Defender 90 Clutch Problems

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Chris Puzey

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4
Hello All,

This week when driving to work my beloved defender lost all drive. It happened suddenly and strangely without any real noise. The engine starts revs and runs fine. The clutch pedal travel and pressure seems fine, but when you engage any gear and lift the clutch nothing happens :doh:

I have tried this in all gears with all combinations of diff lock and high/low ratio, but still to no avail. This leads me to conclude that is must either be the clutch centre has sheared or the pressure spring/s have broken :confused:

So it now appears that I have to put my short arms into my deep pockets and get her back on the road. I plan to fit a heavy duty clutch to prevent this happening again.

So being new to Land Rovers I have three questions I would like to ask all you experienced types

1. Can you recommend a good make of heavy duty/up rated clutch?

2. With the gearbox out what else would you recommend to upgrade?

3. Is there any garage/mechanic in the Salisbury Plain area you would recommend?

Your help in getting the Red Beast back in the mud where she belongs would be greatly appreciated

Chris.
 
borg and beck std clutch (ap as is now) new h/d release arm and pivot if head worn ,8566l spigot bush ,have gearbox and transfer box oil changed and get done yearly ,too h/d clutch will make transmission rattle at idle
 
If its a 300TDI change the rear crank oil seal as well use a genuine one.
The heavy duty clutch is one for a defender 130.
Britparts heavy duty cluctch kit is suppose to be really good, I dont buy in to all of britpart stuff is ****, ive never had any problems with it
 
Chris Puzey said:
Hello All,

This week when driving to work my beloved defender lost all drive. It happened suddenly and strangely without any real noise. The engine starts revs and runs fine. The clutch pedal travel and pressure seems fine, but when you engage any gear and lift the clutch nothing happens :doh:

I have tried this in all gears with all combinations of diff lock and high/low ratio, but still to no avail. This leads me to conclude that is must either be the clutch centre has sheared or the pressure spring/s have broken :confused:

So it now appears that I have to put my short arms into my deep pockets and get her back on the road. I plan to fit a heavy duty clutch to prevent this happening again.

So being new to Land Rovers I have three questions I would like to ask all you experienced types

1. Can you recommend a good make of heavy duty/up rated clutch?

2. With the gearbox out what else would you recommend to upgrade?

3. Is there any garage/mechanic in the Salisbury Plain area you would recommend?

Your help in getting the Red Beast back in the mud where she belongs would be greatly appreciated

Chris.
Click to expand...

Same thing happened to me - centre of plate collapsed resulting in no tranferable drive.

Very odd as it was nearly new Valeo unit. Replaced it with a Britpart HD version.
 
Firstly my apologies for the delay in posting a reply, 6 stubborn bolts are to blame :frusty:

I have now removed the PTO plate on the rear on the transfer box, the output shaft and oil are all in good condition. My spanner monkey then start the car and put it in 1st gear with the clutch up. There was no movement inside at all and no strange sounds :confused2:

Am I correct in thinking that this would point to the clutch being the broken item. If this is so can anyone recommend a good make of heavy duty clutch, also what other things should I upgrade at the same time.

Many thanks for all your help, Chris.
 
rear crank oil seal if it's weeping, also HD clutch fork (or weld a plate on to it for when the fork arm busts through it!)

I guess the other thing I could think of that could cause your problem would be the splines on the input shaft having failed or something? (doubt it though)
 
Thanks to all your help so far. The landy is in the garage as I type, the gearbox is off and unfortunately the clutch is fine. So it's now down to a faulty gearbox :-(

If anyone needs a heavy duty 3 piece clutch kit, heavy duty clutch fork, spigot bush, output shaft oil seal & input shaft oil seal. I have them brand new and unused for sale.

So my next question is how difficult is it to rebuild an R380 gearbox or I should I look at buying a second hand one?

Your wealth of knowledge would be greatly appreciated :)
 
what does input shaft in gear box feel like ,there are the easiest box lr made to rebuild but it still requires some knowledge ,usually gearbox fails or looses drive after a period of noise unless mainshaft snaps at back where roll pin goes through ,check clutch center carefully ive nearly missed centres that have lost drive to plate
 
hate to dig up an old thred but my gearbox has just done the same, clutch is good but box isn't. garage is looking at the box for me when he has time, can i buy what parts are needed and repair myself or is it specialist work?
 
Fairly easy with an engine hoist or jack or both would be excellent. Several guides kicking about but basically( anyone correct me) off the top of my head it's the following:

Take floor/tunnel panels and gear stick mechanisms out to get to the bolts for the bell housing unbolt them and the propshaft bolts.

Think you may have to take the centre crossmember out (mine seemed rusted on aswell as the bolts).

Then should just be a case of dropping the whole clutch/gear/transfer box out through the bottom of the car.

Actually repairing the issue is a different kettle of fish dependant on what's wrong with it.
 
Last edited:
Probably easier to get a good disco box and swop bellhousing over, as the clutch is out swop for a Borg &beck easy enough job with a crane and jack on the driveway. I did a thread on my lt77 clutch swop, it's all the same.
 
Lyndon said:
Probably easier to get a good disco box and swop bellhousing over, as the clutch is out swop for a Borg &beck easy enough job with a crane and jack on the driveway. I did a thread on my lt77 clutch swop, it's all the same.
Click to expand...

Showing my ignorance here now, aren't the levers in a different position in the disco and require a different tunnel? Think I read it somewhere but probable to be completely wrong on this one.
 
I will be corrected if I'm wrong but by changing the bellhousing for a defender one it will put the leavers in the right place
 
I have problems with my 300TDI Defender 90 with similar problems. The cluch doesn't disengage and judders when slowing down and stopping, especially in slow traffic, which is making driving very uncomfortable. It's about to be removed from my local garage, not used to Landrovers but excellent for usual stuff, to a specialist. Got a leaking propshaft oil seal, may have comtaminated the cluch plates??
 
I dunno if the propshaft oil seal leak would have got on the clutch plate, as it's at the other end of the gearbox. Or do you mean crank oil seal? in which case you'd probably see a lot of oil at the bottom of the bellhousing. Maybe the clutch is getting a bit tired and is in need of replacement anyway. How long was it since it was replaced? if the answer is 'Don't know' or 'Not since I bought the car' that might be your problem.
 
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