Anyone able to help/show how to Freelander Clutch Change

I considered posting this on LZ international rescue, but I thought that might provoke a little too much urgency.

My FL1 facelift has a little bit of a problem (I am fairly sure it's down to either excessive clutch wear, or the clutch cable needing adjustment)

When pulling away the car has absolutely no problem, most of the time. every now and then if I am a bit too much of a boy racer then the clutch slips fairly considerably, until the road speed catches up or I back off a little. In 4th (most noticeably) the clutch slips a lot. I can be driving a little over 30mph and then if i just happen to put my foot down a little too hard then the revs increase, but the road speed does not. (clearly a transmission/clutch issue)

The crux of the matter is:

Is it worth adjusting the clutch cable before attempting to change the clutch, to see if that sorts the problem?

If the clutch does need replacing:
-I can't afford to replace the car
-I can't afford to pay for a garage to replace the clutch
-I don't have sufficient tools or space or experience to change the clutch myself

I would however be very interested in learning to do this job, and so I ask if anyone in Sheffield over the easter period (23rd - 31st march) would be able to lend a hand teaching me how to go about this? Ideally with an engine crane, but interested in hearing about other options too (as long as the new clutch gets fitted)

Hi there, is it a Td4? If so, there is no clutch cable.

Try here for a good guide: Clutch Replacement - Land Rover Freelander 2.0 TD4 | Professional Motor Mechanic

Your only option seems to be to get a knowledgeable friend (with tools - no engine crane needed) to help you - a Freelander clutch can be tricky to replace because it has a transverse engine AND a transfer box (IRD) to deal with. Not a good job for an inexperienced, solo mechanic.

None of the freelancer 1have a clutch cable, they are all hydraulic, however it is certainly clutch at fault, and there are several how to threads if you search.

Well if you're an engineering student, just think of it as an assignment.

What engine is it?

guineafowl21 said:

Hi there, is it a Td4? If so, there is no clutch cable.

Try here for a good guide: Clutch Replacement - Land Rover Freelander 2.0 TD4 | Professional Motor Mechanic

Your only option seems to be to get a knowledgeable friend (with tools - no engine crane needed) to help you - a Freelander clutch can be tricky to replace because it has a transverse engine AND a transfer box (IRD) to deal with. Not a good job for an inexperienced, solo mechanic.

Click to expand...

Ha - worst "guide" ever....



I cant speak for the other engines, but if it is a TD4, it is actually easier to drop the whole powertrain out. All the stuff that needs disconnected or removed to drop the gearbox alone is pretty much everything fitted to the engine. Its only the power steering pipes, a couple of cooling hoses and unplugging the loom from the ECU to allow the whole engine to come out. 10 minutes extra work doing this makes it MUCH easier - no need to lower the IRD or gearbox by hand and no lying under the car with the box on your chest trying to bench-press it into place and get the clutch splines to engage.
Drop the lot in one piece, remove IRD and gearbox with ease then refit with real ease.
You will need an engine crane though. Raise the front up high and lower the engine out the bottom and slide it out from underneath.

Hi there
Sounds 100% clutch worn out
I changed mine a few years ago - unfortunately that doesnt help you as i am in france
its not difficult - i followed the instructions in RAVE including taking the IRD off.
Biggest problem i had was getting the gearbox back on due to the weight of the thing and being alone.
ended up borrowing an engine crane to lift it

dave21478 said:

Ha - worst "guide" ever....



I cant speak for the other engines, but if it is a TD4, it is actually easier to drop the whole powertrain out. All the stuff that needs disconnected or removed to drop the gearbox alone is pretty much everything fitted to the engine. Its only the power steering pipes, a couple of cooling hoses and unplugging the loom from the ECU to allow the whole engine to come out. 10 minutes extra work doing this makes it MUCH easier - no need to lower the IRD or gearbox by hand and no lying under the car with the box on your chest trying to bench-press it into place and get the clutch splines to engage.
Drop the lot in one piece, remove IRD and gearbox with ease then refit with real ease.
You will need an engine crane though. Raise the front up high and lower the engine out the bottom and slide it out from underneath.

Click to expand...

A man after my own heart!!..............two fridges in the garage/workshop to keep the beer cold.

I'm with gravity, simple tools and jacks, no engine hoist needed

In the petrol 1.8, just the engine cant be dropped and the clutch is sitting looking at you

this is the thread i started - sorry its not so informative and the pics are no longer there .......................... but i do have them on my PC - can email them if you PM your address

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/clutch-removal-199507.html

Thanks all for the extremely prompt replies, I knew I could rely on the combined knowledge of LZ

It is a TD4 engine (should probably have mentioned :s ), sad to hear it is a difficult job. I do know someone that could potentially help, although sadly they live far away in the warm south.

