does the clutch on a Fiat ducato seize up?

ocalllo

Normally???

ok i know it was extremely cold weather but we took our camper out for the last time in Dec (used it every week up until then). Drove it home and parked it NO PROBLEMS at all.

Started the engine a couple of times over the winter - no problem, but never changed gear.

Go to move it mid february and it won't go into gear.

Any ideas - please tell me it might be something simple as really can't afford a huge job!

if it is the clutch gone - how much for a new one??? would a garage let me buy my own parts? would this be cheaper??

help - really cant afford this right now.

Hammyman

Yes, clutches do seize up if not used for a fair amount of time as the damp in the air gets into the bell housing so the clutch plate sticks to the flywheel.

So, how to free off? Well thankfully it is simple, if not a bit frightening. So here is how.

1) Make sure you've got plenty of room in front of the vehicle and a good couple of hundred yards you can drive once you've got moving.
2) Start the car, make sure its running OK then turn it off.
2) WITH THE ENGINE OFF, place the vehicle in 1st gear.
3) With the clutch pedal UP (no feet on it) start the car and keep the starter running. The car will be moving as soon as you turn the key to the start position. Keep it doing this until the engine starts.
4) Drive a short distance at a reasonable speed (just a bit faster than walking/slow jog) in 1st gear, push the clutch pedal down and then stamp on the brakes hard as in an emergency stop.

If it has worked, there should be an almighty bang which is the clutch plate freeing off the flywheel. If it hasn't worked then repeat the procedure but driving at a faster speed.

Its a procedure I've carried out on many a classic car thats been parked up for a while.

ocalllo

wow thank you for your reply.

We did sort of try this but got the massive bang/clunk noise and it sort of lurched forward an inch and it frightened the life of of us so we cut the engine thinking we had done massive damage to it!!!

Soooooooooo if we try this again but keep going this time it might work?

optimus_primera

Yep just follow the advice given by Hammyman.
I have used this to free off an old land rover clutch.
May take more than one go. but it does work.

xBubblesx

You could also try Warming the engine for an hour then placing your vehicle in a high gear. Starting the engine with your foot on the clutch and brake.

ocalllo

thank you guys will definitely try this over the wkend and will let you no on Monday!!! :j:j

ocalllo

thanks for all the help guys - tried this out on Saturday and all is working fine now. So great to be sorted and very relieved that i didn't bring it to the garage!!!!

thank you :T:T:T:T

mikey72

What did you do?

2sides2everystory

Excellent moneysaving guys !! :money:

I have bookmarked this thread as I also have an oft parked up camper

Hammyman

2sides2everystory wrote: »

I have bookmarked this thread as I also have an oft parked up camper

If your drum brakes have seized, remove each wheel, get a lump hammer and hit the drum with it moving around the drum. Give it a reasonable whack.

And don't use a claw hammer - you can hammer away as hard as you can all day long and it won't give the same result as a few mediocre whacks with a 2lb lump hammer.

ocalllo

mikey72 wrote: »

What did you do?

exactly what hammyman suggested.....had already sort of tried it but heard the big bang and thought we had done some worse damage - but following post went and gave it another shot and all worked fine. :j