What would you use in an emergency?

[MiketheBike]

The clutch went on the landrover the other week (seal went in the master cylinder...but I topped up with fluid and it worked fine for the drive home).

 

I got to wondering:

 

If you were stuck, what would you use in a clutch if you did not have any dot4? Surely heat is not such a concern like with brakes?

Could you just use oil (or water) in an absolute emergency?

What about other fluids (like brakes, coolant...although I guess water is pretty abundant )? Or would you just not go there because of the damage it could cause?

 

Mick

[Tugger]

On something like a Landrover, would it be necessary to risk putting in anything other than clutch fluid, I would imagine thatmost here are able to drive without a clutch, once you've pulled away it should be a doddle to match revs changing up or down. I had to drive an old Scirocco around without a clutch for the best part of a week about several years ago, I very quickly got used to relaxed sympathetic gear changes and for that matter judging an arrival at a roundabout so I didn't have to stop. TBH I should imagine it leads to a less hurried and probably mere economical drive:-D

[Marmite!!]

Or would you just not go there because of the damage it could cause?

 

Mick

 

Don't even think about it especially where brakes are concerned. Just look at the damage done to my Fox braking system when the previous owner put in brake fluid instead of mineral oil... required new... Servo, master cylinder, caliper seals & all hoses replacing... the brake fuid was't in there that long either

 

A while back I replaced the master cylinder, proportional valve, rear wheel cylinders & caliper seals on a neighbours car after he put power steering fluid in by mistake, all the rubbers swelled to twice their size.

[fv1609]

Not a problem in a Humber, there is direct linkage from the pedal to the clutch.

 

Although there is story of a Pig being attacked by a mob then the linkage broke. A very brave soldier lay on the top of the pig with a long bar, which was pressed onto the clutch when the driver required to change gear. He had an uncomfortable ride lying on the pig until he got back to base.

 

On a Lightweight I did once have the fan shatter & then cut through the brake pipe after dark whilst on the M3. That was a bit hairy. I didn't try any improvisations, although I could move I didn't want to travel 20 miles trying to use the handbrake.

[MiketheBike]

Tugger,

 

yes, I agree. To get me to the nearest Halfords....and I am going to get flamed here for vehicle abuse...from standstill I put it in gear and got it going with the starter, then like you say eased it through the gears...but I was just wondering what I would have done if it was a long drive....I guess the fact it would be long drive would presume long spells in top gear?

 

Lee...jeeesss...nice job!!!

 

OK..wondering over....another bottle of fluids to carry as spares

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Trusted someone else to change Slave cyl 0n my Range Rover ,cross threaded,it lasted till chiswick flyover,was on the way to a hotel in cheddar gorge:cool2::cool2::cool2: know what i mean.going back wasnt an option.

Went there and back,as previously said you get quite good at it,changing gear that is.I have read in a Desert travel book,heavy solution water washing up liquid.never tried it.Oh and it snowed on the way back,oh the bed only had 3 legs, books under the other one,The place went deathly quite when we went in.No pms to patweazle.:sweat:

[Richard Farrant]

Back in '92, I was part of a team that took an ex-army Land Rover 2a to Australia for a motor rally. We completely rebuilt it and carried a comprehensive spares pack with us, all wheel cylinders, hoses and master cylinder, etc. The event started in Sydney and we travelled over 2550 miles through the Outback to the finish at Ayers Rock...........no problems whatsoever. Come the return journey back to Sydney, we have to travel 1800 miles in 3 days.........on the second day, the clutch hydraulics fail, not too much hassle as the road is flat and straight, untill we get down to the Flinders Ranges and it is hilly, eventually we get to Mildura and spend the night, in the morning I remove the master cylinder, we do not have a spare, the only damned cylinder we don't have, but there is a new seal kit, second problem, there is a deep score in the bore, so polish it as best, refit and bleed, OK for 10 miles then same again. We covered 1,300 miles in 2 days like that. Got back safely though.

[Tony B]

Amazing what you can do when you have to.

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Back in '92, I was part of a team that took an ex-army . We covered 1,300 miles in 2 days like that. Got back safely though.

Still think my cheddar story better,yours doesnt have the sleaze angle:rofl:

[Richard Farrant]

Still think my cheddar story better,yours doesnt have the sleaze angle:rofl:

 

 

Hmmmm..........think you made that up to embelish the story a bit, like the wonky bed as well :???

[chevpol]

did the bed have 4 legs when CW got there and 3 when he left I wonder?

 

Mark

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Hmmmm..........think you made that up to embelish the story a bit, like the wonky bed as well :???

Tis true tis true,come on why on earth would you stay in a hotel in winter,in Cheddar Gorge,:cool2: felt a bit like the film deliverance.:sweat:

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

did the bed have 4 legs when CW got there and 3 when he left I wonder?

 

Mark

No, two we found some more books.:-D

[LarryH57]

And now back to the question......

 

For anyone in a Series Land Rover like me if you ever get hydraulic failure of the clutch master or slave or the pipework between and you can't change gear as your foot is flat to the floor - well you can dis-engage the gear box by pulling the red topped transfer lever in to neutral (ie the central position). You can then free the gear lever and select the gear you want.

 

In most cases you find the system is not working when you come up to a junction which means you have had to stall the engine to stop! Anyway after freeing the gear stick as above and getting the engine started and the revs just right -you or your assistant can push the transfer lever forward and this then brings the gearbox back into use and off you go with a jolt. Changing up and down through the box can be done in the same way.

 

I'm not suggesting this is good for the vehicle but it does work and this how I went to Kemble along the M4 off at Jctn 17 all the way to the airfield. Luckily I had replacement parts in my 'get me home' spares box.

 

Incidentally my spares consist of all the likely things that can go wrong, so I have fan belt, engine electrical parts including distributor cap, condenser, fuses, bulbs, clutch master & slave and pipework, Dot 4, P.O.L., spare hoses and in addition to a good range of tools.

[andreadavide]

On the topic of what fluid to use, I've used with success water.

Once you get back to the base it's just a matter of fixing the leak and flushing the system, whereas engine oil will destroy all the seals (but it may be a trick to have them swell and fix some leaks).

 

As a matter of course, however, every time I had a clutch hydraulics failure on a Land Rover (or on my UAZ469 for what it matters) I have rebuilt the whole system anyway.

Andrea

[Tony B]

With stainles steel resleeving and cupro nickle pipes, plus synthtic seals and fluid, hydralics are improving. I will always get an expert to rebuild any parts of a bracking sytem, the reason an old adge from Howard my mechanical mentor in my yoof. 'A bugger if they don't go, a disaster if they don't stop!'