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Thread: Autobox hard changes after Ashcroft torque converter upgrade

  1. #1
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    Autobox hard changes after Ashcroft torque converter upgrade

    Hi guys,

    I'm relatively new to all of this, but will try to be as comprehensive as possible. I'm looking for some advice on an issue I'm having with my 99 TD5.

    I'll start from a few years back...I started getting errors related to the XYZ inhibitor. Followed the steps online to fix, by removing, cleaning out, packing with vaseline, refitting and rerouting aircon drain line. This fixed the issue, but sometimes you have to wiggle the selector to get the computer to acknowledge that it's in drive. Also, I cant engage first gear (but I think this is just an adjustment I haven't yet done. This is just a bit of background that might be relevant.

    A couple of months ago, the engine ran dry of oil without me realising. The previous owner had a Frantz filter installed, and the line into it burst while I was driving at 11pm on the highway in a thunderstorm. I found a low km 2003 disco td5 motor and replaced it with my neighbour who is a mechanic. Three days of driving and everything is feeling like normal, or maybe even a little better. Suddenly, I had no power (on the highway again). After much poking and prodding and discussing/eliminating potential causes, it was determined that the torque converter had failed. My neighbour has a contact here in Brisbane who is a Land Rover specialist, and also another contact who is an Auto box rebuilder, and everyone agreed that was the likely issue. I spent a bit of time going over the forums, and learnt about the Ashcroft upgraded TC arrangement, so decided to go that way. I sourced a secondhand V8 TC and swapped it for a rebuilt TC from ASNU. We pulled out the box and fitted it up over the weekend just gone. The issue was evidently the TC, and when we removed it we found fibrous material in the tranny fluid (coming out of the TC), which appeared to the from the failed clutch plate. Sunday afternoon I'm driving again and feeling all the benefits that I'd read about on the forums of upgrading the torque converter. The only issue, is that the gear changes are very hard between first and second, and between third and second. They are also hard (but not as hard) between second and third, and between second and first. Every gear change sends a noticeable shunt along the driveline, but the aforementioned changes are particularly hard - so much so that I'm concerned about damaging it. How hard I'm driving doesn't seem to have a big impact on how hard they change.

    The front drive shaft has just been replaced a few months ago. The gearbox was fully rebuilt around 6 years ago but a very reputable rebuilder here in Brisbane. We flushed the oil cooler lines, put in a new transmission filter kit, drained all the tranny fluid and replaced with Dexron-III. I have put the nanocom on and cleared any Autobox faults. I switched the MAF sensor for another that I had here. My old engine had the injector loom sealed to prevent oil reaching the ECU, but the new engine's injector loom appears not to have been done as I checked last night and oil is reaching the ECU again (only a little, not nearly as bad as last time when I discovered the issue and replaced the loom). I am still running the original ECU from my 99 motor, which has been chipped for towing. The transmission is definitely not low on fluid, and we believe we removed the air when filling. The gearbox wasn't changing hard before or after the engine was replaced, only after we upgraded the TC just now. Ever since the box was rebuilt, changing down to second always made a little clunk but the guy who did the rebuild said it will wear in and over the years it appears to have.

    I think that covers everything...also lately I have replaced the PS box and the radiator...I'm not having a great run! Does anyone have any ideas of what might be causing the hard changes?

    Thanks in advance...Shane.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by aaact1 View Post
    Hi guys,

    I'm relatively new to all of this, but will try to be as comprehensive as possible. I'm looking for some advice on an issue I'm having with my 99 TD5.

    I'll start from a few years back...I started getting errors related to the XYZ inhibitor. Followed the steps online to fix, by removing, cleaning out, packing with vaseline, refitting and rerouting aircon drain line. This fixed the issue, but sometimes you have to wiggle the selector to get the computer to acknowledge that it's in drive. Also, I cant engage first gear (but I think this is just an adjustment I haven't yet done. This is just a bit of background that might be relevant.

    A couple of months ago, the engine ran dry of oil without me realising. The previous owner had a Frantz filter installed, and the line into it burst while I was driving at 11pm on the highway in a thunderstorm. I found a low km 2003 disco td5 motor and replaced it with my neighbour who is a mechanic. Three days of driving and everything is feeling like normal, or maybe even a little better. Suddenly, I had no power (on the highway again). After much poking and prodding and discussing/eliminating potential causes, it was determined that the torque converter had failed. My neighbour has a contact here in Brisbane who is a Land Rover specialist, and also another contact who is an Auto box rebuilder, and everyone agreed that was the likely issue. I spent a bit of time going over the forums, and learnt about the Ashcroft upgraded TC arrangement, so decided to go that way. I sourced a secondhand V8 TC and swapped it for a rebuilt TC from ASNU. We pulled out the box and fitted it up over the weekend just gone. The issue was evidently the TC, and when we removed it we found fibrous material in the tranny fluid (coming out of the TC), which appeared to the from the failed clutch plate. Sunday afternoon I'm driving again and feeling all the benefits that I'd read about on the forums of upgrading the torque converter. The only issue, is that the gear changes are very hard between first and second, and between third and second. They are also hard (but not as hard) between second and third, and between second and first. Every gear change sends a noticeable shunt along the driveline, but the aforementioned changes are particularly hard - so much so that I'm concerned about damaging it. How hard I'm driving doesn't seem to have a big impact on how hard they change.

