Clunky Puma Gearbox

[Witchdoctor]

Test drove my second Defender & first 90 yesterday, found the gearbox rather clunky 1st to 2nd & 3rd back to 2nd.
Is this a normal thing?
I do understand they are trucks but i'm about to spend, if this is standard i can handle that.
Appreciate input.

Cheers
David

[camel_landy]

How you drive them makes a big difference too... If you try for fast changes, you'll find it clunky. Take your time with the changes, you'll find it a lot smoother.

The Defender isn't built for speed...

M

[spudboy]

Also - the box gets better with a few thousand KMs on it, but yeah - it's not a racing box, it's a truck.

[Symo]

Heaps better after a few 1000k, a pig when cold but if you take your time it's fine. As all say, it's not a racing box.

[Sue]

I can drive mine with virtually no noise at gear changes.. but put someone else behind the wheel and it's a clunking all over the place..

As camel_landy said, a lot of it is how you drive it and you do get used to the gear box quickly...

[spudboy]

Mrs Spud, who normally drives an automatic, can really murder the PUMA gearbox

[newhue]

Mine has 60k on it and third has started to develop a definite clunk into 3rd. It's not all the time and quite often noticed more with a slower than normal change. It doexnt make any noise, but you feel the selectors clunking into place. Ocassionally it gets a bit tight going into third as well.
You do need to have the clutch all the way down otherwise it doesn't chage well.

[TimNZ]

Mine has 60k on it and third has started to develop a definite clunk into 3rd. It's not all the time and quite often noticed more with a slower than normal change. It doexnt make any noise, but you feel the selectors clunking into place. Ocassionally it gets a bit tight going into third as well.
You do need to have the clutch all the way down otherwise it doesn't chage well.

Is there any sign of a rusty coloured stain coming out of the hole in the bottom of the gearbox extension housing, (before the transfer box)? If there is I would seriously recommend getting the splines on the output shaft of the gearbox inspected.

Cheers,

Tim

[NT5224]

With just a few of thousand on the clock the Puma is settling in nicely-
I agree that leisurely gear changes help.

As somebody wrote on here a little while back, a Puma gear change is actually two moves. First, a deliberate shift to neutral and then a move into your selected gear.

Great advice, and when you get used to it, very little clunking on gear change. Don't worry about all the leadfoots in their oriental bubblecars behind you. Nice and slow does the trick...

cheers

Alan

[Chops]

With just a few of thousand on the clock the Puma is settling in nicely-
I agree that leisurely gear changes help.

As somebody wrote on here a little while back, a Puma gear change is actually two moves. First, a deliberate shift to neutral and then a move into your selected gear.

Great advice, and when you get used to it, very little clunking on gear change. Don't worry about all the leadfoots in their oriental bubblecars behind you. Nice and slow does the trick...

cheers

Alan

I wish it were this easy in the city (Melb), one of my "pro's and "con's" theories when getting the Defer, was it would slow me down,, "I'd be more relaxed" as a driver,,,, fat chance,,