Brown's clutch rebuild thread

[Brown]

Sometime over the next few weeks I'm going to do my clutch. It's a 2006 TD5 defender. The old one has done 100.000 miles and is a little tired. It can be encouraged to slip under hard acceleration or after a while creeping along in the traffic jam, plus there's a bit of groan or chatter when the pedal is pressed. Usually this goes away when the engine warms up but it is getting more persistent I've just ordered a Valeo brand clutch kit and a bronze bush, and ordered new master and slave cylinders. I know how incapacitating it can be when they fail, so I'll just replace them while I'm at it. More coming shortly!

 

[doriz]

Good luck, looking forward to this one. Is this a one man job and what workspace do you have?

 

[Kwakerman]

I think you also have a Dual Mass Flywheel, are you changing that at the same time as they can be the cause of a few rattles or going to assess it once the boxes are out?

 

[Brown]

I think you also have a Dual Mass Flywheel, are you changing that at the same time as they can be the cause of a few rattles or going to assess it once the boxes are out?

This is one thing I was going to put to the Landyzone community. It's done 100.000 miles, so is it worth replacing it on spec just in case it fails later? I see LR Direct is doing a Valeo brand one for around £280. Worth it? Similarly with the rear oil seal on the crank. I don't believe i have a major oil leak but is it worth changing anyway?

Good luck, looking forward to this one. Is this a one man job and what workspace do you have?

Still wondering. I can do it at the side of the road near my house. Not impossible, I've already had the transfer box out in the street and refurbished it when I fitted the overdrive. Not ideal but at least I have a houseful of tools and Screwfix, Machine Mart etc. within walking distance if I need anything. Alternatively I can go to Wales where I have a lovely new concrete surfaced yard to work on (as per my 'I love mixing cement' thread) but any access to tools not already in stock is difficult because it's so remote. Plus delivery drivers can't get up the hill in the winter and/or can't find the address. So if I need any additional parts in Wales it'll take about a week before I see them. In Leicester on the other hand I can order stuff off the internet. and it comes the next day. But Wales is a nicer place to work . . . So i haven't made my mind up yet.

 

[doriz]

In a similar place tbh, I have a clutch slave to replace, rear axel oil to change, a failed front wiper system. Two of the jobs need doing for the MOT, but I can't face lying down in the cold on the drive. I just need to get on with it all.

 

[Kwakerman]

This is one thing I was going to put to the Landyzone community. It's done 100.000 miles, so is it worth replacing it on spec just in case it fails later? I see LR Direct is doing a Valeo brand one for around £280. Worth it? Similarly with the rear oil seal on the crank. I don't believe i have a major oil leak but is it worth changing anyway.

Yes its an awkward decision when you consider the clutch has made it to 100k, assuming the next one lasts the same then you need the DMF and oil seal to last another 100k (200k in total) otherwise you will have to pull the lot again if they do fail. That also needs to be weighed against your average mileage and general condition of the vehicle (how long would it take you to do another 100k and what state/age the landy will be in when it gets there?). If you think you may need to re-chassis it before it gets there then it isn't that much of a worry as it could be done during any rebuild.

 

[Brown]

The chassis is another story. I Dinitrol-ed generously in 2013 and touch it up if I see a spot of rust anywhere so I'm hoping to get it to last a bit longer yet. I'm clocking up the miles quite quickly. It's not exactly a daily driver as I can walk to work from where I live, but it goes on quite a few long trips which amount to 12,000 miles a year or more. I've been thinking about it this afternoon and maybe I'll get a DMF. Plus some new bolts as they're 'stretch' items. Unless there's a lot of oil loss I shall leave the seal alone until the engine needs major work because it's a sump off job. And I was hoping to support the engine with a jack under the sump while the gearbox was out!

 

[Marmaduke]

I'd recommend a genuine oil seal not a blue box variety

 

[Marmaduke]

My bad I've just seen your not bothering to swap it sometimes if it ain't broke it's better to leave well alone

 

[jamesmartin]

The chassis is another story. I Dinitrol-ed generously in 2013 and touch it up if I see a spot of rust anywhere so I'm hoping to get it to last a bit longer yet. I'm clocking up the miles quite quickly. It's not exactly a daily driver as I can walk to work from where I live, but it goes on quite a few long trips which amount to 12,000 miles a year or more. I've been thinking about it this afternoon and maybe I'll get a DMF. Plus some new bolts as they're 'stretch' items. Unless there's a lot of oil loss I shall leave the seal alone until the engine needs major work because it's a sump off job. And I was hoping to support the engine with a jack under the sump while the gearbox was out!

if the seal aint leaking leave it alone the chances youll get as good a quality as factory fitted is minimal

 

[raywin]

Changed mine 2 years ago at 113k miles. I bought the DM flywheel too its quite a job and didnt want to do it twice, both clutch and flywheel were Valeo.
I took out the engine on my sloping drive not sure what it would be like at the road side.
On some of the work it's nice to have extra hands especially mateing the engine to the gear box it was a pig, get some dummy bolts to help.
Be sure to get the plate centred, time spent on this is a good investment.

 

[mikegsxr]

Did mine this summer. Did the DMF and rear crankshaft oil seal also as I had a small sump gasket leak that needed
doing. Also replaced the clutch master and slave and refurbed the pedal box too. Was nice to have a look in the bottom of engine
as mine had done 115K, and cleaned the sump. Actually had non black oil the dipstick for a few weeks
The OEM clutch that came off was Valeo and got a good price on the lot from Ashcrofts. Well happy so far...

