4.8GL clutch question.

[Vaatjie]

The clutch on my 4.8GL (2006) with 49000km on is sponge (some time) and feels like it does not release completely (some time) when the pedal is pressed in completely. If I press the pedal in completely and put the car in reverse the gears scratch before it goes in. NOW this is the funny thing. This does not happen every time, same with the sponginess on the peddle. (1)JB’s auto have set up the clutch peddle, (2) break fluid is right, (3) all vacuum pipes is in good order. What now. I am leaving for Botswana in 3 weeks and am a bit concerned. Towed my trailvan 400km this weekend and no problems at all with the clutch.
1. Could it be the clutch? (I do not think so.)
2. Could it be the master cylinder? If so will it let me stranded somewhere.
Any advice will be appreciated.

[tour de frans]

Hello Vaatjie.
As jy geen lekke het en die sisteem het ook nie lug in nie,neem so 2 telling pouse na jy die clutch ingetrap het voor jy die kar in tru-rat sit en kyk dan of dit weg is.As dit elke keer werk kan jy die olie in die box verander.Of kyk of hy net krap wanneer die kar koud is.
Groete
Frans

[Vaatjie]

Problem solved. Broken vacuum pipe. Brandewyn+coke+sand+takke=stukkende vacuum pyp. Nou ja.
Cheers vir eers.

[Herrie]

Wat se vacuum pyp was dit? Het jy 'n foto?

[Gerrit Loubser]

Herrie, the clutch is vacuum assisted on the Patrol, so presumably the vacuum line mentioned is the one leading down to the clutch.

[AndriesS]

There should only be a vacuum line between the engine manifold and the clutch master' cylinders booster. That's the part that looks like a mini brake booster next to the brake booster in the engine bay. The line to the clutch slave cylinders will be a hydraulic line.

[Vaatjie]

After a week of driving with the patrol I am getting the same intermitted clutch problem as mentioned in the previous post. After tracking the pipes again I saw that the two pipes that were broken (fixed now) runs to the gearbox and not the difflock as said before. This must be breather pipes. My gut feel is that the booster cylinder(master cylinder) is not so lekka. How do I test the master cylinder? There must be a leak somewhere because if the patrol is parked for a hour or more the clutch is very stiff when you press the clutch for the first time. Normally the first press is still soft even after 24 hours. Am I right in making these conclutions.

[AndriesS]

The booster is dependent on vacuum, and due to the small size will normally run out of vacuum very quickly. Mine is also stiff after a couple of hours and I guess you can say there is a small leak somewhere but I'm not sure if it was ever designed to be fully leak proof though. Even certain driving circumstances might not create enough vacuum if you use the clutch in quick succession - the vacuum is used every time you use it and needs to be replenished

BUT you need to distinguish between a squishy/spongy and soft pedal due to assistance.

As for reverse gear scratch:
Are you always stationary?
Is the gearbox oil cold?
Is the engine at idle when you depress the clutch?
Any No's might cause the reverse gear to scratch, remember that the reverse gear requires a gear to actually mate and slide in with it's buddies, the other gears use a sychromesh design (the gears are already running with it's buddies but not fixed to the shaft) . when select these gears the design brings the shaft speed to match each other and then a hub and not the actual gear locks the shaft to the gear in place.

If you can repeat the reverse gear scratch you can try to:
release clucth, let car idle
depress clutch, put in first gear, then in reverse gear - if you then still hear a scratch it could mean that the clutch is not fully disengaged and could be a warped clutch , wrong adjusted hydraulic circuit .

In my experience, a master will fail by keeping the fluid level the same and having no clutch, a slave will fail by loosing fluid

A 4x4 trip without a clutch is no-go.

[Kagiso II]

yo clutch is still fine - but the pressure plate has some "moeg" veins ... so every now * then the go 'lazy' ???
Thrust bearing not centred 100% and maby dry or warn or just "sticky" [stuck up !!!] ????


just guesses

[Vaatjie]

I now start to think it is clutch related. If I pull away in first gear I struggle to get it out of 1st gear, like the clutch is still connected to the engine. The engine idle at 800rpm and i am moving forward at 15km/h. Very stiff to get out of 1st gear. No the problem is this only happens at every 5 or 6 robot doing city driving. I have change gear oils. Used a easy shift that is used on the LC. (Johan Meyer) If i decide to change the clutch, can I find after market clutches or must I buy from the dealers? Could this problem of the clutch not releasing properly at times be caused by water, sand or towing a lot, or just bad luck. Any positive input is welcome.