and good luck.

You have replaced the tie bar AND the drag link. Did you replace the complete items and have you still got the old ones? If you didn't disturb the settings, replace the old tie bar. Too late now, but if doing it in future, change the drag link (to the drop arm) first. Adjust the length so the car goes straight, with the steering wheel in the correct position. Next replace the tie bar, the car will try and go one way or the other, so adjust the bar length until the car tracks straight again. Leave the damper disconnected while doing this, it isn't neccessary for normal use. Is the Dealer really charging you over £100.00? If that's the specialist charge, check the Dealer. If the Dealer is spinning you the £100 bull**** ring other Dealers. Any independent should also be able to set it up, as the recirculating ball with Drag and Tie links on a live axle is the same as any Land Rover from year one, from the oldest Series to the latest Defender. Hope this helps.

Next? Consider how long it was since the last clutch change, therefore how long till the next one, in normal circumstances. Buy a clutch anyway from your slave cylinder stockists, and don't forget the roll pins I mentioned earlier. Remove gearbox with T Case. Remove remains of old roll pins and fix fork to shaft with the new ones, change clutch while you have the box off. Replace box and slave cylinder, bleed clutch hydraulics, test and enjoy. Incidentally, mine had 137k miles on the clock, and was about halfway through it's third clutch, I has also paid for the two replacements. With the replacement of the slave cylinder the clutch operation is 'much' better than it has ever been before. I hadn't guessed I had a slave cylinder problem, and it's an expensive way to find out the problem and cure. How many miles on your car / clutch? I understand the car is new to you, so may not know the answer re clutch life. Tough luck

Will, When the time comes to change the clutch itself, fork out for the two roll pins that hold the operating fork onto the shaft. Those pins sheared on mine, the week before last, and gave exactly the same symptoms you described, pedal to the floor, and stayed there. When I looked underneath I noticed the slave cylinder piston half out of the cylinder. I note that while you have diagnosed a hydraulic fault, you haven't actually repaired it yet. Note that there is no circlip or other positive stop to retain the piston in the cylinder, so if there is a breakage inside the bellhousing which allows the shaft to rotate 'too far' the piston appearing out of the cylinder is a natural consequence. The pins are part FTC1692, and you need two. I don't know the actual pin size. Where did you get your £30.00 quote from, for the slave cylinder? I hope I'm not a harbinger of doom, David.

http://www.wfb4.com/RangeRover.html It's pretty clear from the stills, but if you can handle the 3.7MB download the video is excellent!! David.

If you have a query with the circuit you can easily contact the originator. His name is John Brabyn, he owns and runs www.Rangerovers.net You will find he is always open to suggestions, be they either alternatives, or improvements. HTH

Try using this circuit, but connect the 1.5 volt battery the otherway round, so that instaed of "subtracting a constant voltage"', you add voltage. http://tinyurl.com/axkck I have not tried the circuit in either configuration. You say "you must go in and out "using" the measured height," presumably this is in and out of the measurement centre on a special visit, not in and out of a toll booth on your normal journeys. I assume you are already holding the motorway height when you go for measurement? Let it drop down normally, as it does over 50 / 55 mph, then press the inhibit button. This Motorway height will be maintained at all times, even when restarting after switching the engine off. Assuming that doesn't give you the required height, If you can move slowly over the required distance, have you tried the 'Manual Access' mode? With the engine running, select the Access height. When that is reached, press the Inhibit button. The Control Centre should beep and display Manual. If you keep your speed to below 5mph the suspension should stay in Manual mode. Note that if you switch the engine off, you have to reset the Manual mode, release the Inhibit button, select Access height, then press the Inhibit button again. This may be too risky for your measurement check, but it will at least show you if 'tricking' the suspension to Access height gives you the required reduction. "I dont think that in motorways an 1 ½ inch less makes any difference." Travelling at speed at the access height is dangerous. The car is on the bump stops, and hitting any sort of bump or pothole, or even doing an avoidance swerve, could esaily result in loss of control as the suspension becomes fully compressed, ie solid. HTH.

"... bolts that fit into the chassis and "splay" out ... Rivnuts, possibly with other names, but that is almost a generic term now. There are special tools to install them, but if you only have a few to do, collect a bolt, nut, and a flat washer, with a bit of oil, EP differential oil is good. Screw the nut on the bolt, then the flat washer, then the rivnut (plain end leading), so the bolt is just showing through the rivnut threads. Oil between the nut and the washer, and the bolt threads inside the plain unthreaded end of the rivnut. Insert the rivnut in the hole, holding the bolt stationary, screw the nut onto the flat washer until both are flush with the rivnut flange. Continue turning the nut, and the bolt will collapse the rivnut onto the back of the plate, chassis, whatever. It should be obvious when to stop. HTH

"Any ideas or tips ..." Not really. At least, not based on any experience similar to yours. Having cleared the gunge from the bottom of the tubes, before they got totally blocked, I've never had a problem since, and that's at least 5 years. However, I do use the Air Conn all the time, and on lowish temperature settings, so there is an almost constant flow of condensate washing the muck out. My thoughts are that the pipe, if run correctly, shouldn't be kinked. Look into why it is, and see if you can engineer a straighter route. Cheers.

Looking at that picture of the drivers side mounting, there seem to be some unused cast bosses on the engine block, that mirror the bosses where the passenger side mount is on that side. Will a second passenger side mount (bracket and rubber) bolt on the drivers side of the block? Not that I've ever worked on this style of engine, I'm just going on what I think I can see in the picture. HTH

"why can't they effectively screen out the RF in the first place?" They can. The user just has to stump up for the new receiver £110.06 plus VAT. I tested both the old and the new outside Milton Keynes Railway Station. A fairly expensive test facility, but someone has to use it. " Nice to see you David." Thankyou, but you may not see me for long if the current vogue for vanity posts, and ridiculously large sig tags, continues. We don't need half the screen taken up with repeat information. One poster even manages to insert several lines of white space into his sig. What is the point? Why do people insist on listing all their fleet, on every post, even when it isn't relevant to the topic? Why is it ALWAYS only one vehicle per line? I also think avatars are a waste of time, but as they are there, why don't you put your club tag there instead of in your posts? The value of a forum is based on it's content, and too much of this 'Addict' forum is people posting just to see themselves on screen. Apparently. I hoped it would calm down after the initial novelty had worn off, but it appears that isn't going to happen. Off topic posting, within a topic, doesn't help anyone, and degrades the forum. Cheers That's my vanity post, incorporated into one with accurate and checked information.

There are two 'cures'. One is to fit the very latest receiver. This doesn't bear any indication that differentiates it from the previous versions, so keep it in the bag before installing, and clearly mark the old one. Avoid any 'unused spares' on auction sites unless they are in an undamaged bag. The part number is YWY500010 . When I last looked these were mentioned in a TSB, but not in Microcat. Ask the price before you order. The other 'cure' is to disconnect the receiver aerial from the receiver. This means you have to be next to the window before the remote will work, but avoids spurious signals. HTH.