Clutch adjustment on Transit?

Hi there,

When we arrived here in Marbella and parked up "on the blocks" I noticed that distinctive "burned out clutch" smell (as experienced many moons ago with an Austin Devon)!

My query is "Can the clutch on a Duetto (i.e. a Ford Transit) be adjusted?" or do I have to go and get the whole thing renewed?

It is a Public Holiday here tomorrow so I intend to go see the main Ford Dealer on Friday and by then (i.e. before I make a major contribution to the Spanish economy!) I want to know what my options are!

Also, with regards to previous "Merry Christmas" post, as I may be getting a new clutch from Santa, "Bah! Humbug!" may have been appropriate!

Best regards,

My Transit LWB hi-top was the same van as your cab, non-adjustable I'm afraid, the only adjusment was an auto-adgust cam assy for the clutch cable which is mounted on the top of the clutch-pedal, it is VITAL that there is a bit of 'play' at the pedal end, for if not, the release-bearing will be permenantly 'on' & can result in early clutch failure.
If your're lucky, & have a 'tight' pedal, then slackening-off the cable (a nylon moulded ratchet-cam) on the pedal top may get you going again.
Good luck.

Hi there,

Many thanks for that tit-bit of information (sob!).

Ah well, looks like a new clutch from Santa for my prezzy this year! (I have written enough about not having breakdown cover to guarantee that there is no way I will be heading out of Marbella and on to an autoroute with an I iffy clutch!!)

The only "light at the end of the tunnel" is that out on the pushbike this afternoon a van went past and smelled just the same as Petal. I am now wondering (and grasping at straws?) if the local diesel has a distinctive smell that corresponds to "parfum de burned out clutch"? Alternatively, some other poor sod will be in the garage with me.

Thanks again.

Best regards and "Merry Christmas" (sob!!)

As for the 'burning smell' I hope your'er right & everything is ok.

A good test for your clutch is to get her at a reasonable cruising speed in top gear, say 50 ish, then plant the throttle to the floor, if the engine appears to rev up & the road speed doesn't, then you have clutch-slip, if, however, the engine appears to 'labour' & the speed reluctantly increases, then the clutch is probably ok.
This test puts maximum torque through the clutch assy, also, the brakes make the same 'smell' if overheated, if you have a good clutch & no slip, it might be the brakes under duress.

Hi here,

Thanks for that - will give it a try on the way to the garage.

Another reason for thinking "clutch problem" is that the mpg has dropped quite dramatically over the last two tank re-fills (38mpg down to 32mpg!) with no other apparent reason.

Looks like "Trust in Ford Dealership." is on the cards!

Best regards,

To test the clutch when stationary...........................

Handbrake fully on (front wheels chocked too if you can't "heel & toe")

Engage 4th gear, raise the revs and let the clutch pedal up quickly - the engine should stall immediately, if not it has worn out.

Only do it once - it's equivalent to several steep hill starts

Dutto,

I'm pretty sure your Tranny(looks like a mk 5) will have a good old fashioned adjustable clutch.
The Mk 4(like my Duetto) has a horrible (automatic) self adjuster - which I'm probably going to change for a Mk 5 clutch cable.

Hope this helps,

bumperman

Hi there,

Thanks for all the advice - and the situation gets better and better!

Annette (young, pretty and Danish) at Ford discussed it with me as if she was talking to a half-witted dinosaur!

"Were you doing anything when you made the smell?" (presume her English not perfect!)

"Yes. Putting it on the chocks to level it up."

"These modern clutches can make a smell that lasts for a long time and still be OK." (Didn't like the word "modern" - I'm not that old! I even changed a nappy once!)

"Is the pedal high? It is also sign that clutch is getting bad!"

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I am taking Petal in on Monday so that their mechanic (as opposed to a five-year old receptionist) can check it out.

So, it may not be all doom and gloom - plus, according to Annette, if it needs changing out the estimate is €800 - which in my current state of tension doesn't seem that much!

Will let you know the result of the test.

Thanks again for all the help.

Best regards,

Hope you get it sorted out Dutto... Good Luck

EIGHT HUNDRED EUROS?? Bloody-hell, thats around £680.00!!

A Transit clutch is probably the easiest one to do in the world, I recon £300.00 tops, a couple of jacks, propshaft off, crossmember off, then a soppy little bell housing & gearbox, & its staring you in the face!!

I did mine on the front drive & took a couple of hours, ok it was 6 years ago when I was young (59)

modelman wrote:

I did mine on the front drive & took a couple of hours, ok it was 6 years ago when I was young (59)

Hi there,

I spent much of my youth with either rain dribbling down the back of my neck as I peered into the bonnet (or dirt dropping into my mouth as I looked up into the chassis) of about two dozen clapped out cars, vans and motorbikes. As a result I made the vow that, should I EVER have enough money to pay someone to do it for me, I would NEVER work on a road vehicle ever again!

I could still do it; (As the saying goes "I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was!") but even at that price it still beats the hell out of lying in the dirt (yet again) - plus how the heck am I going to get spares, jacks, trolleys etc to a remote caravan site in a vehicle with a clapped out clutch?

