Fixing a transfer case leak - Not happy!

[Chazb]

My Disco 2 has been at a local 4wd mechanic to fix up a leaking transfer case - he already tried tightening up the bolts he could reach but it didnt fix the leak (in fact it got a bit worse) a week ago, so this time he was intending to drop it out and fix it up properly. He got half way through the job yesterday.....

HOWEVER.....

he says he needs a special tool to remove it completely and no Land Rover dealer in Melbourne would sell him the part required!

Has anyone else heard of this? I had a chat with the Service Manager at MLR and he was of the opinion that the local 4wd mechanic should have the tool and it showed he didnt know what he was doing if he didn't. My argument to him was why should a 9 year old car need a special tool to fix a common problem such as a transfer case oil leak? Fell on deaf ears though. He also said in his experience in the UK these tools should be available, but of course he couldnt say where.....

I am obviously not happy as now I will have to pay my 4wd mechanic for the aborted work (80 per hour) AND a LR dealer (130 per hour) to actually do the work! :mad:

Thoughts and/or advice please?!

[mns488]

Can't say for sure but i doubt there is a special tool needed.

My non landrover mechanic (previous) managed to remove and refit mine several times.

He also managed to make it need a complete rebuild:angel:.... that was the start of my transfer case saga (long long story). Touch wood, all fixed now:).

I'd also say take it to AMV who i now take it to. I have been happy with the work they did on my transfer case, including cost.

[BigJon]

No special tool required that I am aware of. We have a bracket that bolts onto the gearbox lift as an adaptor, but it isn't 100% neccessary for transfer case removal / refit.

[Psimpson7]

If its just a manual r380 with the lt230 transfer case, which I think it is, removing the transfer case is pretty easy, and doesnt require any special tools as far as I can remember.. (done a few td5 defender ones...)

Pete

[jmkoffice]

While it is out and in pieces get the LR specialist to install a bush to the intermediate shaft where it seals to the centre case. Over time the shaft wears the case out-of-round which then causes an oil leak due to the o-ring not sealing correctly.

[Chazb]

Thanks for the replies.

Kindly the 4wd mechanic didnt charge me for the aborted work he did. He was sure a removal tool was needed and had researched getting one from the UK at a cost of about $2800. I am not sure exactly what he meant (after I checked transfer case removal in RAVE as well), but he seemed to think removal of a gear needed some sort of spacer???? There is mention of a LR part in RAVE, some sort of holding plate? Anyway, he didnt charge me so thats ok - it just means I'll have to go a LR specialist and pay their hourly rate :(

On that note anybody heard of or recommend Deacon Autos in East Bentleigh?

[Chazb]

OK, I am at a complete loss tonight and feeling ******* annoyed!

I picked the car up at 17:30 tonight, after handing over a lot of cash for the cleaning up of the original bodge job someone did trying to fix my transfer case oil leak. A LR specialist has done this cleanup, by that I mean completely removing the transfer case, cleaning up all the sealant that had broken away inside (wrong sealant used by last guy), and refitting with threebond sealant (the correct type - apparently). I have already paid two expensive bills - one for replacing the reverse light switch which was leaking high up on the gearbox and second for this more major work on the transfer case at this LR specialist at their expensive hourly rate.

Now...when I pick the car up it was dry underneath, I checked and am 100% sure.

I drive 23kms home and checked again - it is dripping onto the floor just as it was when I gave it to them (5 days ago, including making me go the weekend without the car - but that is another moan) :mad:

I am absolutely furious, and will be straight back to them tomorrow morning (that in itself is enough of a drag)....but what do you guys think....are they taking the p**s out of me? Do you think the threebond sealant hasnt had long enough to seal? I know they put it back together this afternoon so it wouldnt surprise me if it was only an hour or two before I drove it 23km.

I certainly wont be paying another cent to get it fixed up for the last time (I leave Melbourne in three weeks on a big trip). And am happy to splash their name all over this forum and anywhere else I think necessary if they mess me around again! Even consumer affairs is not a problem for me!!!

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers (a slowly winding down),
Chazb.

[Blknight.aus]

if yovue asked them to fix a tcase leak and its actually the transmission you might be in a bit of trouble they fixed what was asked of them and thats it.

you might also find its something stupid like not doing the bottom gasket bolts up correctly with the right goop. Ive been guilty of that.

[Chazb]

Ta for the reply Dave.

They have had the car for 5 days - this time - previously they had it for 2 days to identify the reverse light switch leak, so I sincerely hope they went for the transfer case knowing what they were doing, rather than just taking a shot with their eyes closed.

Anyhow, since the car has cooled down, the leaks have really subsided, I got one drip on a piece of cardboard in about 3-4 hours. I also tweaked up the two bolts that are holding on a spacer (not sure what the part is, but its a black bracket attached to the transfer case) that appear to be "seeping".

Now in the morning after a 30 minute drive if there is still a seep/leak I will be taking it straight back into their workshop for a) an explanation and b) a fix whilst I wait (maybe they did forget to put some sealant in somewhere) at no cost to me whatsoever - except for the inconvenience!

If it is dry as a bone then I will be happy. But I doubt that will be the case...

Oh the joy.

[Blknight.aus]

mate some pics of whats going on would be helpful at this point...

but the leak should have been picked up on the test drive... they did do a test drive didnt they? I had assumed that the leak was coming from the gearbox/tcase join or the inspection plate immediately below it.

[Chazb]

Hi Dave, they definitely have been taking it out, steam cleaning, taking it out again, etc. to identify what was leaking.

I'm taking it straight back to the workshop this morning after a good 20 minute run to see how it looks. Overnight it wasn't bad, but there is definitely still a leak around the two bolts on the bracket - I'll post pics tonight if I bring it home and it's still doing it - I sincerely hope not!

After more than 7 days a massive bill you would think that they had finally got this bloody leak really. And I am gonna be annoyed if they cannot fit me in today.

Chazb.

[Chazb]

Just to put some closure on this thread:

At the weekend I took out the centre console and found the first mechanic I asked to look at my leak had not put the top plate back on the gearbox properly: a) there was a bolt that was less than finger tight, i.e. rattling around and b) there was a gap in the sealant in the same area. I reckon the gearbox oil was p*ssing out of this weak point. He'd also screwed back in the weather plate above the gearbox top plate and carelessly put in one or two rivets rather than the 20 odd that are required.

Overall it was a real mess. I took it to a mate's dad (a Toyota mechanic) and we fixed it up really nicely. No more leak. I am beginning to learn about LR...if you want it done properly and cheaply...well, you know who to get to do it!

I am also wondering if the reverse light switch was ever leaking - as one LR specialist suggested (even though they admitted they had never had one leak before), but figured I am not gonna get anything back from them, so am just down $$$$'s and was without the car for 7 days, but there is no point crying over spilt oil I guess! I just wont be going to a dealer ever again unless I absolutely have to.....(and I have a brake/three amigos problem that reared it's head today so that may be soon).

[simonl8353]

Geeez Chazb, I really hope you can get to the bottom of this..

What and how were you driving when the 3 amigo's hit?

Any; squeeling brakes, corregations, mushy brake pedal ?

Seriously wish you all the best dude!.