Thread: CDL Actuator Install for Disco II

Well it's in and alot easier than i thought, the only problem was that the dog clutch in the transfer case is stuck and is causing the CDL not too engage.

First step was Unclip the gearstick gaiters. Unscrew both gearknobs. Remove the top half of the main gearstick by removing the bolt at the join completely and sliding off.
Remove the rubber cover from the gearstick area. Unclip the handbrake gaiter from the top, and peel it forwards. Remove the plastic fascia around the window switches and unscrew the switchplate. Twist it and push it into the console.
Remove the pin which connects the handbrake to the handbrake cable. Remove 2 screws from inside the cubby box, and 2 screws from just in front of the transfer box lever. You can now start to lift the whole binnacle out. As you do so, disconnect the cigarette lighter connection from underneath, and remove the bulb holder.

Lift out the foam around the gear lever area and remove the passeger side heater vent. Unscrew the bracket at the front of the area. Peel the carpet back and drill out the 13 or 14 rivets (depending on which plate you have) from the steel plate around the gear levers. Remove this upwards through the console.



Unscrew the existing Transfer Box shift mechanism from the steel plate. Match the plate up to the new mechanism. Depending on your plate, you may need to enlarge the aperture for the gearstick. This can be done by chain drilling and/or sawing. Leave the new mechanism separate for now.


Look down into the large hole you"ve just opened up, to find the CDL spigot or in my case the AMV actuator and remove it from on the top of the transfer box, once removed the CDL spigot is visable, and is a threaded shaft with an oval profile at the base, in the middle of a triangle of three bolts. Undo the frontmost and left-hand bolts of the three.


Take the lever end of the new mechanism and force it down towards the CDL spigot. The mounting bracket will attach to the top of the transfer box using the two bolts you just removed. Screw these bolts in loosely. The tail of the cable should be running forwards.

Match up the keyed loop at the end of the cable to the CDL spigot. Make sure you have it the right way up Using your M8 Nylock nut, and a washer, bolt it down to the spigot.


Clunk the new gearstick from side to side to see if the mechanism engages. It will be hard to move because it's not bolted to the plate, If you do this with the ignition on, you can see the CDL light lighting up when it"s engaged.
If it needs adjusting, you can adjust the two nuts either side of the mounting bracket, on the cable which is now mounted to the top of the transfer box casing. Make sure these are tight before you go any further.
Line up the new lever with roughly the space it"s going to go in when you bolt the whole lot back together. You may have to do some shoving to get it in place, as the new cable will get in the way.
Put the steel plate back into its hole and get a couple of rivets in to hold it in place. Force the new gearstick into its rightful place and bolt it back to the plate.
Rivet the plate back in. You"ll only be able to get 13 rivets in ( mine only has 13 rivets but there is an extra hole where the 14th rivot is supposed to go) as the front right rivet will be blocked off by the new cable mechanism. After that, refitting is the reverse of removal.
The actual job would of only taken me 3hrs to do, but unfortunately for me i spent alot of time trying to find out why it wouldn't engage and in the end it was discovered it was the dog clutch in the transfer box sticking.
Very frustrating but now i know i can get it fixed and finally finish the job.
Once i get it repaired i will take photos of the steps of cutting the wire to stop the disabling of the TC/ABS when you turn the ignition off when the CDL is engaged.
Baz.

Yep, great Tutorial.

When replacing the two bolts around the CDL spigot after placing the bracket, does any loctite or similar need to go on the bolt thread? Might it leak at all or weep?

Thanks,
Peter