Hello all,
On a trip to Liverpool yesterday zooming down the m6 and m58 it became quite apparent that the clutch is slipping on my2.5td vsx estate. On acceleration the clutch will slip quite freely in 3rd and less so in 4th and not at all in 5th.
Looking in the Haynes joke book I see there is no adjustment on the 2.5td clutch and it is an engine out job!
So engine out it is.
Whilst the engine is out I will do the head gasket on it as the car is at 145,000miles and I have no history on it.
I have found a hire shop where I can get a 1 tonne engine hoist at a reasonable cost.
so that leaves me to acquire a clutch kit,head gasket and head bolts,cam belt.
Where is the best place to get the parts?
I suppose parts like rear engine oil seal and drive shaft seals will force me to go to the local Citroen stealer's .
Any help appreciated.
Gary

Hi gary most motor factors like gsf can supply the parts you require including the oil seals quite reasonably, the clutch can be done with the engine in but it is not an easy job to do on the floor.
we always use our 2 post lift for this job and support the engine from above it still requires a lot of joggling about to get the box out but from a time point of view if you have the equipment and 2 strong lads it is a lot faster .
but as you want to replace the head gasket and cambelt the engine out option is the way to go,
Let us know how it goes

regards
Mick

Hi Gary.

I'd be a little inclined to the old adage that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you presently have no water loss or overheating issues I don't see the point in splitting the engine. I'd just ensure a really good strength of anti freeze or corrosion inhibitor was kept in it at all times. Although my last 2.5 does have cooling issues, I've generally found them OK in this dept. With me it's always been the 2.1 that's thrown its toys out of the pram in the head department.

Mick ----

Mine is heading for clutch time I guess (160k +). Any chance of a slightly more detailed run through of what doing the 2.5 clutch in situ actually entails ?

Mike.

Hello Chaps and thanks for the replies.
I just called my local motor factor for a price on the clutch kit £223.47 !!!!
With what you say "on the cut" I am inclined to ensure it has a good anti-freeze dose in it and leave the head alone,and so leaving the cam belt as well .
The head has never given a problem it's been driven hard at times and sat for ages ticking over and the temperature never wavers,so leave it i will.
I seem to remember the previous owner telling me it had a cam belt at 120,000,so I will concentrate on the clutch.
now do I lie underneath and struggle and curse and try and split the box in situ or lift the engine out and split the engine/ box with relative ease?
Probably go for the engine out seeing as I ain't got another pair of hands to help me.

When I am on my way to work,one up,I can put my foot down hard and she won't slip at all. when it was slipping the car was fully loaded,so the clutch would probably do me a while,if I wasn't planning on towing my caravan a few hundred miles in May.

I disagree Dieselman the clutch will surely slip when I am accelerating hard,the engine is pushing hard and trying to move the weight of the car to the higher speed.
the clutch is slipping when the engine is pushing maximum torque,it can't move the weight of the heavy car and occupants and shed load of tools in the back,it gives way and slips.
Once the car gets up to it's higher speed there is less pressure on the clutch as the torque going through it is less than on hard acceleration.
Now I think I will try GSF and a few and try and get the price of that clutch kit Down some.
Gary

Valeo and Luk are the two aftermarket manufacturers I know of, if that's any help.
The Luk clutch kit is 624234100 and is 240mm dia. I don't have a part no for the Valeo.

Robert.

Hi Gary

My experience with a clutch going in a 2.5TD is that the slipping was worst going uphill in high gear. If I tried more power the slipping just got worse. If I dropped a gear or two the slipping stopped. That one is only on 112k and is SORN, stored clutch still to do. The average clutch life is nearer 200k on these. Engine out on a 2.5TD is not for the faint hearted particularly single handed. I have ended up using a long reach 2 tonne engine crane on the 2.5 lump of engine and box as anything else is just too difficult to get right when working on your own. That said I personally have also decided that insitu is beyond my experience and capabilities.

