Releasing a stuck clutch.

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clivees

Well-Known Member
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Somewhere in deepest darkest Hampshire
If you have left your landy sitting on the driveway for any amount of time with out moving her then you may get the “Stuck Clutch” problem.
This is when you press the peddle down and get a grinding noise when you try and select a gear.
The problem is that your clutch plate has stuck to the drive plate and is refusing to disengage.
So to fix this there are a number of (Quite brutal) procedures like ramming it in to gear when the engines running etc but this is one method that’s more gearbox friendly and quite quick.

1. On a flat surface jack up and place good axel stands under the driven wheels and chock the none driven wheels.
If you’re doing this on a permanent 4x4 Landy then you will need to get all 4 wheels off the ground.
2. Release the handbrake.
3. Select 3rd gear and start her (The driven wheels should be turning so watch out of Kids, dogs and cats).
4. Wait until the engine is fully up to temperature.
5. Once up to temperature rev up the engine to about 35 MPH and then as quickly as possible press the clutch pedal and stamp on the brake (I know 3 feet would be handy).
6. Restart her if she has stalled and repeat line 5 until the clutch pedal works as normal.

Note you may hear a bang or crack as the plate releases.

The idea is to use the stored energy in the wheels to break the rust binding the plates together.

Ps
If it falls of the stands and shoots off down the road like a demented exocet then don’t blame me.:p
 
clivees said:
If you have left your landy sitting on the driveway for any amount of time with out moving her then you may get the “Stuck Clutch” problem.

5. Once up to temperature rev up the engine to about 35 MPH and then as quickly as possible press the clutch pedal and stamp on the brake (I know 3 feet would be handy).
6. Restart her if she has stalled and repeat line 5 until the clutch pedal works as normal.

Note you may hear a bang or crack as the plate releases.

The idea is to use the stored energy in the wheels to break the rust binding the plates together.

Yes Sure, most experts have come up with that fantastic idea, but damn few if any of them have actually done it.

Basically, this scheme won't work unless the clutch isn't really stuck at all.
However, you might easily snap a shaft or strip the teeth off a gear in the gearbox or transfer box in the process, so it's not as if there won't be some result.

Stuck Clutch .... big problem ..... first make SURE the release bearing is throwing the clutch plate back when you press the clutch pedal down. The clutch MUST feel normal or there's no point in going any further. Next get the engine running in neutral till it is warmed up to full running temperature.
You can leave it running as long as you like - the heat will get through to the flywheel, which is good.

Do this next bit where there is plenty of space, and it helps if it is a bit lumpy and bumpy too. Put the handbrake OFF this time. Engage LOW range, first gear, and while it is IN GEAR, engine HOT, clutch pedal DOWN, operate the starter. The engine will fire up, and this alone may free the clutch off. If it doesn't, the car will drive off. Now holding the clutch pedal down, drive around between DRIVING (throttle ON) and not driving (throttle OFF) without banging the transmission too much, and sooner or later the clutch should free off. Warmth will come through and that helps. As soon as it frees off, do a bit of clutch slipping ... a few starts and stops in 3rd or 4th gears low range to polish the plates a bit.

If this doesn't do the job soon enough for you, take the solenoid wire off the Injection pump or the coil wire off if it's a sparky engine, and try the other way.

Handbrake hard ON. engage first gear. Clutch pedal down. Hit starter, and as soon as it jerks release the starter. Repeat as many times as it takes.

DO NOT HOLD STARTER ON UNLESS IT TURNS - or it will MELT.

Patience and GENTLE force is the game in cases like these.

A last resort is TOWING it (2nd gear HI would be good) with the pedal held down, and the engine disabled so it will not start firing. The continual thumping of the compression strokes will knock the plate free eventually.

CharlesY
Click to expand...
 
Well like I said there are a few methods for doing this and yes this one does work and I have carried it out on a number of occasions.
Never come close to breaking any part of the drive chain.
This method is just like stamping on the breaks without pressing the clutch in first and I have never heard of that breaking gears or drive shafts.
I'm not too sure your method of starting her in gear is all together wise as you are now driving a car your not fully in control of.
 
clivees said:
Well like I said there are a few methods for doing this and yes this one does work and I have carried it out on a number of occasions.

We bet you have! Personally ....

Never come close to breaking any part of the drive chain.
This method is just like stamping on the breaks without pressing the clutch in first and I have never heard of that breaking gears or drive shafts.

