Freelander 1 Clutch low bite point again

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I came to the conclusion that aftermarket master cylinders are often the cause of low bite point. This was after I replaced my own and used a cheapo one from an internet seller and it came in a Britpart box. Ever since I've been unhappy with the clutch bite point and feel of it but SWMBO who drives it 99% of the time doesn't notice so I can't be bothered doing anything about it.
Are you 100% certain the Master cylinder wasn't replaced in the past with a cheapo ebay one?
 
dog-man said:
No idea. It was done by the same garage it is booked into.
Click to expand...

I don't know if I'm being slow here. The car has a low clutch after having a replacement master cylinder. Now the same garage wants to charge £1300 on a replacement clutch assembly? When a clutch is worn, the pedal comes up, not down. Eventually the pedal comes up so far that it's right up and the clutch slips. A low pedal means lost movement between the foot and clutch. So air in the hydraulics or slack in the mechanical connection or both.
I can't see that spending £1300 is going to cure the issue, because I don't believe the clutch is causing the problem.
 
If it isn't the clutch, what could be the issue?

The current clutch was fitted around 4 to 5 years ago.
 
dog-man said:
If it isn't the clutch, what could be the issue?

The current clutch was fitted around 4 to 5 years ago.
Click to expand...

A TD4 clutch should do 70K to 100K, depending on use.
A low pedal is caused by lost motion in the actuator assembly. So that'll be air in the hydraulics or mechanical slack at the pedal attachment points. As said, cheap aftermarket master cylinders are pretty much useless. But it's definitely worth bleeding the clutch hydraulics before going further.
 
dog-man said:
It has been bled. About 2 weeks ago. No air present.
Click to expand...
First step has got to be replace the master cylinder. Go for the cheapest simplest option first and if adapting the current one can't be done then this is it
And make sure an OEM one is used.
And use a different garage because it sounds like your current one is a cowboy outfit.
 
Thread is a bit old, but I thought this alternative mod might be useful as I see quite a few people saying they have a low bite point on the clutch and they cant get the last bit of air out by bleeding (same as mine). After this mod the clutch bite position is perfect, it’s the same principle mentioned above of extending the master cylinder rod:
 
comeinhandy said:
Thread is a bit old, but I thought this alternative mod might be useful as I see quite a few people saying they have a low bite point on the clutch and they cant get the last bit of air out by bleeding (same as mine). After this mod the clutch bite position is perfect, it’s the same principle mentioned above of extending the master cylinder rod:
Click to expand...

Great video and nice fix mate so I've a few questions.
I have the same issue with mine and I have always blamed the cheapo aftermarket master I used. Is your after market too?
Did you work out how much the rod was lengthened by doing it? On my K series I only needed around 2.5mm extra
Why is the pedal able to rise further after the fix than before?
Have you done many miles since the fix?

Keep up the good work.
 
Alibro said:
Great video and nice fix mate so I've a few questions.
I have the same issue with mine and I have always blamed the cheapo aftermarket master I used. Is your after market too?
Did you work out how much the rod was lengthened by doing it? On my K series I only needed around 2.5mm extra
Why is the pedal able to rise further after the fix than before?
Have you done many miles since the fix?

Keep up the good work.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure on the source of the master cylinder. I suspect it’s original. I suspect even the proper ones just don't have enough range in their movement to cope with any small amount of air or wear. This mod just allows more range of pedal movement. Fortunately on the freelander the pedal is free to move a lot higher if allowed to. It is the rod that stops it moving higher. So you need to ensure the pedal doesn't pull apart the rod and end piece if you mod it. Hence the cable tie to stop it. The rod lengthened by about 5mm which I roughly calculated would give about 5 times that at the pedal so about an inch at the pedal. I haven’t done a lot of miles yet, as only just done it, but I don’t see it being a problem. If it ever is then it will just need a stronger or thicker version. All of the force on the plastic piece is a compression force, which it easily resists.
 
comeinhandy said:
I’m not sure on the source of the master cylinder. I suspect it’s original. I suspect even the proper ones just don't have enough range in their movement to cope with any small amount of air or wear. This mod just allows more range of pedal movement. Fortunately on the freelander the pedal is free to move a lot higher if allowed to. It is the rod that stops it moving higher. So you need to ensure the pedal doesn't pull apart the rod and end piece if you mod it. Hence the cable tie to stop it. The rod lengthened by about 5mm which I roughly calculated would give about 5 times that at the pedal so about an inch at the pedal. I haven’t done a lot of miles yet, as only just done it, but I don’t see it being a problem. If it ever is then it will just need a stronger or thicker version. All of the force on the plastic piece is a compression force, which it easily resists.
Click to expand...
I considered threading the rod and using a rose joint but never got around to it. Doing this way would keep it strong enough to hold the pedal and make it adjustable but I would need to by the die's and rose joint. At least your way is a free fix.
 
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