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300TDi CSW Phil



Member Since: 03 Apr 2016
Location: Bracknell
Posts: 746

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Epsom Green
300TDi clutch issues
I'm hoping for some divine intervention here or someone with better knowledge than me.

I have replaced the Master cylinder with a Delphi unit and the slave with one of LOF's powerslaves (it apparently fits certain 300TDi's but not all)

We thought we had bled the clutch and so I swapped the normal landrover over centre spring with the LOF power spring and the pedal stays at the floor. Must be air in the system still I thought so bled it again and it seemed OK for about a quarter of a mile until the pedal didn't return again.

Bought a Gunson Eezibleed to bleed it again and it doesn't have the right adaptor for the clutch reservoir Big Cry

Back to manual bleeding and pumped through until running clear and bubble free again and a few more pumps for luck and no difference the pedal is still stuck at the floor.

Can someone give me an idea of what I am doing / have done wrong. The clutch plates and fork etc are about 40k miles old. 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green - It's a keeper.
Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home
M0XQS
Post #873470 17th Dec 2020 6:40pm
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donmacn



Member Since: 07 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1829

I had issued with this not so long ago, and must admit I came across a lot of internet stuff about 300Tdi clutch bleeding issues. There will be a few on here if you look and you might get some inspiration there.

Assuming the clutch internals are all fine, I'm wondering if there's something in the 'geometry' of the pedal and new spring which is causing this?

I know that the LOF spring is a great thing (I have one) but a pain to fit. Have you tried taking it off and putting the old one back on? This would at least tell you if the issue was clutch bleeding, or spring?

Did you bench bleed the MC before putting it on? Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...
Post #873473 17th Dec 2020 7:05pm
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Hufflepuff



Member Since: 25 Oct 2014
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 723

England 2005 Defender 90 Td5 XS CSW Tonga Green
I'm a little confused - how are you manually bleeding by pumping the pedal if the pedal is stuck to the floorboards?

Are you sure the spring on the clutch pedal is attached? 2005 Td5 90 XS
1989 V8 110 CSW
Post #873476 17th Dec 2020 7:22pm
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300TDi CSW Phil



Member Since: 03 Apr 2016
Location: Bracknell
Posts: 746

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Epsom Green
I must admit that I didn't bench bleed the master cylinder completely forgot Big Cry

The spring is definitely attached and the pedal springs back with a little force from behind so it's pretty much a case of hand pumping. 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green - It's a keeper.
Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home
M0XQS
Post #873478 17th Dec 2020 7:33pm
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donmacn



Member Since: 07 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1829

If the pedal springs back with a little nudge, that sounds like the 'spring geometry' I was getting at - that the pedal travel is going beyond the point where the spring can return it unassisted.

Is your pedal box of the era that had an adjustment bolt on the front facing side? That would stop the pedal going so far? Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...
Post #873481 17th Dec 2020 7:50pm
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300TDi CSW Phil



Member Since: 03 Apr 2016
Location: Bracknell
Posts: 746

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Epsom Green
The pedal box does have an adjuster bolt on the front.

Am I correct in thinking that I need to wind it in until the pedal doesn't stay down and the clutch still disengages? 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green - It's a keeper.
Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home
M0XQS
Post #873487 17th Dec 2020 8:06pm
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donmacn



Member Since: 07 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1829

Actually - I think I'm maybe confusing things here. It's only a couple of months ago, but my memory's shocking. I remember playing with the adjuster, and the nuts which fix the pedal to the master cylinder shaft/plunger.

I think I was of the same opinion as you - that the adjuster would limit the pedal's downward travel - but that on 300 era vehicles it works differently, and sets the height the pedal sits at, with travel being set by the MC shaft nuts.

Sorry, I'm reluctant to confuse things any further as I don't have my workshop manual to hand. Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...
Post #873488 17th Dec 2020 8:25pm
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300TDi CSW Phil



Member Since: 03 Apr 2016
Location: Bracknell
Posts: 746

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Epsom Green
No worries about the confusion.