Ah, well. Maybe, after yesterday, they all hate the Brits so much that the lass doubled the price for spite!

Can't say that I blame her. I can't remember any of the parties at the last election promising to tee off the whole of Europe and/or take us out of the EU!! I sure as heck never voted for it.

Best regards,

Sorry, I hope you didn't take it the wrong way by me implying that you do it yourself, I certainly didn't mean that, I simply thought that was a bit steep, having said that, your obsevations regarding the EU & pricing could well be correct.

I too, have spent a lifetime 'up to the armpits' in muck & bullets 'doing-stuff' but like you would nowadays pay to have big jobs done, trouble is, finding someone you can trust to do a decent job is not easy to find nowadays.

Example, last years MOT for the car, the tester didn't give an advisory, but told me that the rear cross-axle brake pipe was beginning to corrode, so I thought that its simple enough, & took it to a local indy garage, they did the job quickly & cheaply, & it worked ok, BUT upon inspection once home I found it to be a 'sloppy' job, the pipe had simply been unwound & was all 'wobbly' along the axle, we were taught to roll & straighten all pipework, make neat bends & make it look good, in other words, take a bit of pride in your work.
Its a silly little thing & not important, but I'm 'old-school' I guess.

I still 'do stuff' but light & easy stuff.

hi there,

I'm so thick and thick-skinned that I seldom take things the wrong way - and appreciate the concern.

On the "trust" front I trust everyone - and then check to make sure that my trust was well founded!! (On second thoughts .. . . .. maybe that isn't trust as we know it!)

Had a good day today - at the foot of a hill I discovered that the brake pad on the front of my bike (disc and calliper system) had completely worn away and I was on "metal-to-metal" i.e. the brake was U/S!!

A "good day"? Too true as I had just descended about a mile down a 1 in 4 hill; and managed to stop at the bottom with just the rear brake.

They reckon that to stay fit you need to get the heart pumping fast at least once a day! Job done until next Friday I think!

Best regards,

Hi there,

The Mechanic arrived today, started the engine, put her in gear, pushed the clutch pedal up and down, engaged first gear, "shuggled" Petal forward with the brakes on, got the same smell as before and declared "New clutch required!"

Good news is that the mechanic (Vinny) is "friend of a friend of someone a mate met at a party" so the price has dropped down to €500!

Vinny arrives at 10am tomorrow to change the clutch out here on-site; so I will spend the night praying to the "God of Good Mechanics" that Vinny is a fully paid up member of the choir!!

Will keep you posted.

All the best from a sunny Spain where, luckily for us, gin is still only £3 a bottle!

Dutto wrote:Vinny arrives at 10am tomorrow to change the clutch out here on-site; so I will spend the night praying to the "God of Good Mechanics" that Vinny is a fully paid up member of the choir!!


All the best from a sunny Spain where, luckily for us, gin is still only £3 a bottle!

Let us know how Vinny gets on but save his gin until after he has done the job.

squip

Dutto wrote:Hi there,

The Mechanic arrived today, started the engine, put her in gear, pushed the clutch pedal up and down, engaged first gear, "shuggled" Petal forward with the brakes on, got the same smell as before and declared "New clutch required!"

Good news is that the mechanic (Vinny) is "friend of a friend of someone a mate met at a party" so the price has dropped down to €500!

Vinny arrives at 10am tomorrow to change the clutch out here on-site; so I will spend the night praying to the "God of Good Mechanics" that Vinny is a fully paid up member of the choir!!

Will keep you posted.

All the best from a sunny Spain where, luckily for us, gin is still only £3 a bottle!

Can I refer you back to post 6 on how to PROPERLY check the clutch - 1st gear is not the gear to use to check for clutch wear......................

dandywarhol wrote:

Dutto wrote:Hi there,

The Mechanic arrived today, started the engine, put her in gear, pushed the clutch pedal up and down, engaged first gear, "shuggled" Petal forward with the brakes on, got the same smell as before and declared "New clutch required!"

Good news is that the mechanic (Vinny) is "friend of a friend of someone a mate met at a party" so the price has dropped down to €500!

Vinny arrives at 10am tomorrow to change the clutch out here on-site; so I will spend the night praying to the "God of Good Mechanics" that Vinny is a fully paid up member of the choir!!

Will keep you posted.

All the best from a sunny Spain where, luckily for us, gin is still only £3 a bottle!

Can I refer you back to post 6 on how to PROPERLY check the clutch - 1st gear is not the gear to use to check for clutch wear......................

Hi

I concur. Does "Vinnie" also tarmac driveways.?

Andy

Hi there,

As I was standing outside I am not sure which gear Vinny actually selected; sorry "Mia culpa!"

I have to say that over the last week (due to the precipitous incline of the plot we are on) we have adjusted Petal on the chocks on two occasions. I could feel a certain reluctance to move both times; the clutch travel was almost up to my chin by the time the gears engaged - and "the smell" permeated the cab for a couple of hours on both occasions so I have no doubt that the clutch is well and truly knick-knacked.

