Defender Td5 clutch replacement: our step-by-step guide to the LOF kit and single mass flywheel

Take out the seats, the cubby box and the gearbox tunnel. Working from above makes everything that follows much easier, especially the hoist and the transfer box. While you’re at it, disconnect the battery now.

Remove the transfer box selector linkage: one 10 mm nut and a clip. Keep an eye on the little plastic bushes, they love to disappear. Then unplug the diff lock sensor (blue circle).

Viscous fan first, with a viscous fan spanner. As the gearbox comes down, the engine can tip backwards and the blades would chew up the radiator. Next, lift out the airbox (it only sits on rubber mounts) and its bracket, three 10 mm nuts. That clears the way to the top bell housing bolt.

Don’t forget the crankshaft position sensor on the bell housing, starter side (blue circle). Then the starter motor: two 16 mm bolts you can reach from underneath, and one nut on top against the block, which you’ll get with a long extension.

Four bolts underneath, four on top. Even once they’re all out, the crossmember usually stays wedged between the chassis rails, so a few taps with a hammer are needed to get it down.

Remove the downpipe, from the catalytic converter back to the centre silencer. It frees up all the space under the gearbox.

Before touching anything, draw a marker line across the axle flange and the propshaft. Refitted in the same position, they won’t vibrate. Undo them with a 9/16 spanner and a propshaft spanner (a ground-down 9/16 socket works too).

Parts to replace. the propshaft bolts, or at the very least their nyloc nuts. They’re not meant to be reused.

Take off the handbrake drum and its screw, then the four bolts behind it. Pull out the whole handbrake assembly and tuck it out of the way.

Next, disconnect the earth straps on both sides, then the speed sensor and its green connector.

Careful. that sensor is expensive. Unplug it gently and keep it well away from any hammering.

Chock the engine with a block of wood and the original jack so it can’t tip when the gearbox comes away. Then hang the chain hoist over the middle of the transfer box, with a strap wrapped around the casing.

Back underneath: remove the transfer box mount (four 15 mm bolts) and the rubber mount nut. Finish with the two nuts and three bolts holding the LT230 to the R380.

It should come away on its own. If not, a little leverage with a pry bar, then lower it gently to the ground.

Unbolt the clutch slave cylinder and hang it to one side. Don’t forget the reverse light switch connector. Then remove the four 15 mm mount bolts and the left-hand rubber mount nut.

Finally, undo all the bell housing bolts. A bit of leverage and it comes free of the engine.

Tip. the R380 input shaft is long. Pull the gearbox well back before lowering it, or it will catch on the clutch.

Lock the flywheel with the LOF flywheel locking tool. Slide the clutch alignment tool into the plate, then undo the pressure plate and lift the whole assembly out in one go.

Undo the flywheel bolts in a star pattern, never working your way round.

Careful. the flywheel is heavy. Keep a hand underneath as the last bolt comes out.

That’s everything off. Before refitting a single part, clean every component and every mating surface thoroughly.

Do this every time, with a new genuine spigot bush. To get the old one out, use a slide hammer or the bread trick: pack the bush with bread (or grease), push in a socket or a bar the same diameter as the bore, and tap it. The pressure pushes the bush out.

Clean the flywheel face on the crank and the bush seat, then drive the new bush in with a hammer and a block of wood so it goes in square.

To replace the rear crank seal, the sump has to come off. Once it’s down, make the most of it: check the oil pump bolt and the pressure relief valve bolt, and refit them with threadlocker.

Td5 weak spot. on some engines these bolts were fitted without threadlocker. If they back off, the engine loses oil pressure. Ten minutes of work that can save the engine.

Fit the new crank seal using the yellow plastic guide and slide it over the crankshaft. Torque the housing to 9 N·m, following the tightening sequence shown in the photo.

Then refit the sump, with a little gasket sealant where the sump joints meet.

Fit the LOF single mass flywheel with the bolts supplied. First pass to 40 N·m in a star pattern, then a further 90°.

Tip. after the 40 N·m pass, draw a small line on each bolt head and on the flywheel. You’ll see straight away when you’ve done your quarter turn.

Degrease the flywheel and the pressure plate: the slightest trace of grease will contaminate the new friction plate. Centre the plate on the LOF alignment tool, fit the pressure plate and torque it to 28 N·m, pulling it down evenly in a cross pattern.

Trap number one. the Gearbox side marking on the plate faces the gearbox. A plate fitted the wrong way round is the most common reason a Td5 clutch won’t disengage.

Remove the old fork and release bearing, clean out the bell housing and check the release bearing guide (if it’s scored, replace it). Grease the fork, then fit the clip with the help of the LOF video. Torque the fork bolt to 10 N·m and the two release bearing guide bolts to 25 N·m.