# Clutch Replacement Tips or manual  required please for 1991 Fiat Ducato 2.5d



## Beps (May 11, 2011)

Hi and thanks for reading the post,

My Motorhome, a 1991 Fiat Ducato 2.5d is slowly asking me for a new clutch (still moves but on 5th and 4th gear the clutch is slipping when push the accelerator down or I am uphill).

I have good mechanical skills and my plan is to replace it myself. I I've never did it before and I don't have the repair manual. 

I need to understand whether I have the right tools for the job or not, then if it is a job I can do on my own or not due to the weight of the parts involved.

Has anyone done it before? Does anyone have any tips or even better a CD Manual I can "borrow". A scan or a link to the clutch diagram would also help if you have it. 

Thanks in advance
Beps


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## warbreckman (May 11, 2011)

*clutch*

http://media.centerforce.com/DiagGuide/DiagnosticGuide04DL.pdf
3 ton jack, gear box jack,axle stands,ball joint seperator,torque wrench,spannrs,sockets,clutch centering tool,large flat chissel to seperate drive shafts,scew drivers and a free weekend. good luck,and patiance


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## Deleted member 3270 (May 11, 2011)

As warbreckman as said these are the tools you will need except for the gearbox jack a normal jack will do , the only part of the job that you may find difficult by yourself is mating the gearbox back to the engine . As for a diagram for the clutch assembly only 3 parts 1 clutch pressure plate .2 clutch centre plate, and 3 clutch release bearing.
have FUN :wacko:


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## Beps (May 11, 2011)

Thank you warbreckman and wilthebeast, your info is really helpfull.

A local mechanic quoted £250 labour + cost of part in Maidenead.
I belive is high but i have no idea at the moment. 

Before I start ringing around the local garages, does anyone have any ideas of the probable cost for replacement in this area?

Thank you
Beps


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## Lorry Ball (May 11, 2011)

Ifs that's your van as your avatar, no wonder the clutch has gone, pulling away in first gear with those size tyres, I should also check you springs....:drive:

Lorry:lol-053:


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## james pond (May 11, 2011)

*bargain ; apparently*

£250 to replace a clutch on a van aint that bad, my car; citroen xz hatch, it also coming up for one, my local garage wants £320, plus parts.


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## Deleted member 775 (May 12, 2011)

dont think that quote is too bad for the labour   try to get the parts yourself ,may save a few quid .if you havent done one yourself they can be a bit  iffy  with it being a transverse  set up ,you will have to drop the bottom ball joint and i believe the track rod end do not use a joint splitter as you can destroy the rubber boot where the joint fitts into the hub ,a sharp smack with a hammer usualy is enough to split the joint ,  remove the drive shafts from the gear box( you can knock these out with a drift and hammer  oh and remove the o/s drive shaft from the hub makes the job a bit easier)  and undo the gear linkage  and the clutch cable remove the gear box mountings but support the engine first , replace the clutch and thrust bearing   then the reverse procedure to put it all back together  and if you are any good as a mechanic you will have the odd washer  and if you are realy good a spare nut left over.  this is the general way to do most front wheel drive clutches  ps as for re alighning the clutch prior to putting the box back in i have never used a tool to do it  you can line it up by sight and with your fingers  ps retighten the studs on the pressure plate in opposits


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## Beps (May 12, 2011)

Thank you mandrake,

I have decide I'll give it a go this weekend if the weather is fine.
do you think I need to lift the van for this job? I am asking as I only have two 3tons jacks and no stands. If need to be lifted for the entire job (maybe due to disconnection of ball joint), I will have to use both jacks for security reason or make/buy a stand.

