Gearbox issue

[Seriestwo]

Hi all, I have a series 2a shorty which has a holden 179 conversion, it also has a series 3 gearbox (well i am guessing this as it has syncros in 1st and 2nd).

The problem is that it has developed a rather large vibration in 2nd and 3rd gears which also makes quite a loud shuddering noise, on changing gear into 4th the noise goes away.

What I need to know is would it be cheaper to find a 2nd hand gearbox or to get it rebuilt, I have rang a few "gearbox specialists" in brisbane and they wont touch it as it is "too old", so I am guessing that I should just get a 2nd hand box.

Fortunatly I have this week off due to haveing a finger removed last week but
Unfortunatly I need to get it going this week as I go back to work next week, and wont have time to have it running by easter.

So if anyone in or near Bisbane has a Series 3 gearbox for sale please let me know.

Chris

[JDNSW]

Problem with getting a second hand gearbox is being sure it is any better than the one you have, although this is likely to be cheaper than getting the gearbox overhauled.

It is likely that the problem is a bearing is failing and that simply replacing bearings and seals will give it a new lease of life. Continued use of it with these symptoms could lead to you being stranded somewhere.

John

[Seriestwo]

Thanks John, I am in the process of removing the box at the moment so I wont be doing any driving on it until I have solved the problem. I didn't ralise how much of a pain in the backside it is to remove a landy box. I have removed many other vehicles gearboxes and this is the most involved by far.

[JDNSW]

Thanks John, I am in the process of removing the box at the moment so I wont be doing any driving on it until I have solved the problem. I didn't ralise how much of a pain in the backside it is to remove a landy box. I have removed many other vehicles gearboxes and this is the most involved by far.

In the original soft top it is not too bad, but with any other body type removing the engine+gearbox as a unit from the front is often worthwhile, although in any case having body bolts that can be undone is a real advantage!

John

[Seriestwo]

In the original soft top it is not too bad, but with any other body type removing the engine+gearbox as a unit from the front is often worthwhile, although in any case having body bolts that can be undone is a real advantage!

John

I agree it would be easier that way. I have removed the interior in which the previous owner decided to tec screw the carpet down using around 50 or so tec screws, now tomorrow I am going to remove the transfer case and the gearbox. I am glad I am not paying someone to do it as it would cost a fortune in labour.

[Michael2]

SIII Gearboxes changed quite a bit through the suffixes (A to D) and some parts are not interchangable.

There's not a lot in them though and they should be pretty easy to rebuild. Fourwheeldrives in Melbourne still sell most parts.

You can cut the crossmember, weld on flanges for bolts to bolt it back up, and remove the box from underneath. It's also possible to remove the t/case (by dismantling it in situ virtually) and then remove the box from underneath.

The easiest way is to unbolt the grille from the chassis and the front guards (also the lower section of the guard) from the firewall. Then unplug all the wiring (or cut it and add plugs), undo the linkages and the radiator hoses, the remove the grilled with the radiator and the front panels as one unit. You can do it on your own, but 2 people can balance it better,

Then you have the motor sitting on a chassis. You can remove the motor & gearbox together. This way you don't need to crane it out at a high angle, you can work all around it, and it won't scrape any of your guards. Then remove and repair the box, while you're at it, insulate the firewall, fix oil leaks on the motor....... etc.

I reckon they should have hinged the grille panel and clamped the guards to the firewall, then you could just flip the whole front of the car open for working on the engine without having to reach over the guards.

[Michael2]

By the way, I'm clearing my shed and I have a SII box complete and one in bits - free to a good home, but I'm in Melbourne, and it won't really help with the SIII box.

[JDNSW]

.......

I reckon they should have hinged the grille panel and clamped the guards to the firewall, then you could just flip the whole front of the car open for working on the engine without having to reach over the guards.

The mudguards are actually attached to the firewall by screws that mostly do not have to be completely remove, and I have daydreamed about such a modification. But if the bolts are not seized, it is possible to remove a mudguard in about ten minutes. I would be inclined to remove them separately to remove the engine.

John

[dandlandyman]

I got so good at taking the floor and seatbox out of my 2a I could do it (including shifting all my everyday-use garbage) in just under an hour... But yeah it's very involved. Though I heard the other day that some newer cars with independent front suspension need the entire front axle dropped down to take the engine out! I'll stick with the simplicity of my Landies, thanks...

I've also found it a bit easier to fit and remove the gearbox and transfer case as separate pieces - not so heavy and awkward to align the splines.

Another diagnosis: seeing as it mainly affects 2nd and 3rd gears, it could be the bush between these gears on the mainshaft. They break regularly.

