Difficult to get in gear!

Hi all

Have a problem with my L-series Freelander, drove around 150 miles on the highway today, when I got of, I had big problems getting the car in first gear at the first traffic light. Turns out it's the same with reverse. When in gear, changing gear is most of the time okay. It does get a little better (easier) getting it in gear, if I pump the clutch a couple of times. At standstill, if I leave the car for a couple of minutes, it also gets easier.

I'm in the middle of nowhere (well, as far out you can get in Denmark), just arrived for a fishing trip, thinking that I might be able to get back home in the same manor.

Any advice is most welcome, I'm thinking it's the clutch master/slave mech that's faulty. Maybe there's a leak (can't see any fluid though), so it sucks air?

Thanks in advance!

Could be a hydraulics issue, or, when was your gearbox oil last changed?

Yeah, was thinking about the gearbox oil also, as I dont know how old it is. Should have changed it when I changed engine oil, but it came on the "to-do" list Only had the car a couple of months now, but really wished I've changed gearbox oil! Changed diff oil

Thanks for the response SES!

Any advice is welcome, if there's something else to investigate!

also check the Clutch Slave Cylinder Bracket, it's mounted in the front of the gearbox, the place where the cylinder sits is known to crack, this was mine 3 years after being replaced by a new one

the gear linkage bushes might also be worn causing reverse hard to shift in

Also spray the clutch fork arm with plenty of 3 in 1 ...the lever that the slave piston operates
Spray this while someone else operates the clutch pedal for you.

baptista said:

also check the Clutch Slave Cylinder Bracket, it's mounted in the front of the gearbox, the place where the cylinder sits is known to crack, this was mine 3 years after being replaced by a new one

the gear linkage bushes might also be worn causing reverse hard to shift in

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Thanks Baptista! Will check the bracket for sure! Regarding the bushes, are they easy to get to (from the outside)? A bit stuck with the tools I have in the back of the car at the moment

Brack said:

Also spray the clutch fork arm with plenty of 3 in 1 ...the lever that the slave piston operates
Spray this while someone else operates the clutch pedal for you.

Click to expand...

Will do! Have both - WD40 and someone to operate the clutch Thanks!

if you follow the selector rods near the gearbox you'll find the articulation, if it has excessive play, bushes are worn.
LR will only sell you the hole rod but you can get some repair kits, but it is not something to do on the side of the road.

baptista said:

if you follow the selector rods near the gearbox you'll find the articulation, if it has excessive play, bushes are worn.
LR will only sell you the hole rod but you can get some repair kits, but it is not something to do on the side of the road.

Click to expand...

Will look in to this tomorrow, thanks a lot! Still a bit baffled about his, there's been no "notice" about this problem, just came suddently today. So thinking about it, don't think it's an gearbox oil issue (will change it when I get back home), must be something that's broken, or something like that (mayby the bracket).

probably bracket is cracked and slave cylinder is "wobbling" when you press the clutch pedal, clutch fork arm isn't making full movement and gears not shifting right.

baptista said:

probably bracket is cracked and slave cylinder is "wobbling" when you press the clutch pedal, clutch fork arm isn't making full movement and gears not shifting right.

Click to expand...

I'd put MY money on that too. And I would take it off (on the side of the road, if I have to), and take it to the local welder. Cheap fix.

I wouldn't worry about it - your fishing FFS! Worry about it later.

my wife's car played up like that and yes it was the plate cracked and allowing the cylinder not to operate right it was not pushing the rod in far enough.

I now had a chance to look at it, took filterbox off to better see what happens. No obvious cracks to see in the bracket, and no play to feel, cylinder/bracket isn't loose. Had my brother in the car to operate the clutch while I was looking, can see that bracket and cylinder both is pushed a little back while clutch is fully pressed. Sprayed lever arm (fork arm) with plenty of WD40, also where it enters gearbox, massaged clutch plenty. Don't know if problem is gone, a short drive and no problems engaging gears really. Hope it's good for now, when I get back home, I will take the bracket of to check for cracks that I can't see now. Will also change gearbox oil.

Thanks for your help, all of you! Will report back when there's "news"...

Now fishing

Small update - driving home on tuesday, but tried driving it today (later in the day). At first no problems, drove a couple of miles, then very difficult to get in first or reverse. Pumping the clutch pedal makes it easier again. Would air in the master/slave not make the clutch pedal hard to press down? It's not.

no it would make pedal softer have you checked to see if res is low it would show you have a leak and so air getting in

we are talking about a 1800 petrol are we if so the slave/master are a sealed unit and the top should never be taken off. I know it silly but that's what it says in the book

teddywood1 said:

we are talking about a 1800 petrol are we if so the slave/master are a sealed unit and the top should never be taken off. I know it silly but that's what it says in the book

Click to expand...

it might be a single unit so any replacement means the entire assembly,but removing cap to see if your loosing fluid isnt going to effect it in any way except maybe confirm suspicions,what do you think differs from a standard set up apart from it comes as a single assembly

it could be a leaking cylinder only ten minuets to change if needed