 

[Brown]

OK then, that's settled. I shall leave the seal alone and get a new dual mass flywheel. I've just ordered a Valeo one plus a new set of OEM bolts off the LR direct website. New bolts are a good idea anyway because I had one snap on me when I was putting the flywheel back on the Morris Oxford engine years ago and it was a b*gger to get out.

 

[Brown]

Changed mine 2 years ago at 113k miles. I bought the DM flywheel too its quite a job and didnt want to do it twice, both clutch and flywheel were Valeo.
I took out the engine on my sloping drive not sure what it would be like at the road side.
On some of the work it's nice to have extra hands especially mateing the engine to the gear box it was a pig, get some dummy bolts to help.
Be sure to get the plate centred, time spent on this is a good investment.

Yup, I'm sure I've got an alignment tool somewhere, if I can find it. Similarly, I've got some 10mm threaded bar (I think the bellhousing to engine bolts are 10 mm) so I can offer the parts up together with a reasonable hope of hitting the spot.

Did mine this summer. Did the DMF and rear crankshaft oil seal also as I had a small sump gasket leak that needed
doing. Also replaced the clutch master and slave and refurbed the pedal box too. Was nice to have a look in the bottom of engine
as mine had done 115K, and cleaned the sump. Actually had non black oil the dipstick for a few weeks
The OEM clutch that came off was Valeo and got a good price on the lot from Ashcrofts. Well happy so far...

Yes, I promised myself that if it lasted to 100,000 miles I'd change it anyway as a preventative measure.
One day I'll get a secondhand TD5 engine and then go and bend the plastic at Turners and get it new seals and bearing shells, maybe piston rings and valve springs etc. So it's ready to drop in as soon as my existing unit gets tired. Their website looks mouthwatering. It'll be a real treat to assemble an engine with all the correct parts, and not just skimp on everything as I did when I was young and impoverished.

Nearly a whole page of comments and I haven't even lifted a spanner yet. I'm flattered!

 

[Al2O3]

Sometime over the next few weeks I'm going to do my clutch. It's a 2006 TD5 defender. The old one has done 100.000 miles and is a little tired. It can be encouraged to slip under hard acceleration or after a while creeping along in the traffic jam, plus there's a bit of groan or chatter when the pedal is pressed. Usually this goes away when the engine warms up but it is getting more persistent I've just ordered a Valeo brand clutch kit and a bronze bush, and ordered new master and slave cylinders. I know how incapacitating it can be when they fail, so I'll just replace them while I'm at it. More coming shortly!

Well, its about time! Haven't seen you on for ages.
I've got a clutch alignment tool that @greyhair kindly sent me. It fits my 300Tdi. Your welcome to have it, should it fit. Perhaps @jamesmartin might advise about the compatibility? Looking forward to the thread.

 

[Brown]

Well, its about time! Haven't seen you on for ages.
I've got a clutch alignment tool that @greyhair kindly sent me. It fits my 300Tdi. Your welcome to have it, should it fit. Perhaps @jamesmartin might advise about the compatibility? Looking forward to the thread.

Well, the Land Rover has been behaving itself so I haven't had much to write about. I pop an observation or two onto the odd thread each week. I put a few posts up the other day about changing my power steering pump. So I've not been completely quiet.

Very kind of you, but I've already got a clutch alignment tool somewhere. It's the kind where you get various sized cylindrical spacers that go on a rod. So I think it will suit. If not I can just wrap sticky tape round them until they're the right size.

 

[raywin]

Well, the Land Rover has been behaving itself so I haven't had much to write about. I pop an observation or two onto the odd thread each week. I put a few posts up the other day about changing my power steering pump. So I've not been completely quiet.

Very kind of you, but I've already got a clutch alignment tool somewhere. It's the kind where you get various sized cylindrical spacers that go on a rod. So I think it will suit. If not I can just wrap sticky tape round them until they're the right size.

One other thing which you may already know is try the new clutch plate on the gearbox input shaft before you assemble everything. Sometimes they seem to have tiny burs which make it hard to get the centre boss onto the shaft I have sometimes cleaned them with a needle file to make it easy to start.
Also you read of people getting the plate wrong way round but as i recall they are marked.

 

[Brown]

One other thing which you may already know is try the new clutch plate on the gearbox input shaft before you assemble everything. Sometimes they seem to have tiny burs which make it hard to get the centre boss onto the shaft I have sometimes cleaned them with a needle file to make it easy to start.
Also you read of people getting the plate wrong way round but as i recall they are marked.

Yes, I hope mine's going to have a direction marker on it. With other cars in the past I've sometimes ground a tiny chamfer on the end of the gearbox shaft too, which has helped with sliding things together. Not enough to weaken the shaft or significantly reduce the bearing area, but it helps a lot.

 

[Brown]

Not clutch related at all, but Xylia's bought me a Christmas present that came today:

It's ages since I've had access to a gas kit. I'm looking forward to renting some bottles and seeing whether I can get my hand in again. That'll be after Christmas. There's a trolley with it too, which is a bit titchy but should be OK for Hobbyweld or the smaller BOC bottles. Anyway, I'll be able to weld myself a bigger trolley if I want to!

 

[raywin]

Not clutch related at all, but Xylia's bought me a Christmas present that came today:
View attachment 137368

It's ages since I've had access to a gas kit. I'm looking forward to renting some bottles and seeing whether I can get my hand in again. That'll be after Christmas. There's a trolley with it too, which is a bit titchy but should be OK for Hobbyweld or the smaller BOC bottles. Anyway, I'll be able to weld myself a bigger trolley if I want to!

Ah the acetylene spanner.
Bit since I used one of those.