I am still interested in hearing if anyone has space to lend or knowledge to pass on, as I have no off street parking and only some basic tooling.

dave21478's job looks like it was nicely done, seems like the way to do it.

dave21478 said:

Ha - worst "guide" ever....

Click to expand...

Ok, fair enough. Perhaps I should have called it an 'overview'. Not the best step-by-step piece ever but at least it does describe what's involved - poor old Qspot doesn't know where to start so I thought it would help...

Dave, your method for dropping the engine out looks neat - I might need to do that soon. Any reason you can't lift the engine out the top instead?

Qspot, dropping the engine out in the street sounds a bit heroic for my liking - I would stick to lowering the engine in situ given your circumstances. Best of luck.

With the box and IRD on it wont lift upwards - it just wont fit and you risk damaging the radiator if you try it. Most cars now are like this.... The powertrain is lifted up from below when the car is built, so its the easiest way to get it out again.

I forgot to mention you also need to disconnect the exhaust and the fuel lines, but thats easy.
I jacked the front as high as it would go with a trolley jack and supported it on axle stands. Using a cheapo engine crane I took the weight of the engine, undid the mounts and lowered it down onto those dollies, which are just plywood and castors. I then used the hoist and a strap around the chassis legs to lift the shell up higher until it was high enough to roll the engine out.

With the whole unit out the IRD comes off easily, the gearbox comes off easily and you are free to work on it without being cramped. Refitting the box and getting the splines lined up is a piece of cake like this. Change the thermostat while the engine is out.
To refit, roll the engine back under, lower the shell onto the axle stands then lift the engine up the final bit till you can bolt up the engine mounts.


I wouldnt even consider this at the roadside.

I've just done the thermostat with the engine in place - took 3 1/2 hours and had the following commentary - f!@£$%^ freelander f!@£$%^ BMW sh!@, f!@£ you sideways you b!@£$%^ sh!@£$%^ c!@£.

I had to take a few 10 min tea breaks to realign my chakras.

guineafowl21 said:

I've just done the thermostat with the engine in place - took 3 1/2 hours and had the following commentary - f!@£$%^ freelander f!@£$%^ BMW sh!@, f!@£ you sideways you b!@£$%^ sh!@£$%^ c!@£.

I had to take a few 10 min tea breaks to realign my chakras.

Click to expand...

:lol::lol::lol:
Nice one! Funniest post I've seen in a while, my choice for 'Post of the Month'.

guineafowl21, thanks for your suggestion, I think I will avoid any major mechanical work on the street, don't fancy my legs getting run over...

Turns out my girlfriend's father caught wind of my woes and has offered space on the farm to carry out the repair. he also has a very handy front loader that I can use as an crane if I really need.

I am a little teriffied of this undertaking, but I will ensure that I keep the forum updated with progress and ask for help/advice if I need it (likely)

Meanwhile I will go in search of parts etc. in preparation. Any advice in terms of buying the cheepest parts I can find or the next one up etc.?

Also is there anything not listed in the Haynes manual/RAVE that proved to need replacing/troublesome?

Thanks again!

Q

I'm doing the same job on my K series soon, hopefully it will easier than on a TD4 but the reason I am doing it is because some berk fitted a cheap clutch in the past and it is shuddering badly.
So the answer is no, don't go for the cheapest. For the sake of an extra £50 or £60 get a good quality one.

K series is much easier. Gearbox is a fraction of the weight.

Yeah, watched a video of a guy doing it and he easily lifted the gearbox with one hand. Seems you don't even need to take off the IRD either.
I believe the slave cylinder is inside the bell housing of a TD4 making it silly not to change it, Does anyone know if it is the same with the K series?

Out of interest how many hours would it take for a garage to do the job of clutch, slave cylinder and master cylinder? When mine needs doing I'm going to get a garage to do mine as I don't have the tools know-how or covered work area to do it.

All the quotes I have been given are based on 4-5 hours work, not including any work to deal with rusted/seized bolts.

I haven't a clue about the K-series engine, but the Td4 look to be a little bit of an effort to dismantle.

Still the difference between £1200 and £450 drives me to do the job myself...

QSpot said:

All the quotes I have been given are based on 4-5 hours work, not including any work to deal with rusted/seized bolts.

I haven't a clue about the K-series engine, but the Td4 look to be a little bit of an effort to dismantle.

Still the difference between £1200 and £450 drives me to do the job myself...

Click to expand...

Depending on the mileage and use of the vehicle, you may not have to replace the flywheel (at the risk of sparking controversy). That being the case, you can get a reasonable clutch, cover and release bearing kit for around 160 quid. Even cheaper. On the other hand, with clutch jobs, you only want to take it apart once, so you might as well replace all that's in there...

I'll leave it to the more experienced bods on here to debate the merits of keeping the old DMF. I'd still like to know how to assess them.