That is only because you've not been around long enough to have come across the problem of Rotational momentum meeting inertia all of a sudden.


I'm not too sure your method of starting her in gear is all together wise as you are now driving a car your not fully in control of.
Click to expand...

Yes indeed, just as you say, "YOU are not too sure ..." and YOU might be driving a car YOU might not be fully in control of. Never ever assume that you have as much savvy and experience as other people may have. And just for the record, my knowledge of LandRovers specifically, is quite limited. Slob and Yella and those guys could leave me dead. But my knowledge and understanding and experience of motor vehicles generally is substantial.

CharlesY
 
clivees said:
Why not you do
Click to expand...

Wrong!

this is what I wrote ......

And just for the record, my knowledge of LandRovers specifically, is quite limited. Slob and Yella and those guys could leave me dead. But my knowledge and understanding and experience of motor vehicles generally is substantial.

Don't be offended so easily! Be REALISTIC instead!

Remember what Shakespeare wrote long ages ago ....

"This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man. "

In other words, there's no point in kidding yourself!

CharlesY
 
clutch got stuck on my triumph herald and i was advised by an old school mechanic to set off a co2 fire extinguisher into the bell housing which causes everything to shrink and free off,it bloody worked too!
 
bigchap said:
clutch got stuck on my triumph herald and i was advised by an old school mechanic to set off a co2 fire extinguisher into the bell housing which causes everything to shrink and free off,it bloody worked too!
Click to expand...

What a great idea!

One day I'm going to try that trick.

CharlesY
 
clivees said:
I'm not too sure your method of starting her in gear is all together wise as you are now driving a car your not fully in control of.
Click to expand...

Not strictly true. On the couple of occasions I've had a clutch cable snap, I've managed to drive home with no clutch. When it came to stopping for traffic lights, just slow on the footbrake and the engine will stall. When the lights changed to green, into first, turn the ignition to start and the car kangaroos, a little bit of throttle and the engine fires and away you go in first gear, rev high then off the throttle, as the revs drop into second and so on.

slowing down, just use footbrake till she stalls. Always under control, as using the footbrake will cause a stall.

A fantastic way of abusing the engine, and only in emergencies (like no clutch cable). Either waiting a couple of hours for recovery, or drive it home.
 
In a slightly different vein I once drove a sierra from Bala to Telford in 5th gear. including negotiating all those bloody roundabout on the A5 I was heading for Derby at 06:00 when I hit a sleeping sheep in the middle of the road. Gods knows what it did but I lost 1st to 4th gear. The clutch finally burnt out at telford.
 
At last the clutch is working!! Bought the Gunsons EeziBleed, arrived on saturday morning. Bleeding the clutch with it was so much easier, and it was great being able to do it solo. However it was only half the story. Once bled I started the engine, and the clutch was still dragging, I thought I would have to replace the master cylinder as well, as it was the only part I hadn't replaced and I didn't fancy getting the engine out again and trying to replace the clutch.

I had read on a couple of forums about the problem of as sticky clutch, but hadn't found many useful hints and tips on how to unstick it. Thanks to PeteM who made me think about looking up on the Landy forums, where I found all sorts of discussion on how to free the clutch plate. Some of them involved jacking the car onto stands, running the engine and then pressing clutch and brake at the same time, and all sorts of pros and cons including risks of shedding gear teeth!! I thought maybe a more low risk strategy was worth trying.

I moved the other cars off the driveway, and started the engine. Once it was warmed up I turned off the ignition, put the car in reverse, and turned the key. The car jolted, and I turned the key off. But miraculously on the second try the engine started, and there was no grinding when I put it into gear! I couldn't believe it had actually worked!

I think the slave cylinder had needed replacing as the parts check showed it wasn't the v8 part, but in combination with the Gunsons and a bit of advice from the landy guys, its all ready to go. Fingers crossed for the MOT, I could do without any more problems, just for the summer anyway
icon_biggrin.gif
.

Thanks All,
Dan
 
I freed off a clutch on a Classic the other week by starting it in 2nd gear with the transfer box in neutral, the clutch pedal fully depressed and right foot firmly on the brake. Popped the transfer box into low, Rangie jumped forwards about a foot and the clutch was free. Made a bit of a clunk when I engaged low, but the Rangie has been fine since..
 
Personally never been a huge fan of the jacking and axle stand method because of the risk with all the jerking and jolting of something giving way. I would think this is particularly so if all 4 wheels need to be off the ground. Not heard of any drive train issues though.

