Test drive blues - reposted

[happydad59]

We went for the first real test drive today, thanks to all who have answered all of my naive questions over the last 6 months.


Unfortunately, after having driven about 20 km in the city and the heat two things were really obvious, an obvious rattle from the gear box area over about 25 mph - irrespective of gear, it was there in second, third and fourth, but only above 25, if i dropped below 25 in any gear it went away.
Secondly, the handbrake had ceased to work. Looking under I saw a fair bit of gearbox oil (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-land-rovers/167234-test-drive-blues.html#) around the place and streams of oil coming out of the drain holes in the front of the handbrake drum. Presumably this is from some seal at the rear of the box - is this a difficult repair, or, with the rattle from above, does it indicate a more serious rebuild is warranted?
Attached Thumbnails http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/series-land-rovers/55718d1358465923t-test-drive-blues-img_20121224_153535.jpg (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/series-land-rovers/55718d1358465923-test-drive-blues-img_20121224_153535.jpg)

[chazza]

Secondly, the handbrake had ceased to work. Looking under I saw a fair bit of gearbox oil (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-land-rovers/167234-test-drive-blues.html#) around the place and streams of oil coming out of the drain holes in the front of the handbrake drum. Presumably this is from some seal at the rear of the box - is this a difficult repair, or, with the rattle from above, does it indicate a more serious rebuild is warranted?


No it isn't a hard job to do but the workshop manuals are strangely silent on the matter of hand-brakes.

Take photos as you go and make sure the brake actuator; expander and dust boots are in good order.

The seal is in an aluminium housing and presents no nasty difficulties; the surface it runs on is on the output drive flange, which can be Speedi-sleeved if it is damaged, which is cheaper than buying a new one.

It is worth considering that the box can weep oil from all sorts of places depending on which model it is, including: the shims on the transfer box for adjusting the shaft pre-load; the small plates on top of the gearbox which have no gaskets; the dipstick; the breather holes. Conversely; water can get in through some of these places when submerged.

If it was my gearbox I would strip it to find the source of the noise as it will only get worse not better,

Cheers Charlie

[gromit]

If you check out my Series III C240 Isuzu thread there is a gearbox rebuild partly shown.
Post 76 show the handbrake assembly going back together.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/other-powered-series-land-rovers/151959-isuzu-c240-powered-series-3-a-8.html

You can do the seal behind the handbrake from underneath, I've done both a SeriesI & Series II recently from underneath.
I removed the seal using a slide hammer and a tool made to fit inside the seal, others have gone in through the speedo drive (from memory).

I think you need a slim 5/16W ring spanner to get to the bolts holding the propshaft in place otherwise it was straightforward.
There is a pressed steel catcher that diverts the leaking oil to the drain hole, sounds like that's doing it's job !

If the rattle is speed related check the handbrake mechanism, propshafts etc. before taking out the gearbox.

Best of luck,

Colin

[happydad59]

Thanks for the help, have pulled handbrake off - bought one of the special drive shaft removal sockets from Paddock which makes this a breèze compared to using normal sockets. Pulled the thrust flange out and it was badly scored (photo) so I had it speedy sleeved (photo). Havent got the old oil seal out yet, was going to try and make a hook for the end of the slide hammer and get it under the edge of the seal. Have also been suggested to dril a hole in the old seal, put in a self tapper and connect that to slide hammer.
Soaked the oil soaked handbrake shoes in petrol and that seems to get most of the oil out. Now I have to put it all back together.
Colin, in your photo the brake shoes have been put in so that the end of the shoe with pad almost to the end is next to the end of the other shoe that has the pad about 1.5 inches for the end. When I pulled mine apart the like ends were together (like in the photo) does it matter, is there a right way?
Peter

[gromit]

Colin, in your photo the brake shoes have been put in so that the end of the shoe with pad almost to the end is next to the end of the other shoe that has the pad about 1.5 inches for the end. When I pulled mine apart the like ends were together (like in the photo) does it matter, is there a right way?
Peter

Peter,
I put mine back in the same way they were fitted, checking the manual shows them the same way as I've fitted them. Mind you, I can't see that there would be much difference putting them in the other way round.

Colin

[happydad59]

Oil seal is in and sealed, no oil after 100km. Handbrake works when cold, but when hot the oil soaked into the shoes causes it to slip. Is it possible to get that oil out of the shoes, I tried soaking in petrol but didn't work. Local guru from Range Parts suggested vibration might be a worn front drive shaft - took it out and she is perfect - now have to replace that shaft.

One problem left, now that I have everything sealed I am getting heaps of gearbox oil (2 tablespoons in 20 km of city driving) coming out of the breather hole in the fairey overdrive. The breather had a split pin in but that didn't stop the oil. I have fitted a metal tube and then a rubber tube to elevate the breather up to floor level - it is still forcing oil out that tube. Does this indicate something wrong or just a landie idiosyncrasy?

[clubagreenie]

Where's the shaft worn? If its just unis it's cheap to fix, Peter will have bits. Just make sure he orders good ones not cheap ones. If its the slip joint then maybe find a good other one and rebuild or have the joint cut out and swapped over.

[happydad59]

Its the slip joint I'm afraid, going out to Land Vehicle tomorrow to see if they have one. Any ideas about the oil?

[clubagreenie]

I've usually used thinners to soak out stuff. But they might be too far gone and swell or even delaminates.

[chazza]

I have never done it, but the old boy who ran a mechanical business next door to me used to boil the shoes in water with a heavy dose of washing detergent. He said it used to take "about the time to finish a carton". Of course in the 1950's, parts were either hard to get or hideously expensive; hence the rather dubious repair.

I wouldn't recommend it for wheel brakes but it might do for a hand brake,

Cheers Charlie