Recently, my girlfriend bought a 2004 X-type after I looked it over and said that I would help her with it. It had just over 100,000 miles on it and featured a 2.5 litre petrol engine with a 5 speed manual transmission.

We started by replacing a wheel bearing on it that was bad, RR hub assembly was nothing. Then started thinking about the A/C, which has a bad line (so we were told) and ordered a part for it. Before being able to address that fully, she exploded the clutch on it. Shredded it. Shattered it. However you want to call it. The car starts and runs fine but won't move by it's own power. Pressing and releasing the clutch does nothing whether in gear or not. The gear shifter will shift into any gear with the engine running and the clutch pedal released.

Through the dust cover on the top of the bell housing I can see chunks of the clutch plate and that the slave cylinder is functioning properly when the clutch pedal is operated.

We ordered a Luk RepSet Clutch kit from PartsGeek.com for a very reasonable price and I set off to replace the clutch. This is a hell of a job. Right now I am about ready to set the jacks in place to remove the trans.

This is a Michigan car so I have been fighting seized fasteners all the way, just as I am accustomed to at work: with PB Blaster, a torch, and a bit of torque. I am, however, working in my drive way with this so I am really missing the everyday luxuries of a shop like a hoist, an acetaline torch, and more than 125psi of air pressure.

I decided that the service manual had the best way for me to do the job in my driveway. I removed the wheels, disconnected the tie rods, ball joints, sway links, and half shafts. Removed all the underbody covers. Dropped the drive shaft to the rear and the exhaust (leaving both cats). I then placed floor jacks under the subframe and went for the mounting bolts. The RR nut that should be welded into the unibody broke loose too so I had to pull up some carpet and access the nut in there to get the rusty cradle bolt loose. Then I started to lower the cradle and unbolted the rack and pinion and left it hang while I dropped the rest of the subframe. Then I could easily remove the transfer case and got the transmission almost all freed up by the time it got dark.

Tomorrow I will have to pull the trans out, replace the clutch, and reassemble.

I really wish that they had just put the engine in the correct way--it makes me really miss working on my Vanden Plas.

 

Hi Disco 1994,
I've never had issues with my clutch as I'm auto and sympathise with your woes.

I'm not a mechy so can only again whimper at your seemingly disgruntled struggle.

Good Luck none the less, they don't make 'em like they used to that is for sure!!

But I am sure you have been there before and you will win through. Regards, Stu

 

Stu, thanks for your kind words. I have not been there before with this particular car, but it was certainly a good learning experience.

I started back at it about 11:00 the next morning, got the trans out, and the clutch down, to find that the half of the clutch disc that applies to the pressure plate had thrown all its friction material. The flywheel was still in great condition so I just ran a soft Roloc disc around it on an angle grinder to clean it up (like you would when running a cross cut on a brake lathe). I started back at it and had the whole thing back together by 10:30 that night with only two quick breaks for a bowl of soup, a burger, and to get three large bolts that I decided to replace because of their poor condition after removal. I had about 22 hours into the whole job and took care of it with a grueling weekend. Now that I know how it all comes apart, I could easily knock that number down and might even be able to beat the 15.5 hour labor time for it.

I certainly did not enjoy this project. It would have been better over two or more weekends, but will be a bear to tackle either way. I have learned my lesson and will do my very best from now on to stick to cars that have the engine in the correct way.

Nonetheless, She is once again purring like a little kitty should...

 

 

5 year old thread.
Here are the explosion parts, sizes =
https://www.terrysjag.com/category/X...nsfer-Box.html

 

Disco, a bowl of soup and a burger is not sufficient sustenance for such a lengthy, labour intensive undertaking.
You should have had at least one six pack along the way.