Hi guys

A genuine Thank you for being my first reference point for all things TD4.

I have a 10 year old, manual gearbox TD4 with the BMW engine (LHD) This has now done 400,000 kms about 260,000 miles

Recently the clutch seemed to be slipping and was engaging at the extreme top of the foot travel

My Local 4x4 specialists here in Tenerife recently changed my Clutch and I got a call asking me to visit urgently !! The clutch housing that is attached to the engine(?) had severe marks on its plate surface and had to be renewed...€350 for the clutch and €590 for that part......with labour a total of €1300 (ouch!)......1100 pounds-

Now, the clutch barely comes off the floor before biting and changing gear is more than problematic. Sometimes it will not engage 1st or reverse and between 1st and second takes forever.....its almost like driving a clunky gearbox without a clutch. I did not have this problem before.
My lady will not drive it as it is.

The garage tried bleeding the system but without much affect. They are telling me that I need a new pump as mine is 'lazy'. This black plastic part is about 8 inches long, is slightly larger in diameter than your thumb and has an arm attached. Yes, another €136 plus labour...... Would this be the master or the slave?

However. my real question is........Do I actually need this part? or are we missing something here.

I have researched 'clutch problems' on this site and have come away a little confused but pleased that there are so many friendly hands to offer advice.

Because of its age and mileage my head is telling me to change the car... But... I really enjoy driving it in the Mountains. It still ticks all the right boxes.

Thanks guys

This seems to happen a lot when clutches are changed in TD4s.

It may be possible to get clutch action back if you bleed by pumping 10-15 times then open the bleed nipple a tiny bit for a second and repeat. If you search I have explained the procedure I use a few times but basically as above and don't for get to top up

This assumes nothing is damaged or leaking.

roccotune said:

This seems to happen a lot when clutches are changed in TD4s.

It may be possible to get clutch action back if you bleed by pumping 10-15 times then open the bleed nipple a tiny bit for a second and repeat. If you search I have explained the procedure I use a few times but basically as above and don't for get to top up

This assumes nothing is damaged or leaking.

Click to expand...

When I had my clutch and the cylinder in the bellhousing replaced my clutch pedal was fine for a few weeks and then the biting point started getting lower and lower to the point where changing gear was impossible. I tried bleeding it using a suction pump to draw the fluid through the system but had very little success with that method. I then tried the method above and that proved successful, the pedal has been fine now for close to a year.

Hi guys
Well, it has been a year and I am still having problems getting my freelander td4 manual gearbox into gear.
It has had a new clutch complete with bell housing.
It has then had a new gearshift selector.
Then it has had a new slave cylinder fitted below the clutch pedal......

When the motor is not running and at standstill, I can select all gears reasonably well.
But with the engine running....it is a nightmare. The gearshift moves 1/2 inch and is blocked.
My local 4x4 specialist has ruled out the gear selector and say the synchro is good (no gear crunching)
As they have bled the slave cylinder near the pedal a couple of times....they think that the new clutch they fitted maybe faulty.
So, on the 22nd I am facing a 400euro clutch disassembly bill.

Has anyone got any further thoughts?
Could it just be the manual gearbox oil needs changing?
I am desperately starting at a useless vehicle as is........
PS. While it is not perfect......I have had some great fun in remote parts of Tenerife. I cannot imagine life without it
Please help

Your problem is almost certainly hydraulic.

You have a master cylinder on the bulkhead, connected to the pedal. This is the black plastic part with the small fluid reservoir.
There is the pipe that leads from this which has a quick-release fitting in the middle of it. (black plastic pipe, the QR fitting is a light green alloy cylinder halfway along)
There is the slave cylinder inside the gearbox. This is what pushes on the clutch plate.

When you change a clutch, its normal to change the slave cylinder at the same time while it is all apart. After changing this, its not uncommon for TD4s to have hydraulic problems. Normally solved with thorough, repeated bleeding of the system.

When I changed my clutch the slave cylinder I fitted turned out to be of poor quality and I now need to bleed the clutch every ten days or so as there is an air leak that cant be cured unless I take it all apart again and replace the slave cylinder.

Wrap a small amount of PTFE thread sealing tape around the threads on the bleed nipple being careful not to get any over the cone shaped seat or the small hole. Slip a meter long length of plastic tubing over the end of the nipple. Plug the other end with a screw and cut a slit across the tube just a few millimeters deep. This acts as a rudimentary one way valve. Under pressure, air and fluid pass out through the slit but it closes up and wont draw air back in. Put this end into an empty bottle.
Unsrew the nipple half a turn and press the pedal. It will go right down and not come back up. Lift it up and press it down slowly three or four times.
Be careful to keep the level of fluid in the laster cylinder well above the bottom of the bowl.
Keep doing this, pressing and lifting slowly three or four times and topping up the liquid. After a while, close the bleed screw and try it - the pedal should feel firm and spring back by itself.
You might need to repeat this a couple of times over a few days. If you have the same ****ty parts as I do ( Borg and Beck) you might need to do this a lot more often.

Wow
Thanks for a speedy reply and very comprehensive.
The 'slave cylinder' was changed at the same time as the clutch and the flywheel housing.
The problems started occurring soon after.
The 4x4 specialist is now saying that he has to go in and investigate (at a cost to me, naturally)
However, if there is a faulty part..he will claim from them! Do I start laughing now.........
It sounds like exactly the same problem that you have.
I may try to bleed the pump under the pedal as you suggest.
If I vigorously pump the pedal 20 or so times...(sometimes) it works.......... but this gives us no indication which pump it is, or does it?
I bought the freelander with 300,000kms on the clock and after 5 years have just passed the 400,000kms. Not so bad for an original clutch. So, I can't complain really.
Thanks so much Dave. ... I really appreciate it
Mike