LT95 out

[JDNSW]

I have just got the gearbox out of the 110 to fix the oil leak into the bell housing. A lot of work for what is really a minor problem. The oil pump cover is leaking by the looks.

Several things made it more difficult than normal. For a start, I had to remove the auxiliary fuel tank, which occupies the otherwise wasted space behind the transfer case. That is not a particularly easy job. Then I realised that to undo the gearbox mounts the water tank under the driver's feet had to come off.

Around this time I realised that the time I split the fuel return line a couple of years ago has had long term repercussions, The entire underbody got well coated with diesel, and every upward facing surface (tanks, gearbox, chassis rails, cross members etc had a deep deposit of diesel soaked sand, which surprisingly has not washed off even deep wading during the December rains. And falls into your eyes, down your sleeves, in your hair etc when disturbed. Going to have a cleanup while the box is out!

A further complicating factor is that the airconditioner is mounted under the centre cubby box, so it is not feasible to remove the centre panel. This means that the rear section of the transmission tunnel cannot be removed. It is possible to get the box out with this in place - just. But it also makes items like disconnecting the hi-lo lever and the handbrake cable interesting to put it mildly. I spent about an hour just undoing the handbrake cable - the nut had to be undone about three centimetres, and since it is impossible to get a spanner on it, this meant loosening the locknut from the other side of the bracket (where you can get a spanner on it) and then working on the thread with a toothbrush and WD40 until the nut could be turned by fingers - with the arm stuck up next to the transfer box.

When I finally got it out and on the ground, I winched it out to the side - and found that I had to jack the chassis up two inches to fit the bellhousing past the chassis rail (the chassis is sitting on four stands with the wheels just touching the concrete.

Tomorrow I need to go to town in the 2a, but will be back on it on Saturday. Fixing the oil leak won't take long, cleaning up will probably take longer, but I expect putting everything back together will be quicker than pulling it apart. And then there are the additional jobs - there is a bit of play in the front U-joint on the rear prop shaft, so that will get replaced, and the rubber boot on the spline on the front shaft needs replacing, and I plan on new seals front and back on the box. And there will undoubtedly be other problems come up.

John

[weeds]

big job by yourself JD

[one_iota]

If it is any consolation John....1986...that's a quarter of a century of good use. I don't imagine that many vehicles of that age running today would be any different. A testament to the Defender and its owner.

[JDNSW]

big job by yourself JD

Yes.

John

[Pedro_The_Swift]

you still have hair???

[isuzutoo-eh]

John while it is out could you please take some photos of your auxiliary fuel tank, and prefereably post a dimension or two as well?

Wish I had the nouse to do that sort of work myself!

[isuzurover]

... down your sleeves, ...

You mean you were wearing clothes John?


A couple of times I have started doing major jobs on the IIA or 110, then too late realised that it would have been prudent to give it a thorough underbody clean and degrease first.

[JDNSW]

You mean you were wearing clothes John?

Yes. crawling about under a car tends to wear out untoughened skin. Same reason I try to keep a hat on - it reduces damage; some of the bits under a Landrover are sharp. So far I have got away with just a large bruise on my right arm just below the elbow (undoing the brake cable I think), and a cut at the base of my left index finger (removing split pin on clevis pin, same bit!).

A couple of times I have started doing major jobs on the IIA or 110, then too late realised that it would have been prudent to give it a thorough underbody clean and degrease first.

I did give it a good go, even doing it after removing the front and rear floor, but from what I am finding I doubt that this would have removed the stuff on top of the chassis, tanks, gearbox etc no matter how well I did it. Remember this stuff was not removed by deep wading. And we are talking about up to an inch of sand cemented with diesel. As I said, the hose joining the fuel return stub to the nylon line just behind the fuel pump split, and I did several hundred kilometres before I spotted it.

John

[JDNSW]

John while it is out could you please take some photos of your auxiliary fuel tank, and prefereably post a dimension or two as well?

Wish I had the nouse to do that sort of work myself!

Will do so if my camera behaves.

John

[JDNSW]

Well, finished getting it together again yesterday.

The major problem was getting the box out and putting it back again. The actual repair took about an hour. Removed the cover and checked it for flatness - had warps between the bolts, especially in two places, one of them in the high pressure area. Lapped it flat using a sheet of plate glass and wet and dry. Reassembled using a new gasket and Loktite 567.

When refitting the gearbox, I did what I should have done taking it out - removed the Handbrake. It makes things a lot easier to get at. There were only two "problems" during the refitting. One was that I found that it is impossible to refit the boot round the gearlever to the transmission tunnel with this installed. So I had to remove it (all 14 screws, two of which are very hard to get a screwdriver on because of the fuse box!). fit the boot, and refit it over the gearlever. The second problem was that a test drive showed the hoses on the centre diff lock were switched. This could be corrected at the actuator, provided that you have double jointed wrists, and don't worry about losing a bit of skin.

Also fitted a new gearlever (broke it two years ago, got it welded and been carrying a new one ever since). This is a bit stiff but already getting freer.

Had a lot of trouble getting both the water and aux fuel tanks in - both have to go in at exactly the right angle, connecting hoses etc at the right times as you go.

Did a trip to town today as a check ride, no sign of problems.

John