Rover 75 clutch

[swansea v6]

I have a 1999 Rover 75 diesel and so far it has been perfect but jumped in it this morning and no gears! clutch has gone really light and you can only select a gear if the engine is off. Have checked and filled up the clutch master cylinder (what a crap job that was) and when I subsequently checked it the gears were fine.

Have just gone to test it again and once more no gears!!! any ideas? should I bleed and flush the system or could it just be the clutch has gone? Had no sign of a dodgy clutch before??

[Rich1973]

Sign up to the 75 & ZT or MG Rover forums. Lots of very Knowledgeable people on there. Could be your master or slave cylinder has gone.

[Mr2Mike]

The friction part of clutches don't just fail overnight; your symptoms pretty much conclusively point to a hydraulic problem, either the master or slave cylinder.

Unfortunately the slave cylinder is the concentric type (i.e. mounted on the end of the gearbox inside the bellhousing) so it's just as much work to replace as an entire clutch change. Have a look under the car and see if you can find any evidence of fluid leakage from the bottom of the bellhousing. It isn't unknown for the seals in these to fail.

[swansea v6]

No sign of fluid loss anywhere? When I filled the cylinder it was empty!?

[morgrp]

swansea v6 said:

No sign of fluid loss anywhere? When I filled the cylinder it was empty!?

Check in the drivers side footwell for a leak

[swansea v6]

Only what I spilt trying to fill it?

[sturobturbo]

I'd say slave cylinder needs replacing.

[mike88]

If its empty something has obviously leaked. Just a case of seeing if its the master or slave as said. Look around the bottom of the gearbox for fluid, and around the pedals inside the car.

[sturobturbo]

Leak in and around footwells points to master cylinder. Otherwise, slave. Slave is more likely to fail.

[swansea v6]

Cheers will go investigate further

[davepoth]

sturobturbo said:

Leak in and around footwells points to master cylinder. Otherwise, slave. Slave is more likely to fail.

And unfortunately on a 75 the clutch slave failing means the gearbox has to come off.

[FIK]

Had this happen on my ZT. The master cylinder was leaking so changed that and when the mechanic was driving it back to me he lost all gears. Towed back to the garage and had the slave cylinder changed. Expensive job because the gearbox has to come out.

[sturobturbo]

Well if it is the slave cylinder, you can insect, and potentially replace, the clutch and release bearing while you're at it. Be good for the next 100k then.

[swansea v6]

Cheers for the info, had good look around car, can find no trace of a leak anywhere?? So I undid the bleed nipple and quickly bleed the system and it is now fine?? Been for. Drive and every gear slots home perfectly? Will keep an eye on things for next few days?
But why is the master cylinder in such a fking stupid place!!!!

[sturobturbo]

Why didn't I suggest bleeding it!?! I must have, wrongfully, assumed you'd tried it already

[swansea v6]

Did try it originally but obviously didn't do it for long enough, touch wood this works......other than this hiccup it is a brilliant car, £400 to buy and nearly 50mpg ain't bad!

[sturobturbo]

They are brilliant. So over looked and under valued!

[swansea v6]

Can not agree more! So much kit for so little cash, never thought I would enjoy it (was forced purchase as daughter did not fit in the back of my fto) but am so glad I bought it.

[davepoth]

Keep an eye on the fluid level - it will leak into the bellhousing AIUI and you might not see any on the ground.

[swansea v6]

As there was obvious air in the system surely there means there must be a leak somewhere?