Thread: Td5 defender r380 gearbox failure. Help.

Peter thinks that the shaft was probably not replaced when the box was reconditioned.

Originally Posted by Franksd

Just heard back from Ashcrofts. $2400 aud shipped. Sounds good but they will take 1 week before they have one ready to send. How efficient are Australian customs?

How cold is the sun?

Originally Posted by Franksd

Peter thinks that the shaft was probably not replaced when the box was reconditioned.

As a matter of interest ( I am a week away from doing a S.A/W.A/N.T. trip) in our TD5, were you towing a big van ? I guess I am looking for peace of mind, as we are only towing a 1500kg campervan & will pass thru Port Lincoln. I understand that 5th gear should only be used on level territory.

Here is a picture of my setup. The van is around 900kg loaded. I think the problem was with the recon box, not what I was towing.

They usually break the lay shaft because the rear bearings fail often stripping the gears as the shaft deflects
The weaker bearing is on the lay shaft
To have a failure on the main shaft I would of thought was odd
Maybe Dave or Ian Ashcroft could pipe in and give us an opinion

Dave is away sailing at the moment and only has his phone he asked me to post this response


This is a common failure usually on the earlier suffix J boxes due to a stress concentration from a sharp radius on a groove where the split oil ring fits but we have also seen this failure on the later suffix K/L TD5 boxes


Regards Dave

Originally Posted by djam1

Dave is away sailing at the moment and only has his phone he asked me to post this response


This is a common failure usually on the earlier suffix J boxes due to a stress concentration from a sharp radius on a groove where the split oil ring fits but we have also seen this failure on the later suffix K/L TD5 boxes


Regards Dave

Thanks Dave and djam1.
The shaft is being replaced with a genuine part. Do I need to worry about this happening again? Is there a known fix to prevent this in the future?

Originally Posted by Franksd

Thanks Dave and djam1.
The shaft is being replaced with a genuine part. Do I need to worry about this happening again? Is there a known fix to prevent this in the future?

I would'nt of thought so