Desperate times.

[SurfnTurf]

Firstly apologies for posting this mechanical thread in the general section, but needs must, and secondly, thanks to Lucky and Tony N for the advice i've already recieved.

Right.... my clutch went last June/July and seemed to have gone again, (this is what the garage lead me to believe). After recieving help from this site and others i've begun to feel i'm being slightly had. I've put it to the garage that it shouldn't have gone once let alone twice, and they've now suggested it may be the viscous flywheel instead?? Would this have damaged the clutch last time, should it have gone, and what is it? I'm also aware that garages can be a bit awkward if they know it's been taken off road. Aren't 4x4s meant to be taken off road?!! Would this be covered under the 1979 sale and supply of goods act whereby the item has to be fit for the purpose it is intended?-Especially within 3 months of purchase. I've already been without my baby for 2 weeks and it's coming to the crunch time. I would like to be able to get it independently checked but even that's gonna set me back about £150. I'm feeling in a bit of a lose lose situation so any advise/help would be truly appreciated. They said they were going to get it towed off by someone else to carry out the work, but i don't know what is being done, how much etc. It's all too vague and i'm dubious about letting them go ahead with it. I'm not technically minded at all, and i don't think it's helping my case that i don't know what he's talking about.

Thankyou for taking the time to read this essay, sorry it's a bit long but i am in desperate need of some help from my fellow Surfers,

Grateful thanks, Nick.

[andrewcrofts]

hi nick,
sorry to hear you are having a bit of bad luck at the moment. if i were you i would go to another garage to get an estimate for what you need doing. sounds like your getting shafted by the one you're dealing with.
as far as the sale of goods act goes, nip down to your local citizen's advice and they should tell you wot's wot,or phone trading standards (yellow pages)
if yours is a l130, milners told me they are prone to buggering clutches, but i dont know about twice in less than a year. was the work carried out by the same garage when replaced last time, if so was it warranted? for how long?

hope you sort it out, keep us posted.

andy crofts

[gemini]

Firstly apologies for posting this mechanical thread in the general section, but needs must, and secondly, thanks to Lucky and Tony N for the advice i've already recieved.

Right.... my clutch went last June/July and seemed to have gone again, (this is what the garage lead me to believe). After recieving help from this site and others i've begun to feel i'm being slightly had. I've put it to the garage that it shouldn't have gone once let alone twice, and they've now suggested it may be the viscous flywheel instead?? Would this have damaged the clutch last time, should it have gone, and what is it? I'm also aware that garages can be a bit awkward if they know it's been taken off road. Aren't 4x4s meant to be taken off road?!! Would this be covered under the 1979 sale and supply of goods act whereby the item has to be fit for the purpose it is intended?-Especially within 3 months of purchase. I've already been without my baby for 2 weeks and it's coming to the crunch time. I would like to be able to get it independently checked but even that's gonna set me back about £150. I'm feeling in a bit of a lose lose situation so any advise/help would be truly appreciated. They said they were going to get it towed off by someone else to carry out the work, but i don't know what is being done, how much etc. It's all too vague and i'm dubious about letting them go ahead with it. I'm not technically minded at all, and i don't think it's helping my case that i don't know what he's talking about.

Thankyou for taking the time to read this essay, sorry it's a bit long but i am in desperate need of some help from my fellow Surfers,

Grateful thanks, Nick.

firstly the viscous flywheel doesnt exist, a viscous fan does and its on the front of the engine to cool the radiator, it wouldnt have nothing to do with the clutch going, the flywheel behind the engine is what they will be talking about, this will affect the clutch, if it was damaged they shoud have noticed it when they put the last clutch in, they do overheat and crack or become scored, they can be refaced, or if its bad replaced, is the clutch slipping, as a damaged flywheel is usually noticed with clutch judder when taking up drive, could be down to the garage cutting corners and not fitting a complete clutch lastime, which is pressure plate, cover and thrust bearing, need to know what is happening really to diagnose the problem

[SurfnTurf]

Hi Andy/Ian,
Thanks for getting back to me so fast.

It was the same garage. When i came to him with this problem he thought it would be the clutch and i was going to have to shell out. After doing my research i questioned him and he said if it was the clutch it would be covered by a warranty, but that he now didn't think it was the clutch. I put it to him that there would appear to be a fault which needs rectifying, and he didn't seem interested, the goalposts seem to keep moving to wherever the money can be made, but then he said he'd charge me trade, a little confused.

