Freelander 1 Struggling to bleed TD4 clutch

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joshremlin

joshremlin

Active Member
Posts
146
For some reason I seem to be struggling like mad bleeding this TD4 clutch its almost like there's no enough pressure behind the pedal (although there is a bit of pressure) to release the clutch to get it in gear, its had a new clutch and slave cylinder recently and I've done the master cylinder now thinking that was the problem.

I've tried everything I've used a vacuum hand pump, pumped it using the pedal with a one way valve, back bled it and there is or seems to have no more bubbles, nothings dripping from the bell housing or anywhere I just don't fancy dropping the box again off my back :(

what are your thoughts guys ??

Josh
 
I did a replacement slave and master cylinder fairly recently on my td4 and put a new friction plate and pressure plate while it was all off.
The master and slave cylinders were both pre-bled, and after reading a bit from the forum users here it seems to be that the master cylinder pushrod isn't long enough to push all the air out of itself if you've empited it and refilled it once already, although I'm surprised a pressure kit wouldn't do it.
Best way to check is to unhook the master and try and push the pedal, if there is air, you'll get movement on the pedal, if there is no air the pedal will be rock solid.
If it's any help though, I found even after all the new bits the clutch was very low, but has come up to a reasonable height after a few miles, and I've heard from others the bite point is fairly low on the TD4.
 
The guidance for the TD4 unit is to use a Pressure bleed system - nothing else.
Vacuum is no good really.
Get yourself a pressure bleed kit - According to Haynes it is the only way . Rave says nothing definite.
Wish you well
Joe
 
Joe_H said:
The guidance for the TD4 unit is to use a Pressure bleed system - nothing else.
Vacuum is no good really.
Get yourself a pressure bleed kit - According to Haynes it is the only way . Rave says nothing definite.
Wish you well
Joe
Click to expand...
I believe the factory use a combination pressure/ vacuum filling system for the hydraulics. I suspect the vacuum is only used to avoid spills however.
 
Hi Josh,
I had the same problem, everyone seems to have this problem (Freelander 1). I fitted a complete clutch including the slave cylinder and it was recommended that the master cylinder should be changed at the same time. A new master cylinder was fitted a few months before I bought the car so I certainly was not going to buy another one. I put everything back together and air was in the clutch hydraulics, I bled the clutch, useless. I took the master cylinder off to find out what was happening, I emptied the fluid out and found it contaminated. I thought fantastic I've found the fault but not that fantastic because I had pumped the contaminated fluid into the new slave cylinder, great. Never mind, cleaned out the master and hand pumped new fluid through it on the bench, all ok. Refitted it and sent maybe 3 or 4 sets of fluid through it and ended up looking perfect bleeding fluid in the catch bottle. I tried the clutch and it was rubbish, just barely working at the bottom of the stroke, I knew everything was right and no more could be done with bleeding. There was trapped air and it will have to work itself to the top and out into the master cylinder. After 2 days light use it was good, after 2 weeks it was the best clutch in England (estimated).

How to ruin a Freelander clutch system. Simple, get someone without a brain to jet wash the engine bay making sure they drive the high pressure water into clutch master cylinder reservoir through the silly rubber band top that it has. In time you will see small bits in the fluid that look like cotton wool, this is contamination. The water ingress fix is to put a small heavy duty plastic bag over the reservoir held in place with a rubber band, happy clutch. Good luck.
 
Lost... I have no clutch, changed the master and slave cylinder, tried to bleed it all the way through.. bleed them separately and master seems bleed, connect it back to the slave and clutch goes.. bleed it again and still no clutch... any ideas on what to do?
This started with undoing the clutch pedal to install the air heater plastic pipe and since then no clutch.
It goes into gear when engine not on but won’t go into gear when running.. don’t know if that’s important
 
Last edited:
Hi everyone,

I also have a problem like this.
Next Problem said:
Hi Josh,
I had the same problem, everyone seems to have this problem (Freelander 1). I fitted a complete clutch including the slave cylinder and it was recommended that the master cylinder should be changed at the same time. A new master cylinder was fitted a few months before I bought the car so I certainly was not going to buy another one. I put everything back together and air was in the clutch hydraulics, I bled the clutch, useless. I took the master cylinder off to find out what was happening, I emptied the fluid out and found it contaminated. I thought fantastic I've found the fault but not that fantastic because I had pumped the contaminated fluid into the new slave cylinder, great. Never mind, cleaned out the master and hand pumped new fluid through it on the bench, all ok. Refitted it and sent maybe 3 or 4 sets of fluid through it and ended up looking perfect bleeding fluid in the catch bottle. I tried the clutch and it was rubbish, just barely working at the bottom of the stroke, I knew everything was right and no more could be done with bleeding. There was trapped air and it will have to work itself to the top and out into the master cylinder. After 2 days light use it was good, after 2 weeks it was the best clutch in England (estimated).

How to ruin a Freelander clutch system. Simple, get someone without a brain to jet wash the engine bay making sure they drive the high pressure water into clutch master cylinder reservoir through the silly rubber band top that it has. In time you will see small bits in the fluid that look like cotton wool, this is contamination. The water ingress fix is to put a small heavy duty plastic bag over the reservoir held in place with a rubber band, happy clutch. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Do you also have a pre-bled system? You open it and bleed it? And it worked?

Marko Washington said:
I did a replacement slave and master cylinder fairly recently on my td4 and put a new friction plate and pressure plate while it was all off.
The master and slave cylinders were both pre-bled, and after reading a bit from the forum users here it seems to be that the master cylinder pushrod isn't long enough to push all the air out of itself if you've empited it and refilled it once already, although I'm surprised a pressure kit wouldn't do it.
Best way to check is to unhook the master and try and push the pedal, if there is air, you'll get movement on the pedal, if there is no air the pedal will be rock solid.
If it's any help though, I found even after all the new bits the clutch was very low, but has come up to a reasonable height after a few miles, and I've heard from others the bite point is fairly low on the TD4.
Click to expand...

On mine, when i disconnected the master cylinder (when i changed the clutch) the clutch pedal was very floopy, soft, like full of air if i understand your message? What happen if i change the slave and the clutch and use it with a defecty master cylinder? Would i have to change everything again?

Muchas gracias everybody!
See you !
Enjoy your day
Mateo from spain
 
I just can’t see a straight forward answer ... I’ve changed both master and slave... also fitted a new clutch while it was all out... tried 2 master cylinders but don’t really want to take the gearbox out again to fit another slave... Help
 
Hi

Joe_H said:
The guidance for the TD4 unit is to use a Pressure bleed system - nothing else.
Vacuum is no good really.
Get yourself a pressure bleed kit - According to Haynes it is the only way . Rave says nothing definite.
Wish you well
Joe
Click to expand...

I just saw this on the internet to make a pressure bleed system, what do you think about?
schema-purgeur-frein-auto.jpg


Something like that but for the clutch could it work?

I would connect this to the end of the circuit (the little black tube that come out the gearbox with a bleed head) I connect there and pump... but i would have to open also the master cylinder (that is written on the tape do not open...)
In french they say make the purge/bleed on reverse... purge from the end to push the air on the top...
Does anyone has got a trick for all that ?
Thank yoU!
Mateo
 
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