Series 3 Series III clutch issue

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S

Series!!!

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New Zealand
Hey Guys,

I've recently taken ownership of a 1984 blue Series III ute. It had been sitting for a while (around half a year or so) before I attempted to start it.

Now here comes the silly part... I tried to depress the clutch to engage first gear, but it wouldn't budge. Thinking it was just a very heavy clutch that needed a bit of force, I put both feet on the pedal and gave it a mighty push! The pedal moved to the floor but the clutch didn't disengage... The pedal now falls to the floor under gravity if moved to its original position and let go - it just flops around with no resistance.

I've been told that I've most likely bent a linkage somewhere, but I have no idea where. Does anyone happen to know what/where the weakest link is? I have a feeling that this job may involve removing the gearbox...

From what I understand, after sitting for a while the clutch plate seizes with the flywheel. To remedy this, one forces the vehicle into progressively higher gears with the engine running until the bond is broken. If I pull the gearbox there won't be any need for this...

Cheers,
David
 
it can be a seized master cylinder ,id change the master and slave cylinders first before taking box out, its easier to remove the whole clutch pedal box
 
It sounds like something hydraulic has seized, possibly the clutch slave cylinder. Clutch plates do rust to the flywheel if not moved for a long period of time but this wouldn't lead to the pedal being immoveable; the clutch pedal and clutch cover would still operate, it's just that the friction plate wouldn't be freed. I'd start by checking the clutch slave down on the flywheel housing, the pedal now moves so it wasn't a stuck master cylinder. Having said all that, it is odd that the pedal is now floppy, I would have expected it to pump up to a good pedal again but now rock-solid immoveable because it is trying to push against the slave piston which is now stuck fast, probably at full travel. So, check your fluid level, a seal might have given up the ghost.
Edit: Changed my mind about it not being the master cylinder, James is right, the pedal would be floppy if the master seized while pushed in, the piston rod would be able to move independently so you will need to check both cylinders.
 
Last edited:
James is right and I withdraw what I said about the master cylinder, the pedal would be floppy if the cylinder was seized because the piston rod would be free to move independently if the mc piston was stuck while pushed forward.
 
Thanks a lot for your replies - that's good news. I'll replace the two cylinders. I haven't done anything like this before, but there seem to be quite a few tutorials on the web.

Do you guys have any brand recommendations? I'm very wary of Chinese parts and I'm leaning towards the genuine articles... They're quite pricey though; the master cylinder is around 86 pounds (https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-STC500100). Are there any long-term advantages that justify spending extra for the genuine parts?
 
I try and fit new genuine seals to original cylinders wherever possible as its cheaper than a new OEM part but more reliable than a cheap copy.
 
I try and fit new genuine seals to original cylinders wherever possible as its cheaper than a new OEM part but more reliable than a cheap copy.
 
Hey wireman, thanks for the suggestion. Whereabouts do you source your seals from? I just called my local Landy dealer and they're not sure if they can source them.
 
I'm about to buy the parts, but I'm in a bit of a quandary... Just reaching out again - cheers guys!

Is there any difference between "genuine parts" from Lucas TRW and the Land Rover branded equivalents? The Land Rover parts seem to be around 4 to 5 times the price of the genuine Lucas TRW parts. Is this price difference just down to the Land Rover brand name or are the Rover parts much more reliable/durable than the TRW ones?
 
For all it will cost add a flexible pipe to he order. It runs down the bulkhead at the back of the engine.
 
Hey thanks for the info and advice, James and divie. I'll be sure to get that pipe.

There's a Land Rover spare parts guy (http://classic4x4parts.co.nz/) not far from where I live and he'll be back in business on the 3rd of Feb. I'm going to wait and see if I can order the parts from him.
 
I have snapped the clutch master cyl push rod doing the very same thing. In my case it was a seized slave cyl that was preventing the clutch disengaging.
 
Thanks, Nathan - reassuring to hear that you've experienced a similar issue and that the cylinders were the culprits.

I've unfortunately put this project on the back-burner for now... Hope to get on to it very soon!
 
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