Also, I checked at Reception this morning and Vinny (he is changing the clutch as I type - and we are sat in McDonalds up the road) is their "mechanic of choice". Apparently he lived on-site for five years before he set up his own business and garage in Fuengirola.

Here's hoping it all works out OK and thanks for everyone's concern!

Will keep you posted on results.

Best regards,

Hi from Mike (Vinaros)

Sorry to hear of your troubles, but pleased that you are continuing to enjoy your wandering. We will raise a glass to your good healths on the 25th and probably have a few practice glasses between now and then just to make sure that we get it right.
Take care Regards Mike and Heather

Dutto wrote:Hi there,

As I was standing outside I am not sure which gear Vinny actually selected; sorry "Mia culpa!"

I have to say that over the last week (due to the precipitous incline of the plot we are on) we have adjusted Petal on the chocks on two occasions. I could feel a certain reluctance to move both times; the clutch travel was almost up to my chin by the time the gears engaged - and "the smell" permeated the cab for a couple of hours on both occasions so I have no doubt that the clutch is well and truly knick-knacked.

Also, I checked at Reception this morning and Vinny (he is changing the clutch as I type - and we are sat in McDonalds up the road) is their "mechanic of choice". Apparently he lived on-site for five years before he set up his own business and garage in Fuengirola.

Here's hoping it all works out OK and thanks for everyone's concern!

Will keep you posted on results.

Best regards,

Hi Dutto


Hope things go well for you, problems always seem worse, when you are in an unfimiliar situation.



Have a good Christmas,


Andy

Dutto wrote:Hi there,

As I was standing outside I am not sure which gear Vinny actually selected; sorry "Mia culpa!"

I have to say that over the last week (due to the precipitous incline of the plot we are on) we have adjusted Petal on the chocks on two occasions. I could feel a certain reluctance to move both times; the clutch travel was almost up to my chin by the time the gears engaged - and "the smell" permeated the cab for a couple of hours on both occasions so I have no doubt that the clutch is well and truly knick-knacked.

Also, I checked at Reception this morning and Vinny (he is changing the clutch as I type - and we are sat in McDonalds up the road) is their "mechanic of choice". Apparently he lived on-site for five years before he set up his own business and garage in Fuengirola.

Here's hoping it all works out OK and thanks for everyone's concern!

Will keep you posted on results.

Best regards,

Good stuff - I'm sure it will be a different beast when he/she returns to you.

On a different topic - have you been down to Estepona? We're doing a home exchange next summer about 5 km south of there - Bahia de Casares - haven't been that far down the costa before - looking forward to it

Hi there,

Just back from a twenty mile test drive with the new clutch; and a few things to report:

1) Vinny showed me the old clutch - worn down nearly to the rivets!! The springs were as loose as the proverbial ladies drawers and there were a few "polish" spots on the fly-wheel where it had been spinning!! In other words, it was well and truly knick-knacked!

2) This is a "first"! When Vinny had finished he asked me to check the position of the clutch pedal (level with brake and accelerator) on the basis that if i had a preference he could raise or lower it slightly to suit my own tastes!! I left it where is was.

3) The job was done "in situ" within 6 hours so all Helen and I had to do was go and amuse ourselves in the local Bar. (Which is why I had to sober up and it has taken so long to go and do the test drive!!)

4) The fee was €500 which was €300 LESS than the price quoted at the local Ford Dealer!

5) Petal now "drives" a bit differently. The clutch grabs a lot earlier on pedal travel (no surprise there), the revs aren't quite so forgiving (i.e. it shudders significantly more when the revs drop below 1,000rpm (presumably because the clutch is now fully engaged) and on "cruise control" she seems to accelerate better up slopes (again presumably because the clutch isn't slipping now).

In view of the above, I can hereby report that Vinny is (so far) a fully paid up member of the Mechanics Choir. We drive to La Manga near Cartagena on Thursday and, if we arrive OK, then Vinny will go on the "recommended" list of the Forum.

Many, many thanks for all the advice and encouragement, and I'm back to the dram!!

Best regards,

dandywarhol wrote:
have you been down to Estepona? We're doing a home exchange next summer about 5 km south of there - Bahia de Casares - haven't been that far down the costa before - looking forward to it

Sorry, but not familiar with the area. (Actually, as I type this I just had the thought "You may be sat in the area idiot!" so "No change there then!)

One reason we are moving back north is that the whole area around Marbella seems to be dominated by the motorway; which is rubbish for us on pushbikes. In a nutshell, last month we did 480 kilometres on the bikes and this month (so far) only 50 kilometres!!!

I hope that Estepona is a bit different, or you have different travel requirements!

Enjoy.

Best regards,

Oops - I was confusing Fuengirola with Marbella Marbella is about 15 miles north east of Estepona - you're further north east yet.

Here's a scary path near where you are.............................. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Drive safely

dandywarhol wrote:Oops - I was confusing Fuengirola with Marbella Marbella is about 15 miles north east of Estepona - you're further north east yet.

Here's a scary path near where you are.............................. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Drive safely

Thanks for that ---- but until Apple allow Flashplayer on their bits of kit I can't watch it!

Not to worry - at this time of night I can see two of anything anyway!