    The front drive shaft has just been replaced a few months ago. The gearbox was fully rebuilt around 6 years ago but a very reputable rebuilder here in Brisbane. We flushed the oil cooler lines, put in a new transmission filter kit, drained all the tranny fluid and replaced with Dexron-III. I have put the nanocom on and cleared any Autobox faults. I switched the MAF sensor for another that I had here. My old engine had the injector loom sealed to prevent oil reaching the ECU, but the new engine's injector loom appears not to have been done as I checked last night and oil is reaching the ECU again (only a little, not nearly as bad as last time when I discovered the issue and replaced the loom). I am still running the original ECU from my 99 motor, which has been chipped for towing. The transmission is definitely not low on fluid, and we believe we removed the air when filling. The gearbox wasn't changing hard before or after the engine was replaced, only after we upgraded the TC just now. Ever since the box was rebuilt, changing down to second always made a little clunk but the guy who did the rebuild said it will wear in and over the years it appears to have.

    I think that covers everything...also lately I have replaced the PS box and the radiator...I'm not having a great run! Does anyone have any ideas of what might be causing the hard changes?

    Thanks in advance...Shane.
    Not that you would know the answer, but it’s curious why the the Frantz filter was installed. The Frantz is a by-pass filter, however, the TD5 has a by-pass filter fitted as standard - you’d know it as the Centrifugal Filter..
    LROCV member #131
    1999 build D2 TD5 Auto, Mantec snorkel, 2" LRA spring lift, ARB on board air, Ashcroft ATB, CMM air ram CDL shifter, swag & gold pans ....

  3. #3
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    So you installed a new torque converter in the same transmission?

    Was the transmission disassembled, inspected and rebuilt (again).

    I would imagine the cause to be the failed clutch material you found has contaminated parts of the tranny ( valve body etc) causing harsh shifts.

    Some Good rebuilders won’t even warrant their work unless you change the transmission cooler due to possible contamination for example.
    Cheers

    Simon
    2003 D2a TD5, ACE, SLS, Vienna Green.

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    Quote Originally Posted by onebob View Post
    Not that you would know the answer, but it’s curious why the the Frantz filter was installed. The Frantz is a by-pass filter, however, the TD5 has a by-pass filter fitted as standard - you’d know it as the Centrifugal Filter..
    You're not the first to ask or to point out the redundancy of it. Why the previous owner felt he needed 3 oil filters, I'm not quite sure - he had a lot of work done on it because he simply wanted reliability and longevity, and I think the Frantz filter fell into that line of thinking. Needless to say, I haven't reinstalled it...

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by simonmelb View Post
    So you installed a new torque converter in the same transmission?

    Was the transmission disassembled, inspected and rebuilt (again).

    I would imagine the cause to be the failed clutch material you found has contaminated parts of the tranny ( valve body etc) causing harsh shifts.

    Some Good rebuilders won’t even warrant their work unless you change the transmission cooler due to possible contamination for example.

    I really know nothing about autoboxes, but after reading the forums and seeing suggestions for others with similar harsh change issues to rebuild the valve body I watched an instructional video on how to do it. Now that I know what it looks like in there, I'd have to agree with you - it is the likely issue. All we did was flush the oil cooler lines, dump the tranny fluid, and replace the filter - so it is likely still floating around in the galleries and causing drama. Now to decide whether to pay for it to be done, or have a crack at it myself...

  6. #6
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    A DIY rebuild is definitely possible- one Auro member here did it a few years ago using a kit from the US. I’ll try and find it for you tomorrow as the thread had lots of tips and pictures.

    You need to be scrupulously methodical and clean. Not something I would be game to try but could be a good challenge 😊

    Quote Originally Posted by aaact1 View Post
    I really know nothing about autoboxes, but after reading the forums and seeing suggestions for others with similar harsh change issues to rebuild the valve body I watched an instructional video on how to do it. Now that I know what it looks like in there, I'd have to agree with you - it is the likely issue. All we did was flush the oil cooler lines, dump the tranny fluid, and replace the filter - so it is likely still floating around in the galleries and causing drama. Now to decide whether to pay for it to be done, or have a crack at it myself...
    Cheers

    Simon
    2003 D2a TD5, ACE, SLS, Vienna Green.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by onebob View Post
    Not that you would know the answer, but it’s curious why the the Frantz filter was installed. The Frantz is a by-pass filter, however, the TD5 has a by-pass filter fitted as standard - you’d know it as the Centrifugal Filter..

    Might have been done to relocate the spin on filter to a more convenient location?

  8. #8
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    Have you reset the adaptive values in the Auto ECU?

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lemo View Post
    Have you reset the adaptive values in the Auto ECU?
    Hi Lemo, no I haven't - I've seen this mentioned, but I've got an iCarSoft scanner and haven't yet been able to work out how to do it.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by admiralranga View Post
    Might have been done to relocate the spin on filter to a more convenient location?
    OP says that there were 3 filters - so if i understand that correctly then the main full flow filter was retained.

    Actually I have recently bought all the “bits”to do a spin-on filter remote re-location for my Td5.
    LROCV member #131
    1999 build D2 TD5 Auto, Mantec snorkel, 2" LRA spring lift, ARB on board air, Ashcroft ATB, CMM air ram CDL shifter, swag & gold pans ....

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