I've never had a clutch that I can't free using the driving method - might take a bit of time but gets there in the end and not sure, as long as speeds are kept down, that there is any real danger.

Real reason for this post was that on an 87 110 I used the starter method to release the crank bolt. May have been coincidence but had no end of problems with the starter after that until I finally bit the bullet and bought a whole new unit at great expense (various rebuilds etc previously). That would be least attractive method for me.

Fire extinguisher sounds the most fun though!
 
dannodj said:
At last the clutch is working!! Bought the Gunsons EeziBleed, arrived on saturday morning. Bleeding the clutch with it was so much easier, and it was great being able to do it solo. However it was only half the story. Once bled I started the engine, and the clutch was still dragging, I thought I would have to replace the master cylinder as well, as it was the only part I hadn't replaced and I didn't fancy getting the engine out again and trying to replace the clutch.

I had read on a couple of forums about the problem of as sticky clutch, but hadn't found many useful hints and tips on how to unstick it. Thanks to PeteM who made me think about looking up on the Landy forums, where I found all sorts of discussion on how to free the clutch plate. Some of them involved jacking the car onto stands, running the engine and then pressing clutch and brake at the same time, and all sorts of pros and cons including risks of shedding gear teeth!! I thought maybe a more low risk strategy was worth trying.

I moved the other cars off the driveway, and started the engine. Once it was warmed up I turned off the ignition, put the car in reverse, and turned the key. The car jolted, and I turned the key off. But miraculously on the second try the engine started, and there was no grinding when I put it into gear! I couldn't believe it had actually worked!

I think the slave cylinder had needed replacing as the parts check showed it wasn't the v8 part, but in combination with the Gunsons and a bit of advice from the landy guys, its all ready to go. Fingers crossed for the MOT, I could do without any more problems, just for the summer anyway
icon_biggrin.gif
.

Thanks All,
Dan
Click to expand...
i think i may have the same problem just bought a 200dti disco today, and i suspect it had been sitting for a few months-the guy said it had a "reconditioned" box last year..and it kept refusing point blankly to go into 2nd and 1st ,seemed to be more common on the downshift,and when 1 st finally engaged i got a dull clunk..does this sound about right? should i also change gear oil? sorry to hijack thread!
 
jonnyt said:
Personally never been a huge fan of the jacking and axle stand method because of the risk with all the jerking and jolting of something giving way. I would think this is particularly so if all 4 wheels need to be off the ground. Not heard of any drive train issues though.

I've never had a clutch that I can't free using the driving method - might take a bit of time but gets there in the end and not sure, as long as speeds are kept down, that there is any real danger.

Real reason for this post was that on an 87 110 I used the starter method to release the crank bolt. May have been coincidence but had no end of problems with the starter after that until I finally bit the bullet and bought a whole new unit at great expense (various rebuilds etc previously). That would be least attractive method for me.

Fire extinguisher sounds the most fun though!
Click to expand...

I agree, all that forcing jerking stc can only lead to ripping the centre out the clutch plate or some other damage. When I was younger the local farmer used an old petrol parafin tractor once a year and it lay the remainder, every year it had a stuck clutch and with all the bumping and so on he could never free it, so he pulled it apart, every year.

I told him to stick his do da on the back and fork of to the field with it stuck starting it in gear. After a bit everything warmed up and it broke free. Worked every year aswel. Always done that with them just run them, and even if it dont free during the run as it cools it breaks free, two different materials expand at different rates.
 
way we free clutches is soak in wd 40/double tt spray or similar and drive up the road with clutch pedal in, carefully match the rev's and get into third gear.
Stamp on brakes.

Use washing up liquid and water to degrease or brake cleaner-make sure it is dry before leaving it again
 
fanatic said:
way we free clutches is soak in wd 40/double tt spray or similar and drive up the road with clutch pedal in, carefully match the rev's and get into third gear.
Stamp on brakes.

Use washing up liquid and water to degrease or brake cleaner-make sure it is dry before leaving it again
Click to expand...

When I fit a clutch or brake shoes, I do my best to avoid grease or oil on the surfaces since it soaks into the material, spraying the plate with wd40 is a mental practice, all the fairy in the world aint gona get it back out since its water repelant, and its gona remain contaminated. Once it gets hot it seeps back out the material and causes a failure.

Thats why you toss brake shoes when a hub seal ****es all over them, you could roast them wif a burner to sweat it out but its not a good practice.
 
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