Offroad-Express

i am having a few problems with the clutch in my 85 SJ413. After i have been thru a few watery type mud holes the clutch sticks. I press the clutch pedal in, but i cant put it into gear. With the vehicle off i put it in 1st low, and just crash started it off the starter motor, but if i stop the vehicle with the clutch pressed in, it stalls. So i would guess the clutch is not releasing.

It only does it after i have been thru watery mud, and it always comes right in a few days by itself. it will drive fine on firm ground, or boggy mud (if you know what i mean) but the clutch will always get stuck after watery mud.

i have read thru the old topics about this problem, i have tried putting a hose in the bellhousing thru the clutch fork hole, and pumping the clutch while doing this. But that didnt seem to work, altho i was surprised that the water running thru and coming out the bottom of the bell housing was clear.

any other ideas what i can try? ... i am not particularly mechanical (if you couldnt tell ) but i am will to give things a go.

Have you pulled the gear box and had a look at the clutch?
Could be crap on the splines stopping the release bearing / or clutch from sliding back and forth.

Give me a yell if you want a hand to pull it out.

i havent pulled it to bits yet, i was hoping not to have to do that but i am thinking i might have to...

Big-AL wrote:It only does it after i have been thru watery mud, and it always comes right in a few days by itself. it will drive fine on firm ground, or boggy mud (if you know what i mean) but the clutch will always get stuck after watery mud.

He means the kind of watery mud that does this.

I'll give ya a hand and i know someone with a very large truck pit

This sort of mud ...

something may have done a bit of rusting up in there... might be time to pull the gearbox out an have a wee look and clean it all up or better still maybe its time to throw a new clutch in there for peace of mind

Big-AL wrote:This sort of mud ...

I recognize that alternator cooking mud hole, and I think some of that mud is still in my engine bay.

yeah, i want to take it to the xmas bbq, so i might start on pulling it to bits, sounds like i have got a few offers for help

You only got this week and next so get cracking

Satalite wrote:You only got this week and next so get cracking

one night to slip the gearbox out and see whats wrong, another day to sourse the parts and the next night to shove the gearbox back in and its all fixed so that will leave about 1 and a half weeks spare

Satalite wrote:You only got this week and next so get cracking

is that another offer for help?

Big-AL wrote:

Satalite wrote:You only got this week and next so get cracking

is that another offer for help?

That was the way I read it

Whats the easiest way to change the clutch? Slip the motor forward a touch, and pull the gearbox out or ???

icekayak wrote:Whats the easiest way to change the clutch? Slip the motor forward a touch, and pull the gearbox out or ???

IMO i would take the engine out to be the easiest way. After changing my engine thats what i reckon and since there are like three wires to take off and the engine only takes up about 3% of the engine bay in al's should be able to do it reletively quickly. Do you guys have an engine crane? or we could just lift it out by hand

UBZ wrote:Have you pulled the gear box and had a look at the clutch?
Could be crap on the splines stopping the release bearing / or clutch from sliding back and forth.

Give me a yell if you want a hand to pull it out.

does that offer for help still stand? do you think there is time to do it before the bbq?

Fark takin the engine out, just lift teh body off!!!!!

All you do in a zook, is take the intermediate driveshaft off ( the one between the gearbox and the transfercase, 8 x 12mm bolts), undo the 4 bell housing bolts, undo the the cross member, take the Knob off the gear leaver, then move the box rewards and then down carefully.

Easy peasy, can do it your self with a trolly jack, but much more fun with two people. As the transfercase is not connected to the gearbox, the gear box weighs less than F.A, you can carry it around tucked under one arm.

Like sadam said, its a saturday job.

Ring up and get your self a clutch kit tomorrow (might as well replace while its apart) and slip it in on Saturday.

you make it sound so easy

IT IS!!!!!

Its a Zook, everything is easy to work on, its light, and there is plenty of room to get at stuff!!!!!

Just get ya spanners and socket set out and go for it, you'l have the box on the ground before you even think about morning coffee!!!!!

I can give you a hand on Saturday Afternoon if you want.

Not to hard, as DB said.
I normally drain the gearbox to stop all the oil coming out the back after you pull out the jack shalf, so you might want to replace that at the same time.

You need to go up today and water blast the 3 inchs on mud off the under side so we can get at the bolts.

Thanks heaps to UBZ!!!!!

We spent sunday pulling the gear box out, found that the thrust bearing had worn. We replaced it, cleaned and greased everything, and put everthing back together + replaced a universal, the clutch cable, and set the timing all by about 3:30.

apart from some sunburn everything went well, and zuk is purrrrrrring

Thanks again for your help UBZ.

Good stuff Al..... easy wasnt it

yeah it was easier than i thought, but it was made alot easier by UBZ, at least one of us knew what we were doing