Thread: Seized VC, need some advice

Originally Posted by POD

My 94 RR has the dreaded seized viscous coupling syndrome. I'm weighing up my options, given the following:
(a) I have a LT230 in bits in a tub in the shed, centre diff shims are worn but gears look okay.
(b) The LT230 in my 88RR was rebuilt just a couple of years ago, new bearings of course, nice & tight in the centre diff but the gears have now done 475,000km and are noisy as all getout.
(c) I'm probably going to wreck the 88 as the ash tray is well and truly full.
(d) I don't want my future to hold regular VC failures.

So, I'm contemplating pulling the LT230 out of the 88 and putting the less-worn gears from the dismantled box in it, and converting the 94 model to LT230.
However, I have no experience with this swap, so I'm wondering what the implications are. Are there any electronics on the soft-dash 94RRC that will cause the car to reject the transplant? Would I have to hack the centre console to get the sideways selector movement for diff-lock? Will the propshafts still fit or do I need different shafts? Will the electronic speedo sender fit the LT230? Is there some other problem waiting to bite me on the bum? Would I be better off just fitting a new VC? Is there a locking diff conversion for the BW TC?
Any advice gratefully received.
Pete

Pete,
Firstly not all LT230's are compatible internally with one another, different tooth counts etc over the years so check carefull that the internals can be swapped OK. Secondly as you have a donor vehicle then yes it is a comparitively easy conversion, is the other '88 an auto aswell? If not you will need a TC shifter bracket and a ZF auto to LT230 jack shaft as the BW case jack shaft off the ZF has too short splines for the LT230 input gear. (Failing that get a machine shop to bore out the input gear splines 20mm.) The front tailshafts are different, and the console will need hacking to get the sideways movement for CDL.

It is a good conversion, a LOT easier with a donor vehicle on hand!

JC

Thanks for the reply Justin. To avoid damaging the centre console, I'm wondering whether the electronic CDL activator from some other model can be fitted? This vehicle has zero modifications (had had coils fitted but I have re-installed the EAS), so I'm very reluctant to start cutting at things that can not be reversed.
The 88 is an auto, so I guess all the bits for conversion should be right there. I'm also thinking I could reassemble the bakset-case LT230 to put back into the 88, put all the best (least worn) bits into one case for the 94 then all the older bits into the old faithfull to keep it mobile. Think I even have a spare front propshaft somewhere- I bought a heap of leftover bits from an 87RR a couple of years back.

My little brother in Maffra had the same action with his 93 LSE. He took the path of importing a complete Ashcroft VC transfer case about 2 years ago.

They ought to last 200K, so it was a fair jigger.

Cost landed was about $1460 then. The advantage is that it's a straight swap. Insert oil and go. No "friggin' with the engineeein'", and the vehicle stays as originally specified.

All for 5c !

Pete

Thanks Pierre, I'll look into this. Seems to me that the viscous coupling was a good idea but not a great idea; nice if it had worked well and lasted the life of the vehicle (like any other transmission) but it didn't. I'm surprised no-one has produced a manual locking centre diff to fit the BW transfer case as a direct replacement for the viscous unit, I would think there would be a market for such a thing.