I have been watching and researching 2.5 clutch bits over the last couple of years or so looking for bargin prices. Bought one early on from a specialist Citroen trade source but it cost me nearly £100. Not at all easy as only the 2.5TD version of the Peugeot 605 uses the exact same clutch kit. There has recently been a Citroen 2.5 clutch kit on ebay at around £180 which is too much for me for a non trade ebay purchase. The seller was a forum member and originally offered it here for £150 when he was getting rid of the unrepaired car just before christmas. The nearest alternative clutch kit is for that rare beast an early Mk2 V6 Manual XM. Everything right except the clutch plate fibre is a touch softer. APS in Glasgow have some for around £130 but at present I think that is too much of a risk at the price. There is also another supplier offering at £135.

The Valeo kit part number is: 801710
The Peugeot kit part number is: 2004.R2
The Citroen kit part number is: 2004.R3

John

For clutches for 2.5TDs has anybody tried a relining company.? The size of plate is immaterial to them and they can probably supply a new pressure plate if required.

Hi Dieselman

Not got as far as actually approaching a relining company yet but have got the contact details of one thanks to a suggestion made in another post. In the long term I will have at least four 2.5's to do so was going to collect a few recovered assemblies to see if I could get a better price for a job lot. Any suggestions for recommended companies in this field would be very helpful.

John

The only one I've used is http://www.bondingandreline.co.uk/ and that was for Landrover brake shoes, but they do a whole range of stuff from small to very large.

Although I would generally always perform a full 3 part replacement for clutch parts, if pressure plates are not available a relined friction plate might do the job.

Gary,

Regarding your 2.5 clutch. When mine went, the first symptoms were that it became heavier and then rough/squeeky in operation and then approaching a roundabout, my foot went to the floor. There was no slipping noticed. However, the car was lightly loaded, only the driver and my commute is vertually flat (no hills). When I came to single-handedly replace the clutch (engine in situ). the release assembly had failed, however, there was also very little friction material left. The new clutch 3 part assy. was delivered for £207 from 'BuyPartsBy.co.uk'. My point is that you will definately be advised to renew the release assembly whilst you are there and this is quite different to the norm. It is also quite straightforward to reprime the hydraulic slave cylinder on assy. I wrote about this previously on the forum. Anyway good luck, I still love my 2.5 and its comming up to 200,000 now.

Paul

Hello all and thanks for the many useful replies.
Yesterday I tried to get the price down but couldn't much,wherever I enquired.
I did a google search and found a place in Sheffield that specializes in clutch re-lining.
The bloke gave me an estimation £50 maybe less.
The only thing is I can't send him the clutch plate until I have it in my hand!
I am no stranger to getting my spanners out and doing whatever job needs doing on any car we have had in the last 30 years (there's been a few),It's just the time an inconvenience of it.
Mind you the job needs doing so there is no point in winging about it,just pick the right time and get stuck in.
all that spanner twiddling and cursing just to replace the clutch plate
oh please let there be sunshine.
gary

.....................this is quite different to the norm..............
It is the same as the Xantia and late ZX clutches, being a "pull" mechanism rather than the push system of older cars -(like the CX, etc)
Don't omit replacing the cover assy. if the spring fingers are worn. That will take another 13 hours out of your day if they are worn!

Hello all,
Well I have been busy this afternoon(work nights) emptying my garage and filling the patio up with the Fiat engined morris traveller that I have had on the go for ooh er how old is my daughter this year ?16 years! How our priorities change when the patter of little feet come along eh.
I have my trusty motorbike at the ready a 1975 Suzuki T500M that me and the daughter smoke the neighbourhood out on whenever we can.
I have a water pump,cam belt kit on order at the local motor factors ,will get the balance shaft belt and oil and anti-freeze from the factors tomorrow.
Prices are wild when you shop around,the local car shop wanted £62 for the water pump the Factors is doing it for £33 plus vat quite a difference.
same with the cam belt kit, car shop £104, Factors £36.
Going to get the engine crane from the hire shop tomorrow (Wednesday)
and will get it set up so I can get stuck into the job come Thursday morning.
I will make the decision when I have the components in my hand as to weather I replace the full clutch or just the plate relined,when I have them in hand.
I will keep you posted.
gary