Access to clutch slave cylinder

I'd read access was tricky... but it's like trying to get in and out the house via the letterbox.

I've new master and slave cylinders to go on a Defender 90 200tdi. The old slave looks like it's been on an age so I'm going to have to get a bit of purchase. I've read comments about moving a part of the exhaust out of the way... but I'm new to this kind of thing so every job is a "first" for me. If there's anyone who can explain how much of the exhaust I need to undo (and how!) I'd be really grateful. I don't want to take anything apart that I can't put back together. (The exhaust is "straight through" btw.)

Many thanks for any help.

It's easy once you've taken the exhaust down pipe off. Undo the tightening bracket at the turbo, then the bracket holding it to the chassis and the the union with the next bit of exhaust and it'll just drop out.

Go to the busters guides bit of the forum and there's a picture guide to follow.

Just becareful not to cross thread the clutch pipe as it screws into the slave.

Thanks! Just what I needed to know. Appreciated.

You may struggle to get the downpipe out with the gearbox crossmember in place, however loosening it off its mounts is sometimes enough to give you better access to the slave.

I've changed the slave a few times without touching the downpipe at all, so it is possible. Just depends exactly where everything is sitting on your particular vehicle.

I'm a total novice and managed it with exhaust in place

Be warned not to pull the pin out the gearbox. Not pin, the rod that comes out the slave.

It is clipped onto the clutch fork inside the box.

Slave cylinder use short length spanner

I did mine with sockets and two extension bars, exhaust left in place. Be careful with clutch pipe to master cylinder union

Cheers, all. Shanec... that rod is exactly why I want to see what I'm doing. I've read enough horror stories...

I don't know if there are different arrangements for different cars, and I haven't got particularly massive hands, but I can't see a way of getting to mine w/o shifting the exhaust. There's a large, welded on heat shield patch... so I can only see one end of the cylinder. I'd be trying to retain that rod blind. Got a few other jobs to get out the way first, then I'll crack on with the swearing and the patching up my knuckles later.

Thanks, again.

I had to drop the exhaust on mine to get the slave out because the old slave was fitted upside down with the bleed valve on the bottom