I did a few tame circuits at the pit last week but when leaving the site it was revving higher and not pulling away properly. About 2 miles down the road trying to get up a hill, all revs, no go and no gear selection at all. When you say judder, i guess this would be pretty noticeable? If so i wouldn't say that that was evident. I just find it hard to believe that the 2 things could have gone within a year and not be related.

[gemini]

Hi Andy/Ian,
Thanks for getting back to me so fast.

It was the same garage. When i came to him with this problem he thought it would be the clutch and i was going to have to shell out. After doing my research i questioned him and he said if it was the clutch it would be covered by a warranty, but that he now didn't think it was the clutch. I put it to him that there would appear to be a fault which needs rectifying, and he didn't seem interested, the goalposts seem to keep moving to wherever the money can be made, but then he said he'd charge me trade, a little confused.

I did a few tame circuits at the pit last week but when leaving the site it was revving higher and not pulling away properly. About 2 miles down the road trying to get up a hill, all revs, no go and no gear selection at all. When you say judder, i guess this would be pretty noticeable? If so i wouldn't say that that was evident. I just find it hard to believe that the 2 things could have gone within a year and not be related.

right so its definately slipping, if the back seal is leaking oil in slipping the clutch while revving it will burn it off then it will be ok for a while, i dont think it will be the flywheel, so i would say its down to the garage that done it, not replacing the whole clutch, or it was a faulty clutch they put in, a clutch carries a minimum year guarantee anyway, but plates dont wear away in that time, take it to another garage, a borg & beck is the clutch to fit

[robnw67]

Vague thoughts

Hi

I remember a while ago that someone else had a problem like this and it was something to do with the Surf having a 'dual mass' flywheel - somehow Japanese manufacturers have a habit of making things more complex than they need to be.

I couldn't find any info about it in the time I have, but it may be worth a search.

Rob

[marky]

it was mrs spratt. claire, dual mass flywheel was damaged

[da SLUG man]

you could have burned it out off road?

slipping it to get up slopes?

[SurfnTurf]

Follow up....

3 weeks, £500 and a lot of lifts later, it's back. I took it to a different garage in the end. They told me i'd destroyed the clutch and it's now in a box in the back of the Surf in lots of little pieces. The guy there said he couldn't tell if it had been replaced last year as it was in such a state. I'm still gonna get the first garage to try to claim for it as it was under guarantee, (so they say) we'll see...


Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I think i may have to study some of you more experienced Surfers technique at the pit on the 23rd, see you there!

[Guest]

3 weeks, £500 and a lot of lifts later, it's back. I took it to a different garage in the end. They told me i'd destroyed the clutch and it's now in a box in the back of the Surf in lots of little pieces. The guy there said he couldn't tell if it had been replaced last year as it was in such a state. I'm still gonna get the first garage to try to claim for it as it was under guarantee, (so they say) we'll see...


Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I think i may have to study some of you more experienced Surfers technique at the pit on the 23rd, see you there!

Only important thing is as follows.

When going up a steep hill, 2nd gear, low ratio and DON'T slip the clutch.

You will be amazed at how much torque these beasts put out and the heat generated by a slipping clutch is immense.

2nd low and you won't need to slip the clutch.

Gentle is best every time but also be gentle but don't bottle out, keep the accelerator nailed to the floor once you are committed.

Cheers and good luck with the warranty.

[Dexter]

sorry to hijack the thread, but while we're on the subject of transmissions and off-roading... is there a preference between the auto or manual for off-road?

[Guest]

sorry to hijack the thread, but while we're on the subject of transmissions and off-roading... is there a preference between the auto or manual for off-road?

Purely personal choice I think, there are advantages for both.

Cheers

[SurfnTurf]

Only important thing is as follows.

When going up a steep hill, 2nd gear, low ratio and DON'T slip the clutch.

You will be amazed at how much torque these beasts put out and the heat generated by a slipping clutch is immense.

2nd low and you won't need to slip the clutch.

Gentle is best every time but also be gentle but don't bottle out, keep the accelerator nailed to the floor once you are committed.

Cheers and good luck with the warranty.

Thanks Lucky, much appreciated!

I've been out for the first drive tonight, forgot how big it is! But the clutch is STILL slipping, and that distinctively expensive smell is there again Back to the garage i go? If it wasn't a Surf, my patience would have run out a long long time ago.....