Dan.
69 2A 88" pet4, 74 3 109" pet4, 68 2B FC pet6.

[Seriestwo]

By the way, I'm clearing my shed and I have a SII box complete and one in bits - free to a good home, but I'm in Melbourne, and it won't really help with the SIII box.

I would love to take you up on that offer but I am in Brisbane.

So tomorrow I will have the gearbox out and hopefully take off the inspection plate and have a look, but I am not confident at all in working on gearboxes, so if I cant find a replacement gearbox then I will have to get this one rebuilt.

So if anyone has either a series 2a or series 3 gearbox for sale pls let me know.

Thanks
Chris

[btm]

Hello.... Did you say you just had a finger removed??? Sorry, couldn't beleive that no-one else mentioned that?? :(

[Seriously_Series]

If you still keen on getting it rebuilt.

The Gearbox Shop at Woolloongabba does them.

23 Nile Street
Woolloongabba QLD 4102

From my experiance they have a good collection of Series Gearbox spares.

[Seriestwo]

Thanks for the comments guys, yeah I did loose a finger, I was playing touch football and it got caught in a short pocket and snapped. I had a couple of operations to get it fixed but eventually it was removed because it wasn't responding to treatment.

But to fix my gearbox problem I purchased a 2nd Land rover. It is a series 2a LWB 5 door wagon. It has origional 2.25l engine and gearbox, it has Gal dipped chassis, salsbury diff, larger brakes, and everything works still. Plus it came with so many spares they bearly fit in the back. The only problem with the car is that it has rust in the rear wheel arch in the bottom of the door arch. Rust in all the doors, rust in the gully at the top of the dash directly under the air vents, and rust in the panel that the headlights attach too.

So I am not sure if I will take the gearbox out of that one or just do whats needed to it to get a RWC and register it. It drives very well as I just drove it from Bribie Island to Brisbane north. It was registed but the owner followed me home and took the plates with him.

[Shonky]

Interesting that it has a front mounted exhaust...

Looks alright. :) Maybe just tidy up the new beastie?

[Seriestwo]

Interesting that it has a front mounted exhaust...

Looks alright. :) Maybe just tidy up the new beastie?

I was thinking that the front mounted exhaust was weird too. Is the front mounted exhaust illegal in QLD??

Apparently the owner before the guy I purchased it from worked in the navy workshop in brisbane and it purchased it directly from the Navy. But there is no way to check this as it has been issued with a new chassis number due to the fact that the chassis has been Gal dipped and the firewall replaced.

[Shonky]

Not sure on legalities in Qld, but I am fairly certain that ADRs state that it has to terminate behind the rear wheels...

This of course pre dates ADRs so you could get around it if you could prove that it was an original fitment for the vehicle. Army Radio and Workshop vehicles were so maybe that is your loophole.

VERY interesting that it is ostensibly ex-RAN... Is there any chance you could bring up the original chassis number?

I'll point Phoenix (REMLR administrator) towards this post - he will be interested in the vehicle no doubt. ;)

The Registry of Ex Military Land Rovers. Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. (http://www.remlr.com)

[Seriestwo]

Thanks Andrew. For those of you who want to know the engine number is 25311943K and the new VIN is Q715ELC. I have searched the REMLR website and I cant see it listed,

Cheers
Chris

[Phoenix]

No, that's nothing like the original chassis number. Is the original chassis number still stamped anywhere on plates under teh bonnet or on the firewall or seat box?

Richard

[Andy-M]

Hi Seriestwo

My old girl is a 5 door on an old navy galvenised chassis, the chassis number is still readable on the spring hanger.

If you decide to wreck the 5 door I am looking for seatbelts and all mounting points for a 5 door wagon. I can get away with no seatbelts but would feel safer with them fitted.:angel:


Cheers Andy

[Seriestwo]

I couldn't seem to find any numbers on the car anyware. So I rang the previous owner and I asked him about it and he rang me back with the previous owners number. So I rang him and he said that it was not a RAN vehicle but he had purchased one 2nd hand and put alot of RAN bits and pieces on it. Then it sat in his shed for 10 years or so and he started to rebuild the car which was when he took the chassis off and got it Gal dipped, he changed the firewall from another vehicle and painted the entire car the navy grey to match a few panels he had replaced. The original colour was gold from what I can see.

I took it to my mechanic this afternoon too see what it needs for a saferty certificate and it only needs the door tops replaced, some rust taken from the bottom of the drivers side rear passenger door sil, and the brakes booster replaced and the brakes bled.

So it should be on the road by the end of the week.

Thanks for all your thoughts and information with this issue.

Chris