Help! Slave Cylinder Clip

Newbie owner first post. Just bought my first LR (Defender 110, 02 reg, TD5, R380 gearbox) a couple of weeks ago and mid way through last week started to get gear change issues and then couldn't get clutch to disengage on drive home Friday. Managed to slip gear it home and checked master cylinder reservoir and it was empty. No visible leaks so assumed slave cylinder is leaking into housing. Removed slave cylinder but despite trying to avoid it the push rod and clip came out with it.

Got 2 questions:
1) The clutch lever is moving freely back and forth inside the housing - I can push it back into the housing and then get finger in and pull it back forwards. Is this right? I thought there should be pressure holding the clutch in place and assumed I wouldn't be able to move it back by hand.
2) Any tips for getting the clip on. I can seat the rod in the cup on the lever but buggered if I can then get the clip on the arm

Thanks

• #2

I managed to get the clip and push rod re-attached. Used a length of silicon tube over the push rod wedging the clip to the ball at the end of the rod and then using a high power torch and laying underneath, looking back to the opening in the housing was able to see the arm sufficiently to align the clip and push it and the rod back on

Didn't someone once suggest a length of plastic pipe 20mm in diameter was the ideal thing to reseat the clip vice splitting the case?

doriz said:

Didn't someone once suggest a length of plastic pipe 20mm in diameter was the ideal thing to reseat the clip vice splitting the case?

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I saw someone mention it in another thread but never found the original post but it gave me the right idea. I used a length of silicon hose from a home brew syphon I had lying around. it was perfect diameter for the push rod and held the clip tight enough to stop it rotating and be pushed onto the lever. I'll measure it and post tomorrow so its referenced in case anyone needs in the future. Main lesson here is careful removing the slave cylinder and don't pull the rod and clip off in the first place!

The arm is free to move until the clutch release bearing contacts the clutch fingers.
It may well have been me who mentioned the pipe trick.
Have you sorted the problem ?

tottot said:

The arm is free to move until the clutch release bearing contacts the clutch fingers.
It may well have been me who mentioned the pipe trick.
Have you sorted the problem ?

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Great idea on the pipe tottot. I'd spent ages failing with everything else I'd tried.
Haven't fitted the slave cylinder yet. Hopefully get a chance after work. Thanks for the info on the arm movement. I'll report back on progress when the cylinder is on

I had the same prob few years ago,i left the clip outined the cyl up with the fork bolted up & it lasted till a new clutch a few years later.

I’ve used the bit of pipe/tube trick. I seem to remember using a length of thin thread to hold the plastic clip at the right angle too. I looped the thread round so I could pull it clear when the clip was seated home.

the murfster said:

I had the same prob few years ago,i left the clip outined the cyl up with the fork bolted up & it lasted till a new clutch a few years later.

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Glad you said that, had the same problem last winter, just lined things up and went for it, quite surprised it all worked, but still works perfectly.
And I know I should have maybe done a better job of it but hey, I aint fixing it more than I need to.