so the background is this.
Eura mobil tag axle on fiat ducato 2.8jtd 2002 ( van probably a 2001... but the clutch is hydraulic)
2014 summer holidays... all loaded up to just under max (4500kg) and leave home in cornwall headed for the ferry port. The van hasnt been used much since the previous summer( moved a few times for its mot and a few runs probably once a month) all going lovely until i reach a steep hill on the way out of cornwall.... clutch starts to slip...... doent quite believe it but back off and try again on the next hill sure wnough slips again... start to panic but what to do? the ferry is wating. So we decide to go for it anyway and board the santander ferry. The WHOLE way down im on the internet searching for "how to replace clutch" or "cost of clutch replacements in spain" and generally panicking. When we get to spain i dump a full bottle of water in the bell casing.... ( why? i really dont know!!) and we head off for our 6 weeks holiday. Well i babied the clutch to start with but as the 6 weeks went on i became braver and started to drive it normally again. It did not slip once....... including driving up and over the picos de europa and the pyrenees on the way back.......
2015 summer holidays... exactly the same as 2014.. fully loaded and not used hardly since last summer... and slips on the way to the ferry port. again i can get it to slip at will just by pushing hard on the "go pedal". Get on the ferry (to france this time) and worry about the clkutch again... but not as much as last year.. get to france and spend 6 weeks driving around france... up hill down dale and the clutch does not slip at all for the whole trip.
2016 this last weekend, drive to oxford for the weekend,( lightly loaded probably about 3800kg), first time the van has been anywhere since last september, get out of cornwall ok, fill up with fuel at Weston super mare, get back on the motorway and slip slip slip the rest of teh way to oxford. Obviously as soon as it does it i am backing it off but even so its really easy to get it to slip this time. AND the pedal feels funny, kind of like it is not coming back up all the way, and if i hook my toe under it i can make it return up to a higher position by pulling on it. Get to the campsite at oxford, park up for 3 days.. not too worried as we are in the uk and can get the breakdown to get us home if we have to . So this morning we rock off the chocks and head for home....... clutch pedal no longer feels funny... and whatever i do i cant get the clutch to slip, even on the meanest steepest hill near home it doesnt want to slip. at one point i "think" it started to slip... but im not sure... it may well have been me being paranoid. On the way up to oxford i could make it slip at will........
so the question is... what on earth is going on?
I am reluctant to replace the clutch unless i can work out why it is slipping and why the problem is intermittent and after long periods of standing. Any clues?
Does anyone have a link to an exploded diagram of the clutch assembly? or a decent workshop manual( i have been looking and looking!)
Eura mobil tag axle on fiat ducato 2.8jtd 2002 ( van probably a 2001... but the clutch is hydraulic)
2014 summer holidays... all loaded up to just under max (4500kg) and leave home in cornwall headed for the ferry port. The van hasnt been used much since the previous summer( moved a few times for its mot and a few runs probably once a month) all going lovely until i reach a steep hill on the way out of cornwall.... clutch starts to slip...... doent quite believe it but back off and try again on the next hill sure wnough slips again... start to panic but what to do? the ferry is wating. So we decide to go for it anyway and board the santander ferry. The WHOLE way down im on the internet searching for "how to replace clutch" or "cost of clutch replacements in spain" and generally panicking. When we get to spain i dump a full bottle of water in the bell casing.... ( why? i really dont know!!) and we head off for our 6 weeks holiday. Well i babied the clutch to start with but as the 6 weeks went on i became braver and started to drive it normally again. It did not slip once....... including driving up and over the picos de europa and the pyrenees on the way back.......
2015 summer holidays... exactly the same as 2014.. fully loaded and not used hardly since last summer... and slips on the way to the ferry port. again i can get it to slip at will just by pushing hard on the "go pedal". Get on the ferry (to france this time) and worry about the clkutch again... but not as much as last year.. get to france and spend 6 weeks driving around france... up hill down dale and the clutch does not slip at all for the whole trip.
2016 this last weekend, drive to oxford for the weekend,( lightly loaded probably about 3800kg), first time the van has been anywhere since last september, get out of cornwall ok, fill up with fuel at Weston super mare, get back on the motorway and slip slip slip the rest of teh way to oxford. Obviously as soon as it does it i am backing it off but even so its really easy to get it to slip this time. AND the pedal feels funny, kind of like it is not coming back up all the way, and if i hook my toe under it i can make it return up to a higher position by pulling on it. Get to the campsite at oxford, park up for 3 days.. not too worried as we are in the uk and can get the breakdown to get us home if we have to . So this morning we rock off the chocks and head for home....... clutch pedal no longer feels funny... and whatever i do i cant get the clutch to slip, even on the meanest steepest hill near home it doesnt want to slip. at one point i "think" it started to slip... but im not sure... it may well have been me being paranoid. On the way up to oxford i could make it slip at will........
so the question is... what on earth is going on?
I am reluctant to replace the clutch unless i can work out why it is slipping and why the problem is intermittent and after long periods of standing. Any clues?
Does anyone have a link to an exploded diagram of the clutch assembly? or a decent workshop manual( i have been looking and looking!)