I'm sure I'll get to the bottom of it soon (ish) 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green - It's a keeper.
Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home
M0XQS
Post #873492 17th Dec 2020 8:46pm
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donmacn



Member Since: 07 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1829

I've looked back, and in fact it was April I was dealing with this - so I feel a little better.

But I've just been out to the garage to check with a spare pedal box I have - and I had just confused the issue, and myself. The adjustment bolt does limit the pedal travel when pressed.

Still haven't got the manual, but I think what you need to do is undo the nuts on the MC plunger; limit the travel until the spring pushes the pedal back up; and then tigten the nuts on the plunger. These will also affect the height the pedal sits at too.

I'd try and make sure that I only limit the pedal travel by the minimum needed to allow the spring to work. If you go too far, then there might not be enough travel to operate the clutch. Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...
Post #873494 17th Dec 2020 8:55pm
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300TDi CSW Phil



Member Since: 03 Apr 2016
Location: Bracknell
Posts: 746

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Epsom Green
I have just been out under the bonnet (with a somewhat incompetent assistant on the pedal) but the adjuster on my pedal box adjusts the height of the pedal not the point it stops at when pressed.

I can't see anyway to limit where the pedal stops when pressed unless that is done by the nuts on the MC shaft but this doesn't seem like a good way to do it. 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green - It's a keeper.
Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home
M0XQS
Post #873499 17th Dec 2020 9:21pm
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Hufflepuff



Member Since: 25 Oct 2014
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 723

England 2005 Defender 90 Td5 XS CSW Tonga Green
How easy is it to put the original spring back in? I can't really see what else it would be - I don't think the pedal relies on the pressure of the hydraulic system to return it. 2005 Td5 90 XS
1989 V8 110 CSW
Post #873520 17th Dec 2020 11:40pm
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I Like Old Skool



Member Since: 23 Feb 2015
Location: Manchester
Posts: 762

United Kingdom 1994 Defender 110 300 Tdi ST Coniston Green
Not helpful, but.....

My 300tdi is apparently stock standard ex-environment agency, but all the people in my Landrover/4x4 club that have driven it are shocked by the lightness and feel of my clutch compared to their Landrovers. So much so that they have dubbed it a 'girly clutch'!

I don't know why this is because everything appears stock standard. Both master and slave have been replaced with the std items from paddocks during my ownership and the clutch friction and pressure plate were also swapped out due to failure of the shock springs in the friction plate after a near stranding failure.

There are no power-boosters or assistance springs that I am aware of. Pedal housing was seriously lubricated due to an annoying squeak, but otherwise everything should be just as it left the LR factory.
Post #873531 18th Dec 2020 1:30am
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I Like Old Skool



Member Since: 23 Feb 2015
Location: Manchester
Posts: 762

United Kingdom 1994 Defender 110 300 Tdi ST Coniston Green
Just to add, neither changing the hydraulic cylinder or the clutch friction components made any difference to the bite or feel of the clutch.
Post #873532 18th Dec 2020 1:32am
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donmacn



Member Since: 07 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1829

Hufflepuff wrote:
How easy is it to put the original spring back in? I can't really see what else it would be - I don't think the pedal relies on the pressure of the hydraulic system to return it.


For many years I ran my car without a return spring. To all intents and purposes it made no difference at all - the hydraulic pressure raised the pedal quite happily. The downside would be, if you tend to sit with your foot on the pedal, that the spring isn't taking that weight.

For Phil I do reckon this is just a question of finding the sweet spot of the adjustments between the pedal limit screw, and the nuts on the MC pushrod, to get to a point where the pedal isn't going beyond the spring.

I'd also suggest a call to Luke at LOF - I had to do this, and I found him very happy to help out. Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...
Post #873548 18th Dec 2020 9:47am
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Hufflepuff



Member Since: 25 Oct 2014
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 723

England 2005 Defender 90 Td5 XS CSW Tonga Green
Well I stand corrected then, thanks for the information donmacn. 2005 Td5 90 XS
1989 V8 110 CSW
Post #873553 18th Dec 2020 10:14am
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