New clutch slips?

Hi All,

I've just replaced my old clutch that was damaged (broken springs) with a complete new system, so that's new:
Clutch
Pressure plate
Thrust bearing
Slave cylinder

The clutch and pressure plate are genuine AP Borg and Beck

Before the clutch would bite right down near the floor, now it's at the very top of the travel and slips if you just touch the pedal. Any ideas what to do?

I'm wondering if I should have replaced the master cylinder and pipe work as well, then everything would be new.

Cheers
Nath

sounds like it needs more bleeding, I wrote an article in the how to section on how I solved my problem with a remote bleeder

Hi Joe, I thought if there was air in the system the clutch would be a bugger to disengage, not slip right at the top of the pedal stroke?

Adjust the pedal rod, put more play in it.

^^^ what he says, you need some free play at the master cylinder push rod otherwise will slip like f**k

Thanks for the reply's, when it stops raining I'll go out and pop the top off the clutch pedal housing and have a look, there's a very small amount of free play, perhaps 1/2" max at the pedal, and most of that is probably the pedal pivot bearing. I do hope this is the issue as I really don't have the energy to lay under the Landy in the rain for another day replacing the clutch again.

Make certain the pedal is not semi-siezed on the shaft. I had this with my three that had been standing for a long while. Pull the pedal up hard with your hand and see if it comes up any....

Is the pedal return spring good / fitted ?
Pedal height to floor correct?
Should only be around 1/4" free movement at pedal.
Could be a collapsed hose does it do it right from 1st drive off or does it get worse after awhile?
Don't like to ask but did you fit clutch plate right way round?

Murtle said:

Hi Joe, I thought if there was air in the system the clutch would be a bugger to disengage, not slip right at the top of the pedal stroke?

Click to expand...

indeed - in the how to is a description from the manual on how to adjust free play :O)

I was going to suggest that the clutch plate might be in back to front...... and its a gearbox out job too. If you haven't touched the master cylinder it's unlikely to be an operating rod issue, not sure if you can misplace the operating rod on the slave cylinder. Which series is it?

Hmmm, well the clutch plate I put in with the long nose in the center facing the gearbox. I'm sure this is how the old one was. This is a series 3, I can change the clutch without removing the gearbox completely, just slide it back, still a pain in the bottom.

I've measured the clutch pedal distance to ground and as per the picture below it's 140mm on the dot (picture is a bit dark to see the very bottom of the pedal), and before anyone says that's water on the floor, not brake fluid.



With the clutch pressed by hand until you can feel it pushing on the master cylinder the distance to floor is then 120mm.


I then took the cover off the master cylinder housing, and have decided this needs replacing anyway as it's starting to leak down the shaft, picture below.



So I guess the first job is to replace this, then the entire clutch system is new.

So what way around should the clutch be long center towards or away from the gearbox?

Towards the gearbox. The clutch plate normally has "flywheel side" on it, so you know which way round it should go.

Then I have put it in the correct way, I don't think it will fit the other way as I'm sure it would foul on the flywheel spigot carrier (Philips Millner Conversion for RV8).

Yes, of course it's a series 3 - says so in the title, duh! That's the operating rod you need to measure the play in, the play in the pedal can be caused by wear in the pivot. If the master cylinder is knacked it might not be allowing the clutch to engage properly. Looks like you'll have to replace or rebuild anyway...

Conversion? Have you tried spacing the clutch slave cylinder away from the bell housing? I'm thinking you have no free play at the slave cylinder. Try undoing the bolts 3mm and then try again.

Ian46 said:

Conversion? Have you tried spacing the clutch slave cylinder away from the bell housing? I'm thinking you have no free play at the slave cylinder. Try undoing the bolts 3mm and then try again.

Click to expand...

She's a 3.9 Serpentine V8.

I'll get a new master cylinder first as it's on it's way out, then if that doesn't fix it I'll try the spacers on the slave. Remember the slave is new as well so could be different to my old one.

Series threes do have a spacer the shape of the slave cylinder flange and about 1 or 1.5 mm thick.

hi, is it definitely a series 3 slave cylinder?
Google Image Result for http://www.lrseries.com/resources/user/0/f/a/8/0fa8411ab7bf448484bf8ecb5f539cf8ca68d614/clutch_slave_cylinder.jpg
or is it a series 2 one
Google Image Result for http://www.lrseries.com/resources/user/6/d/a/6/6da60f5011da74d0231b9c4165078732f8f099f1/clutch_slave_cylinder.jpg

divie said:

Series threes do have a spacer the shape of the slave cylinder flange and about 1 or 1.5 mm thick.

Click to expand...

Well that had me scurrying off to find my parts catalog, I've never had a spacer fitted before, perhaps it was built into the old slave cylinder, but the parts catalog does show a spacer part number 591988.

I do not have this, and it was not there before either, you may be on to something with this, I'll slacken the bolts off as others have said and see what happens, then order one of these as well as the new master.

arb78 said:

hi, is it definitely a series 3 slave cylinder?
Google Image Result for http://www.lrseries.com/resources/user/0/f/a/8/0fa8411ab7bf448484bf8ecb5f539cf8ca68d614/clutch_slave_cylinder.jpg
or is it a series 2 one
Google Image Result for http://www.lrseries.com/resources/user/6/d/a/6/6da60f5011da74d0231b9c4165078732f8f099f1/clutch_slave_cylinder.jpg

Click to expand...

It's a series 3 one as per the first picture, ordered from DLS part number 591231 which ties in with the parts catalog. I did wonder about it though as the old one I removed was aluminium, the new one is steel!?