Clutch over heating?

Hi,

Went off roading on a Pay and Play day today and whilst i was there i sometimes had problems getting any gears (could not push the gear stick into any positions). With the engine off, i could get all gears.

I put it down to a hot clutch because, if i left it for 5-10 mins i could start to engage gears properly. Also, when i got stuck in deepish water, it seemed to cool down and be completely fine.

The other symptom was the clutch pedal was all floppy apart from the last bit as you press it down - this is not normally the case - it is normally springy all the way down.

Does this sounds like it is an overheating clutch? Couldnt smell the horrid clutch smell at all. Maybe its an excessively worn clutch (although it doesnt seem to be slipping)....

Any help would be appreciated.

sounds like overheating everything?? prob with driving slowly whilst putting lots of stress on engine and transmission. Is that their just isn't enough airflow thru the rad, or over the engine gearbox.

redhand said:

sounds like overheating everything?? prob with driving slowly whilst putting lots of stress on engine and transmission. Is that their just isn't enough airflow thru the rad, or over the engine gearbox.

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Yeah the engine was VERY hot - the expansion tank was whistling and boiling water coming out the over flow pipe. I was winching at the time so had it in low range and had it so the wheels were turning slowly.

I have taken the thermostat out and the coolant is mixed correctly. Is there anyway of keeping the engine cool?

Electric fans mondeo or Pug 405 fans work well. just fit an on/off switch in the cab. and take breaks. like every thing including peeps. they need regular breaks if they're to perform well.

Sounds like the brake fluid in the slave cylender had boiled causing an air bubble in the system. It might be worth bleeding through fresh brake fluid through the release system.

Yeah, i thought about an electric fan - do they replace the existing mechanical one? guess they do.

I jetwashed the radiator out when i got home to get the mud out - think i will make a point of doing that every time to keep on top of it.

Is there anything i can do with coolant - buy special high temp stuff / mix it stronger? or am i talking rubbish?

lookskyward1 said:

Sounds like the brake fluid in the slave cylender had boiled causing an air bubble in the system. It might be worth bleeding through fresh brake fluid through the release system.

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Thats a possibility! How do you bleed it?

lcheater said:

Yeah, i thought about an electric fan - do they replace the existing mechanical one? guess they do.

I jetwashed the radiator out when i got home to get the mud out - think i will make a point of doing that every time to keep on top of it.

Is there anything i can do with coolant - buy special high temp stuff / mix it stronger? or am i talking rubbish?

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keep mechanical fan and have the leccy ones as backup. just make sure coolant is mixed correctly, DON'T jetwash rad. You'll kill it just use a garden hose to flush the mud out.

lcheater said:

Yeah, i thought about an electric fan - do they replace the existing mechanical one? guess they do.

I jetwashed the radiator out when i got home to get the mud out - think i will make a point of doing that every time to keep on top of it.

Is there anything i can do with coolant - buy special high temp stuff / mix it stronger? or am i talking rubbish?

Click to expand...

Also, can you get high performance clutch fluid? Would that help stop it boiling?

lcheater said:

Also, can you get high performance clutch fluid? Would that help stop it boiling?

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Fresh Dot4 brake fluid should be fine. It's a bit of a bugger to bleed the system through. I've just done mine, you are supposed to be able to do it with someone pumping the pedal whilst you crawl under the car with a bleed tube and open the bleed nipple on the back of the slave cylender. This in theory should work but because the bubbles rise in the system you end up with no clutch at all.

I've found the best way is to cut a bicycle inner tube in half, tie one end off and place the open end on the reservoir and pressurise the system with a bicycle pump. It's just a case of crawling under and opening the bleed nipple to allow the system to bleed through. Keep an eye on the reservoir level, don't let it empty. It's best to have it topped right up before you start. Good luck.

If you are gonna bleed the brakes. get an eezy bleed kit. It uses air pressure from a spare wheel to push fluid thru the system all you need to do then is crack off the bleed nipples. much easier than pumping pedal and no chance of any air been drawn into the system.

redhand said:

If you are gonna bleed the brakes. get an eezy bleed kit. It uses air pressure from a spare wheel to push fluid thru the system all you need to do then is crack off the bleed nipples. much easier than pumping pedal and no chance of any air been drawn into the system.

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This is assuming the cap on the eezybleed matches that on the master cylender..... it doesn't on the Disco II/TD5, hence (cheap) the cycle tube bodge.

I doubt it will on my d1 either, but I would certainly be trying it, as I too plan to bleed it up soon.

And yeah I would say OP is definitely suffering from shagged clutch fluid!