R380 rumbling in 5th

[Jeff]

I was driving home on the motorway today and noticed a rumbling at speed. I slowed and it went away, initially I thought uni joint, but noticed it only happened in 5th. Once I left the motorway, I didn't get into 5th and the rumbling didn't reappear.

Tomorrow, I have to tow my race sidecar to Eastern Creek, and now am worried the gearbox may be on the way out. Will it be ok if I avoid 5th? I am about to go and drop the oil.

Sorry not for searching old threads, but in a bit of a rush.

Jeff

[goingbush]

I was driving home on the motorway today and noticed a rumbling at speed. I slowed and it went away, initially I thought uni joint, but noticed it only happened in 5th. Once I left the motorway, I didn't get into 5th and the rumbling didn't reappear.

Tomorrow, I have to tow my race sidecar to Eastern Creek, and now am worried the gearbox may be on the way out. Will it be ok if I avoid 5th? I am about to go and drop the oil.

Sorry not for searching old threads, but in a bit of a rush.

Jeff

same thing here I didn't notice the sound at first, as we have been travelling on dirt, my wife picked up the noise, the next day I could hear it, and in all gears except 4th. we made the call to lay up the caravan in Longreach and head back to Sydney without the extra load. Driving only in L & H 4th 1700km later the gearbox is noisy now even in 4th, all other gears sound like a cement mixer (but still do work)

I drained the oil as soon as the problem became apparent, it was clean with no bits & no more fuzz on the magnetic plug than usual, so put the same oil back in with about 20% moreys oil stabiliser. (I'd only replaced the syntrans 1000km earlier)

I'f I was towing the van (1.6t) I have no doubt it would have lasted only a few hundred km, you should be ok, but like you say, stay out of 5th


Took only 7 days for a New Ashcroft box with Heavy Duty rear support bearings to arrive

good luck.

[Jeff]

Took only 7 days for a New Ashcroft box with Heavy Duty rear support bearings to arrive

good luck.

How much did the Ashcroft box cost including shipping?

Jeff

[goingbush]

Outright R380 suffix L (no exchange box sent back) 845
With HD rear support Housing & big bearings fitted 160
PLUS a new DMF 260
PLUS new Clutch kit 105
Door to door delvery 360
= 1730 GBP , via paypal = AU$2956

( you might also incur customs Duty, I think I got away with that one)

Bargain if you ask me.

In retrospect I should have done it at the outset of my trip, but my R380 was perfect at 170,000km & had no reason to swap it out, I always thought not towing in 5th was for pussies, well you live & learn.

[Jeff]

Drained the oil. It wasn't dirty, but had fine metal in it. No chunks, just very fine silver particles. Here is the sump plug.


Jeff

[Jeff]

Well, made it to Eastern Creek and back, but didn't use fifth, and kept hearing noises, most imagined, but some probably real. Going downhill it seemed to rumble in fourth unless I accelerated, making for an interesting trip with the trailer.

Jeff

[big harold]

Do a search on 5th gear bearing. These can be replaced without removing the gearbox. Drop the transfer off and remove the back housing of the gearbox. Replace the bearing and re-assemble. 1 day job if you have all he parts. It would be better to do it now than have a big failure.

[Jeff]

I think doing the 5th would be a temporary fix only. There is probably bits of metal in the gearbox, so may as well do it properly. I am waiting on quotes from my local LR guy, and will get some from Ashcrofts and another guy with reco R380s on ebay. I need it done in two weeks to tow to Phillip Island.

Jeff

[Jeff]

I ended up going for the local LR guy rebuild. They could do it quicker, and the prices were about the same.

Jeff