Clutch rod putter inner (TM)

[FridgeFreezer]

This is one of those jobs that the Haynes Book Of Lies tells you "First, remove the engine" but of course I didn't have the forethought when the engine was out to put the little roddy thing onto the clutch fork - after all how hard could it be?

Aparrently, pretty chuffing hard, not helped by having a (fibre glass tape) wrapped exhaust header right in the way after a bit of arsing about I decided that what was needed was some sort of tool, so I made one and it popped the plastic clip over the clutch arm in about 5 minutes after a few minor recalibrations with the mole grips

Behold the engineering wonderment that is the FridgeFreezer Clutch Rod Putter Inner :

Tube is ~12mm bore and about 15mm shorter than the clutch rod, metal is about 20mm wide and probably 150mm long all in.

And here's the little blighter engaged on the clutch arm:

[Mo Murphy]

Thou has fought the Devil and won ! Nice one Fridgefreezer !

Mo

[Troll Hunter]

Hallelujah!  After twelve years this thread lives again!!

FF, I'm on a 300Tdi engine but the slave cylinder replacement challenges appear to be the same.  When I withdrew the old slave cylinder there appeared to be no resistance to the thrust rod coming out with it, although I assume that the plastic guide must have been correctly located in the clutch fork.  I'm now attempting to relocate the rod guide in the clutch fork. and I'm looking at "the FridgeFreezer Clutch Rod Putter Inner"  tool.  Using only the tube I seem to be able to locate the teeth in the slot in the bar, but they do not grip.  Presumably they are not entering the slot far enough for the barbs to engage.  It's as if the rod, although correctly located in its socket on the clutch fork, is holding the plastic guide too far away to allow it to seat correctly.  I've tried using a screw driver down the outside of the tube, but to no avail.  The flat metal strip with the bend near the end, is this intended to push the little barbed teeth on the plastic guide through the slot in the bar?  Is this what the flat strip is to assist?

Many thanks for any guidance you can offer.

Mike

 

[FridgeFreezer]

Not quite sure what you're describing... the V8 clutch arm might be different?

https://www.lrworkshop.com/diagrams/land-rover-defender-gearbox/r380/clutch-release-mechanism_53546#13

The flat bar holds the arms of the clip apart so they can slip over the end of the arm, the toob slides down the rod to hold the clip in place while the flat bar is pulled out, allowing the arms to pop into their holes or at least grip the arm so they can be prodded into place with something.

TBH it's 12 years since I did this so I'm a tad rusty on it!

[Retroanaconda]

On a V8/Td5 clutch arm the tangs on the clip go around the outside of the arm. On the Tdi arm they go inside a hole on the arm. 

[Troll Hunter]

Thanks for the additional info and clarification.  Yes, I'm trying to get the clip's tangs inside the slot in the arm.  The problem seems to be the same, but I need to close the tangs a little. I think a variation on the original tool can be "engineered"🤔.  I'll update as necessary, hopefully not including splitting the clutch housing.

One wild idea I had was to drill an access hole through the clutch rod housing so that a screwdriver, for example, could be inserted and used to align the tangs and press them through the slot in the arm.  Any ideas or comments?

Mike

 

[Troll Hunter]

I suffered absolute total failure in getting the plastic tangs into the slot.  I tried the opposite of FF's metal strip, which was used to separate the tangs for attachment to the clutch operating arm on a 3.5 V8, and tried a metal strip with a V-cutout intended to close the tangs to get them through the slot.  I also tried grinding down the ball on the end of the rod about 1mm to allow the plastic tangs to penetrate further through the operating shaft in the hope of getting a grip

I bit the bullet and split the g'box from the engine.  Even then it was a real struggle to get the tangs through the slot in the clutch operating arm, and for them to stay engaged.  It seemed that if the rod was in not aligned as if still in the slave cylinder that the tangs would come out of the slot in the arm.  With much care I managed to fit the clutch slave cylinder and the tangs are still engaged.  G'box back tomorrow. 

It seems that this is the only way to relocate the plastic rod locating bracket if you are unfortunate enough to dislocate it while replacing your slave cylinder.

Mike

[steve b]

I  add small cable ties or fencing wire to the clip/rod/arm to try and avoid future problems . This little tiny clip is another one of those "Why do they do it like this? " features .

cheers

Steve b  

[JohnnoK]

I just fitted the release bearing to my gearbox yesterday afternoon, and to get the release lever to engage the housing of the rlease bearing was a faff with the box on the floor, kudos to anyone who even TRIES it in-situ....

I also broke that fiddly plastic staple clip on the first try...