Sporadically no clutch

Rsnail · 3rd January 2019, 21:43

Hello guys, over the last few days my 2.0 V6 developed a problem. It started about 2 days ago with a little "warning". Normally driving, and then suddenly the clutch pedal didn't come back up for a small instant right after shifting gear, and then in less than a second or so I felt it "hitting" my foot, norally coming back up. This happened twice that day. Then yesterday, the problem developed to the point where for a few more times the clutch was completely gone for like 1-2 minutes, clutch pedal all the way to the floor and after a few very hard gear shifts with the lever barely going into gear, it returned back to normal conditions like nothing happened. Today, same thing, but now even more often, and it happens random and in a sporadic manner, right now in the evening, got back home, and for the last 5 minutes before managing to drive the car around a few times to see if it comes back to normal, still, nothing changed, the pedal now hardly comes back up sometimes and sometimes stays flat on the floor, and no clutch at all, and all of this happens regardless if the engine is on or off. Any ideas?

marinabrian · 3rd January 2019, 21:55

By the sound of the symptoms, the seal lip on the slave cylinder is partially turned and catching.

Sorry, but it's time for a new clutch

On the plus side it will be lovely and light after it's been changed

Brian

vilas66 · 4th January 2019, 07:06

Can be the slave as Brian suggest. However i had the same symptoms on mine (two times in three years). I flushed the hydraulics and bled the system with fresh oil and on both occasions I gave the clutch a second life. May be you have, like me, a dirty master that compromise the operation of the valve and preventing the fluid coming back into the master when You release the pedal. Worth a try... otherwise as Brian said, slave.

Rsnail · 4th January 2019, 15:30

So, as the mechanic explained to me, the master cylinder was empty and no fluid inside of it, even though the recipient for the fluid topping was fully filled. As he explained, the master cylinder side was dirty and the fluid couldn't pass through, now he cleaned it, filled up the master and now it runs reaaally pleasant and smooth as silk. Hope it keeps that up.

planenut · 4th January 2019, 17:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rsnail

So, as the mechanic explained to me, the master cylinder was empty and no fluid inside of it, even though the recipient for the fluid topping was fully filled. As he explained, the master cylinder side was dirty and the fluid couldn't pass through, now he cleaned it, filled up the master and now it runs reaaally pleasant and smooth as silk. Hope it keeps that up.

Nice one. Any fluid on the carpet below the pedal?

Rsnail · 4th January 2019, 18:13

Absolutely none! No leakage at all, that was the reason why it also got me wondering... The mechanic told me that he thinks that the system was leaking very little at a time for an extended amount of time. I was also wondering now and then why the first 1/4th of the clutch's movement was always sloppy and the whole movement was feeling more and more "saggy" over time, and by this notion of time I mean in the last 2 years where no work implying clutch parts has been done. Hope that this would hold me now another 1-2 years and I'll be happy about it

marinabrian · 4th January 2019, 18:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rsnail

So, as the mechanic explained to me, the master cylinder was empty and no fluid inside of it, even though the recipient for the fluid topping was fully filled. As he explained, the master cylinder side was dirty and the fluid couldn't pass through, now he cleaned it, filled up the master and now it runs reaaally pleasant and smooth as silk. Hope it keeps that up.

This was the case for mine, and I managed 2000KM between bleeding cycles.

The makeup valve in the master is clogged with debris, explaining the intermittent bite point in the clutch, however where has the fluid escaped to?? and unless the master cylinder is leaking, or the pipework, the answer lies in the slave cylinder I'm afraid.

It is very likely a short term reprieve I fear

Brian

planenut · 4th January 2019, 19:15

Might as well let it run then, good luck.

COLVERT · 4th January 2019, 19:51

If you garage the car put a piece of clean cardboard under the engine.

If the slave has slowly lost that amount of fluid then what is left on the under-try will still be dripping of the bottom of tray.

It will give you an idea what might be failing.

marinabrian · 4th January 2019, 19:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by COLVERT

If you garage the car put a piece of clean cardboard under the engine.

If the slave has slowly lost that amount of fluid then what is left on the under-try will still be dripping of the bottom of tray.

It will give you an idea what might be failing.

