Hi everyone.
I have a rebuilt Series III hybrid vehicle. Fitted with a range rover V8, a modified crank and adapter between the engine and gearbox bellhosing. The gearbox is a series III suffix C, and the clutch disk and pressure plate are series III (petrol) 9.5". The fun starts with the release bearing. The vehicle has been running for quite a few years now without major problems, but the clutch disk needed renewing, and the release bearing was slightly noisy. There was also an odd occassional problem with the gearbox jumping out of 4th gear (which I think I have separately cured). I ordered a new clutch disk and a new standard series III release bearing, fitted everything up, and then hoisted the gearbox back into the engine. I then spent the next three days rebuilding the interior and all the electrics (its injected) only to find when I bled the clutch, that the release bearing is too short. Basically - the clutch fork is bottoming out before the clutch can press the splines of the pressure plate.
On the clutch release bearing - if you measure the distance from the front part to the shoulder that the clutch fork sits on, there is a 3/4" difference. The original (albeit noisy) part is much longer. Its also an all steel affair. No plastic in this one.
My question for you knowledgable folks out there, is do any of you recognize where this might have come from (thinking in terms of refurbishing the bearing etc) ?
I've attached a picture showing the larger original release bearing
Any comments or thoughts are very welcome
Ciaran