Vibrating gearsticks & Clutch Judder!

Having now fixed my propshafts which were about to fall off, the old girl is driving really well. However I still have a couple of annoying niggles.

The gearsticks still vibrate quite a bit as does the steering wheel and the clutch judders for some reason when pulling away in first. It doesn't judder though when you let the clutch out quite fast. As soon as you give it any revs its easier to get it to judder. Could this be engine/gearbox mount problems? I've had a quick look and they seem ok.

Cheers

Dark_Rocco

Hi,

Hehe... you aren't a fully initiated landie owner are ya! Depends how badly things are vibrating. Depending on the landie, they all have their own characters, the gear stick may rattle it's just the nature of the beast. If it kicks when you put power on, or when you take it off... Then that tells you, you may have a mainshaft issue in yer gearbox. Especially if it happens in 2nd (I think, might be 3rd) the kick has quite a bit of power in it though, it's excess travel in the gearbox shafts venting drive power into the gearstick, so not a little delicate rattle. Ultimately this problem will kick it out of gear. Rattling, and tizzing of the stick, not an issue. You must adopt the position sir! No, that does not mean making it easy to insert the gearstick with the aid of vasaline... It means leaning your knee against the main stick and yer toe against the low ratio stick. This is the universally adopted position of a SIII driver, arm out the window as the cab is too cramped to fit it inside... The puritans will admonish you for putting pressure on the gear selection mechanism as you drive and wearing the selector gates, but the rattle will stop and your sanity will be maintained. The yellow knob can be tightened to stop it rattling, the others are more difficult.

Juddering as you let the clutch out, I am tempted to think this is a thrust bearing issue, but I've never had much problem with clutches myself. How high up on the travel does it bite? If it's near the floor yer clutch is on it's way, but one of the other guys may have more on this symptom.

I would expect a more constant banging and clattering from an engine mount myself. I think you would know if you had thrown one of them. I'm not sure about the steering wheel, in what way does it judder? I think this may be a red herring, as the steering column is attached to the bulkhead and not a million miles from the bell housing. So the clutch judder might transmit to it via the bulk head and just make it all seem more scary. Yer flywheel may be off balance, that would cause this kinda vibration if it's bearing were shot... It would stop when the clutch plates pressed together too as the other bearings stop the rattle... Slob will know more about this, he lives for this kinda thing!!

Hope this helps a bit,

Rob

Hi Copper Grease, thanks for the advice. I will give your driving position a go and report back! To be honest the vibration on the gearstick isn't too bad and I suspect its probably just wear and tear on the gearbox over the years. The reason I thought it might be an engine/gearbox mount is that the engine seems to knock a bit when you switch off. The haynes manual also says that clutch judder can be caused by bad mountings, but obviously I can't trust Mr Haynes being correct!.....

The clutch pedal has quite a lot of travel before it bites so I think it is ok but the thrust bearing could be a possiblity. I also thought maybe the crank shaft seal is leaking and oil is contaiminanting the clutch? The previous owner said it had a new clutch fitted.

The steering wheel doesn't judder, but just vibrates gently when sitting in traffic etc. It also vibrates a bit at high speed (50mph ish!). However I'm beginning to think that probably normal for a 40 year old landy! Just new to Series ownership like you said!

Cheers

Dark_Rocco

sounds to me that you own a standard series diesel land rover, you'll soon be juddering and shaking in time with the vehicle and wont notice these normal sounds and feelings... just like all the other series owners.

on a seriour note, when you switch off is it the engine banging or the exhaust?

Lee

Hi Mate,

No problem, I would advise finding a local mate who has had a series landie for a few years. It's always difficult to know what is a "normal" oil leak and a "normal" vibration when you are just starting out. The general rule of thumb is if it's a gentle tizz or a vibration would not get the dogs attention, it's probably normal. Dogs have more tolerance of such things!

If you are diesel you may well have more knocks and bangs as they are much more "agricultural" than the nice smooth, softly spoken petrol... hehe Having said that if you are on petrol, knocking and choking after turning it off probably means you are running too lean. The carbon gets hot in the cylinder and ignites the petrol without the spark plug. Can keep it running half heartedly for quite a while sometimes and it's always clattery. Running lean is much hotter ignition than nicely balanced complete ignition. My Haynes can normally be trusted, you just have to calibrate your rattle detection threshold! A rattle on BMW 5 series is very different to a rattle on a Series Landie. I think my steering wheel may do that too... you get so used to it you don't notice after 5 years or so...

You can get carb cleaner to use instead of brake fluid if you go Halfords, same idea...

When adopting the position, just be careful not to get your trouser leg caught on the low ratio lever. Never happened to me in 13+ years but I knew a bloke up here who did whilst approaching the toll booths on the Forth Road Bridge. Couldn't get his foot to the clutch quick enough, 60mph, std SWB brakes, downhill.... The barrier was surprisingly solid when hit at speed... I would have loved to see the look on the Bridge mans face...

That mental image has made my day....

Rob

Erm... ignore the brake fluid bit... Wrong thread!

Clutch judder - Could be contaminated clutch though unlikely unless you've a wading plug in the underside of your bell housing. Have a shufty, if there's one there take it out (if loads of oil pees out, there's your problem) & if there ain't one, oil on your clutch is unlikely to be the cause.

Clutch judder could also be a rusty plate because it's been sitting for a while.
and wheel wobble at speed could be swivel bearings require adjusting.

here Marcus have you found your wading plug yet?

I'll take a look for the wading plug when it stops raining! There again I might need it soon if the weather gets any worse.

I'll check the exhaust mount to. It does seem like a mount has gone somewhere, just knocks a little and rocks the vehicle slightly when you switch off. I have a 2.8 Dahaitsu TD fitted.

In addition to this, I've now got localised flooding coming through under the front window frame somewhere!

Ohh and a temp gauge which seems to go almost into the red when warm! Think this may be the voltage stabiliser though as I recently changed the sender.

Ashoofack said:

here Marcus have you found your wading plug yet?

Click to expand...

Ha ha, nope, no hole in me bell end! I'll probably wait & see if me clutch goes. If or when it does & the g/box is off of the injun I'll find a safe place to drill & tap a hole & make sure it dunt happen again!

I'll sort another niggle at the same time..............My gearbox to transfer box oil swap trick. Watch in amazement as the EP you put in one magically appears in the other!

Yup a reckon mine does that too. Transfer box always topped up gearbox always low. I reckon it'll stay that way too until I need to kift the box for something else.

Mine does that too, it used to do it in turn to my old fairy overdrive too. The Rocky Mountain OD at least minimizes this.

What, yer gearbox oil get up into the overdrive? Dint expect it to do that!

Neither did I but I have got a Fairy OD fitted and that too never needs topping up

It just worked it's way back to the Fairy that splashed it out through the breather hole... The Rocky Mountain OD shares the oil with the Transfer box, via an Archimedes's screw. Solves the problem by 1/3rd! lol