Not always the case John, leaks of this type tend to be "mopped up" by the friction material dust inside the bellhousing.

This was certainly the case with mine in any event

Brian

3rd January 2019, 21:43	#1
Rsnail Gets stuck in Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: May 2015 Location: Essen (Oldenburg), Germany Posts: 626 Thanks: 59 Thanked 30 Times in 28 Posts	Sporadically no clutch Hello guys, over the last few days my 2.0 V6 developed a problem. It started about 2 days ago with a little "warning". Normally driving, and then suddenly the clutch pedal didn't come back up for a small instant right after shifting gear, and then in less than a second or so I felt it "hitting" my foot, norally coming back up. This happened twice that day. Then yesterday, the problem developed to the point where for a few more times the clutch was completely gone for like 1-2 minutes, clutch pedal all the way to the floor and after a few very hard gear shifts with the lever barely going into gear, it returned back to normal conditions like nothing happened. Today, same thing, but now even more often, and it happens random and in a sporadic manner, right now in the evening, got back home, and for the last 5 minutes before managing to drive the car around a few times to see if it comes back to normal, still, nothing changed, the pedal now hardly comes back up sometimes and sometimes stays flat on the floor, and no clutch at all, and all of this happens regardless if the engine is on or off. Any ideas?

4th January 2019, 07:06	#3
vilas66 Avid contributor Rover 75 CDTi Tourer, CDTi Tourer, Saloon Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: ROME Posts: 216 Thanks: 60 Thanked 32 Times in 22 Posts	Can be the slave as Brian suggest. However i had the same symptoms on mine (two times in three years). I flushed the hydraulics and bled the system with fresh oil and on both occasions I gave the clutch a second life. May be you have, like me, a dirty master that compromise the operation of the valve and preventing the fluid coming back into the master when You release the pedal. Worth a try... otherwise as Brian said, slave. __________________ Rover 75 Connoisseur Tourer (Two), Contemporary SE Saloon and (** most of all ) Wolseley 6/99 and SD1 2000 owner Regular Member**

3rd January 2019, 21:55	#2
marinabrian MG ZT Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne Posts: 20,151 Thanks: 3,565 Thanked 10,837 Times in 5,718 Posts	By the sound of the symptoms, the seal lip on the slave cylinder is partially turned and catching. Sorry, but it's time for a new clutch On the plus side it will be lovely and light after it's been changed Brian

4th January 2019, 15:30	#4
Rsnail Gets stuck in Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: May 2015 Location: Essen (Oldenburg), Germany Posts: 626 Thanks: 59 Thanked 30 Times in 28 Posts	So, as the mechanic explained to me, the master cylinder was empty and no fluid inside of it, even though the recipient for the fluid topping was fully filled. As he explained, the master cylinder side was dirty and the fluid couldn't pass through, now he cleaned it, filled up the master and now it runs reaaally pleasant and smooth as silk. Hope it keeps that up.

4th January 2019, 18:13	#6
Rsnail Gets stuck in Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: May 2015 Location: Essen (Oldenburg), Germany Posts: 626 Thanks: 59 Thanked 30 Times in 28 Posts	Absolutely none! No leakage at all, that was the reason why it also got me wondering... The mechanic told me that he thinks that the system was leaking very little at a time for an extended amount of time. I was also wondering now and then why the first 1/4th of the clutch's movement was always sloppy and the whole movement was feeling more and more "saggy" over time, and by this notion of time I mean in the last 2 years where no work implying clutch parts has been done. Hope that this would hold me now another 1-2 years and I'll be happy about it

4th January 2019, 19:15	#8
planenut Regional Secretary Rover 1.8T Tourer Join Date: May 2007 Location: Heathrow Posts: 6,948 Thanks: 1,551 Thanked 2,036 Times in 1,264 Posts	Might as well let it run then, good luck.

4th January 2019, 19:51	#9
COLVERT This is my second home R75 Saloon. Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: France/or Devon. Posts: 14,003 Thanks: 3,851 Thanked 2,167 Times in 1,816 Posts	If you garage the car put a piece of clean cardboard under the engine. If the slave has slowly lost that amount of fluid then what is left on the under-try will still be dripping of the bottom of tray. It will give you an idea what might be failing.