Thanks
Beps


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## Lorry Ball (May 12, 2011)

Definitely, A pair of quality axle stands is needed, and wheel chocks 
You will be doing quite a lot of pulling and pushing  :shag:

Lorry


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## Deleted member 3802 (May 12, 2011)

it's always a good idea to drain the gearbox oil:rolleyes2: into a clean container before removing drive shafts (it makes a right mess )before attempting to split the box off double check for bolts twice and the speedo cable
it shows 3.30hrs for the job (thats workshop tools and condition) so a good day should do it with a mate.
remember to pack the van up well if it drops on you your :shag:
p.s.when replacing the box DON'T let the weight rest on the clutch plate and spline keep lifting till it mounts on the spigots  (a big cause of clutch judder )
good luck


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## Deleted member 775 (May 12, 2011)

forgot about the speedo cable arthur :bow:  also the reverse light switch cable aswell good idea the oil bit :bow: and dont forget to put the drain plug back in ,


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## ALLERDALECHEF (May 12, 2011)

local garage did mine , said it was a right b4st4rd to do ....cost with a pre-mot and a few minor jobs was £400 . What a difference though  , worth every penny , lighter to operate and much smoother . I assume the gearchange linkages must ave been adjusted cos they are much better .
  I wouldnt try it myself cos if you got stuck how would you get it to the garage  

 good luck


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## warbreckman (May 12, 2011)

*http://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forums/general-chat/13198-clutch-replacement-tips-manual*

100 pound should buy you a cluth kit plenty on e bay 125 pound local car shop


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## Beps (May 13, 2011)

Thanks all for your input.

Mr Clutch comes back to me with a final quote of £349.99 (Part, Labour, VAT + 2 year or 20,000 mile nationwide warranty). 

At the moment there is a £10 off voucher available on their website so it work out £339.99 and they can do the job tomorrow.

This seams a good deal!

Has anyone had any experience with Mr Clutch in Slough?


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## Tony Lee (May 20, 2011)

So Beps,

what was the outcome. Did you go the DIY route, or take the easy way out.

I'm in the south of France at the moment and a few days ago started to get a bit of slipping going over the cols in the Pyrenees (Hobby on a Ford transit chassis). Stayed for the weekend at Mirepoix and decided to try and reach a friends place about 150km away and get it fixed there. Changed my mind when I could hardly get out of the aire so drove very slowly to a garage I had sussed out on the Sunday and threw myself on his mercy. 

First quote was 750 euros which seemed a bit high although the charge for labour wasn't all that bad - but I had no choice anyway.

Someone mentioned a lot of pulling and shoving and bashing and they weren't wrong. Two experienced mechanics did a lot of all three before they had the gearbox off on the ground and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to tackle the job without help and a good toolkit. Even with help and a toolkit, I'm not sure I would bother anyway.

Found that the torsional shock absorber (whatever it is called) on the flywheel was completely shot so that whole assembly needed replacing as well - another 500 euro. Grrrrr!

Then the new assembly - ordered from ford - turned out to be 7mm larger in diameter than the rest of the clutch - so here we still are 5 days later. At least we can live in the MH and have free hookups so not all bad. Just had to block up the rear of the MH a bit so the slope was within the fridge operating specifications.

Seems a pretty poor show from ford and hobby - 1500 euro repair after 50,000km - but talking to others in the aire, seems to not be too unusual. I imagine my propensity for taking the MH over impossible roads in Morocco and Iceland - and south of England too - didn't do much for the clutch longevity.


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## Beps (May 23, 2011)

Hi Tony,

I am sorry to hear that, but I am glad you finally got it sorted.

I realized my clutch was slipping in 5th gear when uphill as I was heading to the north of Skye (about 700 miles from home). I re-planned my holiday and started heading back visiting that part of Scotland instead of going to north Highland.
I tried my best to avoid making it slip by unloading unnecessary weight (water), keeping low gear when uphill and very soft accelerations all the time as I didn't want to burn it. From Glasgow motorway I stayed closely behind trucks (on a safe distance) all the way back and I made it.

For the replacement I took the easy way as I had to buy tools that I wouldn't probably use any more after this job, and had to do the work at a friend of mine as I don't have the space where I live.

I was somehow lucky as MrClutch ordered the wrong clutch so couldn't give me the MH back on the same day. After explaining I was at a nearby friend for the day and this caused problem for me to go back home, they offered me a free resurface of the flywheel to apologise. 

I am glad I have chosen the MrClutch route.

Thanks all for your advises
Beps


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