Discovery Clutch Problem

[Matt BADLRC]

I have just changed the clutch on my 200 tdi discovery after some of the gears getting a little tight changing when hot when hot. On removing the clutch I found that the center plate was in a bit of a state all the springs and rivets in the center are loose.

So I have changes the complete clutch, and a new HD fork,when built back up I couldn't get the gears. So I changed the master and slave cylinders and the damper. After this I can now get 5th 4th and 3rd, however still cant get reverse, 1st and second. I can get all the gears with the engine off. So I made a longer push rod, can sometimes get 1st now but still not second and reverse. With two wheels jacked up it appears to be working as I should in the gears I can get. eg put foot on clutch select 3rd lift clutch up wheels go round, put clutch to floor wheels stop so it doesn't appear to be dragging

I was wondering if the gearstick might have caught on the transmission tunnel and damaged the adjustment or something??

any ideas please otherwise its a box out job and try another clutch.

[ches]

does it self align, in neutral, opposite 3rd and 4th?

[Wolfie69]

I had a similar problem a couple of years ago I did the same as you new clutch,master and slave cylinders but ended up removing the damper all together to get the new clutch to work properly.

[piper109]

I have no specific knowledge of 200tdi but I do have experience of the 300tdi and the clutch hydraulic circuit may be the same.

I had a terrible time purging the air out of the circuit. Mine is LHD rather than RHD and this means the line runs higher than the master cylinder and this might exacerbate the problem.

I had symptoms similar to yours and the pedal seemed to go down a long way before anything happened and gear changes were very hard.

Eventually it purged itself however and it is fine now. I had a similar experience with a 5 sp V8 Disco. I also removed the padding under the carpet so the pedal could go down a bit further. This helped a bit.

I think your problem is still one of air being in the hydraulics somehow in spite of your purging efforts to date. The clutch drag stops the gear changes from taking place.

Steve

[Matt BADLRC]

The box and the clutch have come out again, just confirm I am right the clutch plate on the flat side is marked flywheel side and that's how I fitted it (flat side to flywheel and bit that sticks out facing gearbox) however on reading the Haynes book it says that the side that sticks out furthest goes to the flywheel side. So is the clutch plate marking right or is the Haynes book right??? the old clutch isn't marked. just want to double check before I do it again!!!!

[piper109]

By RAVE pictures and by convention, the splined boss should stick out of the centre of the clutch towards the gearbox.

If however the boss does not foul the pilot bearing etc when mounted the other way around, it should still work (have worked).

Steve

[Matt BADLRC]

Thank you for that advise, I was starting to doubt myself that was all. I have on further inspection found the spigot bearing to be damaged, I might have been like it before and I not noticed. There is a piece missing and it was sticking out a few mm. that could have meant that the input shaft was binding in the shaft. A new one has arrived today I will put in and find a better method of alignment and see what happens.

[Matt BADLRC]

I have refitted the box again be delayed due to the weather. I have changed the spigot and checked everything it is still the same. Could the whole clutch be faulty, or the new fork the wrong one??

[ThreeSheds]

I just re-read this thread and wonder if Wolfie69 and Piper109 have the answer? Even a small amount of air in the system will mean that you are not getting the full travel at the clutch and it can be terribly difficult to bleed a clutch - especially so when there is a damper in the circuit. I managed it on mine using a technique that I have used on brakes too ever since. If you know that your clutch is correctly bled then disregard the rest of this post as the ramblings of a crazed lune Otherwise - here's what I would do:

1. Buy a Gunson's Eezibleed kit (other suppliers are available) and two litres of brake fluid. Keep one of the litres to one side and use the other.

2. Read the destructions and use the kit.

3. Bleed the system at high speed so as to drag out all of the old fluid (that was already in the system) and set it aside for disposal at the council tip.

4. Bleed the system again at high speed using the whole litre of new fluid - just put loads through.

5. Bleed the system again, recycling the new fluid through the system again (you may need to let it rest to allow little bubbles to rise out of it)

Repeat stage 5...

Repeat stage 5...

Finally replace all the fluid with fresh from the unused bottle (this last stage is probably not necessary, but...)

Using the above method I bled my 200tdi clutch in about twenty minutes after previously spending several hours trying with the help of various neighbours and passers by. The trick is to keep going even when there are no more bubbles coming out. I recently bled the clutch on my RRC (no damper) after an engine change and even on that I had to put nearly a whole litre through before I got a perfect peddle.

Hope this helps

Roger.

[sheltie50]

It could be air but why only the left quadrant, is there free movement in the clutch pedal = air

I think the fault might be in the refitment of the gear lever it's certainly worth a good look, If yours is an LT77 have a look at the reverse light switch and it's adjustment.

[axlechorus]

I just re-read this thread and wonder if Wolfie69 and Piper109 have the answer? Even a small amount of air in the system will mean that you are not getting the full travel at the clutch and it can be terribly difficult to bleed a clutch - especially so when there is a damper in the circuit. I managed it on mine using a technique that I have used on brakes too ever since. If you know that your clutch is correctly bled then disregard the rest of this post as the ramblings of a crazed lune Otherwise - here's what I would do:

1. Buy a Gunson's Eezibleed kit (other suppliers are available) and two litres of brake fluid. Keep one of the litres to one side and use the other.

2. Read the destructions and use the kit.

3. Bleed the system at high speed so as to drag out all of the old fluid (that was already in the system) and set it aside for disposal at the council tip.

4. Bleed the system again at high speed using the whole litre of new fluid - just put loads through.

5. Bleed the system again, recycling the new fluid through the system again (you may need to let it rest to allow little bubbles to rise out of it)

Repeat stage 5...

Repeat stage 5...

Finally replace all the fluid with fresh from the unused bottle (this last stage is probably not necessary, but...)

Using the above method I bled my 200tdi clutch in about twenty minutes after previously spending several hours trying with the help of various neighbours and passers by. The trick is to keep going even when there are no more bubbles coming out. I recently bled the clutch on my RRC (no damper) after an engine change and even on that I had to put nearly a whole litre through before I got a perfect peddle.

Hope this helps

Roger.

I agree with the use of an Eezibleed kit for both clutch and brakes. We have had one for over 10 year and wouldn't be without it really. Today for example having made and replaced the whole rear brake pipes set we used the setup and within 10 minutes of going around each corner twice the peddle it lovely and firm. Just make sure u check the level of fluid in your resouvoir at the top as if this becomes dry you will just start pumping air into the system from the tyre that you use.

Cheers

Ryck

[Matt BADLRC]

I will try bleeding it again, I have got easybleed and I think its bled properly but. I will give it another go to check. It dosent appear to be disengaging at all this time. The pedal feels good. I think either the clutch fork is the wrong one or the clutch is faulty.

[Matt BADLRC]

Just to let you all know the disco is now up and running again. I took the clutch kit back as the clutch plate appeared to be warped. It now works fine.