I goofed today. Badly.
Building this LT77 I'd been really careful.
I printed off a copy of the 110 LT77 handbook* so I could write all my measurements on it and cross things off as done. Everything was going smoothly. Yesterday the main job was to manufacture a tool to push the collar on to the output shaft - the one on which the LT77 and LT230 seals run on. Having broken one of my other tools for holding things in place I went right overboard with this one. I was desperate to get the collar on so I could check the floats and order shims, but also check that the box shifts. On it went, too worked like a champ. After the hours spent getting the old one off I was happy to have that behind me.
Checked the floats, but the shims are WAY out of kilter. No real problem, I'll order those. The other thing I was keen to do is check that it shifts! Everything was in order to add the last components of the shift actuator. Then it hit me. The final selector ball joint to the selector shaft won't fit.
Penny drops.
I confirm my suspicions upon consultation of the genuine LR WSM for the Discovery, kept unsullied on the bookshelf away from grubby hands.
* The Discovery LT77 is the short stick model. The Defender is the long stick model. The selector assemblies are totally different. The selector joint needs to go on BEFORE the extension housing, which in my case was now held hostage by the collar. I had followed the manual to the letter and cornered myself.
But, today the gods love me. I had wondered how I had somehow ended up with two of the o-ring collars in my rebuild box. I had a spare! Knowing it was a total bear to remove, the one I'd just fitted had been assisted with some nickel anti-seize. I did have to grind the groove a little so my puller had better purchase. With fingers and toes crossed I cranked the hurt up on the puller and waited for the "ping". Thankfully it came and the collar moving. The extension housing came off without a fight and I fitted the ball joint, refitted the housing, added the shifter, tightened it all and tried it. Success! Shifting works and everything is happy.
The LT230 was unearthed and I'll get to shimming that up over the weekend, then order the last bits I need.
