Thread: A number of Gear box Questions R380

Usual questions, D1/D2?, TDI/TD5/V8?. My box in the Tdi was similar until I changed the oils and fixed the leaks. The R380 is a pretty strong box until abused. I went back to putting in Dextron3 in the gearbox and a thicker oil in the transfer case. Seems to have quietened both. Bonus is the shifter is a lot easier to change gears. Now as the weather is getting colder up here The box still shifts like when it is warm, except when going into 1st.

Now that I haved checked whick forum this is in, I would like to delete the first question

If you can walk and chew gum at the same time swapping out a gearbox is pretty straight forward. As long as you resist the urge to get creative and remain logical about the process anyone can do it.

I am in the final stages of a gearbox & T/case overhaul and I would say without a doubt I will never bother overhauling my own R380 ever again. I only mention this to bring you to next point.

If I had it over I would ring Ashcrofts and accept the 4 week wait for shipping. You'll get a quality box at a good price.

I very seriously doubt any Australian company bothers to correctly set the preloads/shims on an R380 as I have pestered most of them for shims and they have bugger all (usually none) in stock. I have a theory that the R380's you get locally get new bearings only, well maybe a baulk ring or two and then are thrown back together.

It takes a lot more coin and time to properly recondition (ie like new, not just able to run to 100k) these boxes than what the average punter is prepared to part with.

As for repairing the R380 there a 2 people in Sydney who do an excellent job and know the R380 backwards and are both quite meticulous.

These are Terry at Award Diffs and Gearboxes and Peter at Range Parts


Erich

Another option for buying from the UK is Land Rover Transmissions Specialists

I used him for my LT77 & LT230 rebuild when I was living in the UK.

If you are getting a 380 rebuild from Ashcrofts then see what suffix box you have as the suffix k or L have some wider gears fitted , he also does a bearing upgrade modification . I would also advise that its worth going to redline synthetic oil , to protect your box when working hard in extreme temps. I ran it in a 130 tdi I had when i lived in WA , also in my 110 csw as well. (I have no connection with redline only as satisfied customer) . I found out the above 380 info during my prep for changing the 110 V83.9 to BMW M57 TD power, ended up staying with LT85 HTSH

Just installed a rebuilt R380 suffix k from Ashcroft in my 95 110 very happy with it so far took about 7-10 days to get here.

Hey DEF95, would you mind sharing a bit of detail on the price? Very curious about the shipping.

Cheers,
Pt.

After snapping my main drive shaft, in the defenders R380, I got both gearbox and transfer box shipped over from Ashcrofts cheaper than I could have bought one in Perth, and that includes forgoing the refunds for returning the knackered boxes. And it was under two weeks from placing the order to having it bolted in place.
I now have an R380 in pieces across the shed floor as I explore my options of a long slow rebuild so I have a spare box.
Cheers