Holiday disaster - blown gearbox!

**brianwood** · 24th June 2009, 10:32 AM

Hi everyone,
Well I finally returned after a 5 week holiday from Tassie to Darwin and back.
Brakes failed at Mataranka (split in RHS rubber hose to caliper) and drove 105km to Katherine with virtually no brakes with trailer in tow! Not good! Managed to get a new PBR unit overnight airfreighted from Melbourne thanks to helpful staff at Repco.
But the real drama was a persistent oil leak I was having which seemed to be coming from where the transfer and R380 gearbox join. I was thinking it was the typical input shaft seal problem in the transfer, so I topped the oil up (took 450ml) and kept driving.
Got 40km south of Marla Bore and shudder/clatter clatter!!! I pull over, stop engine. Try and start again. Gearbox in neutral. Engine won't turn. I'm thinking I've done a timing belt!
Put transfer in neutral and my mate tows me 236km into Coober Pedy.
We have the engine half stripped down, when I get my brother to try starting it again, this time with foot on clutch. All noises disappear! Aha, we says. Definate gearbox failure. I drain the gearbox and bairly 600ml comes out! Should hold around 2.3 litres! We take the transfer case off, fill the gearbox back up with oil and start engine. Lo and behold, the oil is coming out of the oil pump! Now I rebuilt this gearbox 12 months ago and put a new oil pump in it. But I remember over-tightening the 3 torx screws which must have distorted the back plate, causing the gasket to give out.
Anyway, we 'gasket gooed' the pump and put it back in. Refitted the transfer and test drove. It sounded awful. 1st, 2nd and 3rd were screaming. 4th was quiet. Definate bearing collapse somewhere. Put a tube of Wynns "gear lube" in to quite things down. Drove all the way back to Tassie gently in 4th. Used 1st, 2nd, 3rd very sparingly.
Now I have to pull it down and inspect the damage. Not looking forward to it at all...

mike 90 RR · 24th June 2009, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by brianwood

Hi everyone,

Put transfer in neutral and my mate tows me 236km into Coober Pedy.

Drove all the way back to Tassie gently in 4th.

The upside is .... you drove it home

Mike

**Scallops** · 24th June 2009, 01:03 PM

Sorry to hear that.

Had you paid the vehicle much attention in the lead up to your trip?

Anyhow - all the best getting everything sorted - look on the bright side - your next holiday will definitely be better!

**Chucaro** · 24th June 2009, 01:07 PM

I agree with Mike Brian, the LR brought you home

**bblaze** · 24th June 2009, 01:20 PM

I feel your pain, once drove my L300 4x4 around the great ocean road to portland with 4th and reverse. Not fun.
Hope all goes well sorting it out
cheers
blaze

**brianwood** · 24th June 2009, 01:27 PM

Thanks guys, yes one tough gearbox to hold together for those last 2000km. All sorts of crunching noises as I drove, but it got me home. For that I'm thankful, and proud of the ole D1!
In hindsight, I should have checked the oil level before I left, but felt a false sense of security knowing I had rebuilt it 12 months earlier. Won't make that mistake again!
You know, I spent my pre-trip time replacing and re-packing wheel bearings, fixing swivel bearings and seals - to be honest, didn't even give the gearbox and transfer a second thought...

**Cap** · 24th June 2009, 02:34 PM

The day I do a big trip I recon ill be booking the D1 in with Justin Cooper for a full lookover! Good to hear you got it back but, shows that even when half dead you can still drive the buggers

**V8Ian** · 24th June 2009, 07:01 PM

Next time just take the family, let Murphy sort his own holiday. I hope Murphy is not related.

Glad your all home safe, under your own steam.

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