Thread: ZF auto clunks when engaging reverse.

the most common cause of power on/off clunks in a Disco is just the high number of gearsets in the driveline, each of which has a bit of play.
The LT230 is a gear drive transfer case, and a lot of the clunks are found in the clearances in the gears eg the spline on the gearbox output shaft, the output gear to the intermediate gear and so on.
Generally chain drive transfers are quieter and have fewer clunks, hence most modern transfer cases are chain driven. eg Jeep, Jap, Range Rover.
Of course you should eliminate things like the rear axle ball joint, and loose bush bolts etc, But you will always have SOME slop.
A Work colleague, bought a new late series one Disco in 2000 and found that the power on/off clunk at 60 KMH was unacceptable. Rover fitted 2 transfer cases and hand built a third without him being satisfied with its slop.
I miss my old 77 going "Ka chunk, Ka chunk kachunk" when I used to stop in low range. My 92 just stops.
Reagrds Philip A

had my zf serviced yesterday

everything is great with the box they said, 180000 on the clock and it has done some towing in it's time...

overheating and blowing dipstick prob caused by overfill

there is a difference in how it drives so it did something.

G'day All,
My 3 speed auto 84 Rangie clunks loudly from forward to reverse, sometimes at least. Very slight clunk when going from trailing throttle to accellerate, but if the go pedal is used gently, noise is inaudable.

How reliable are these old 3 speeds?
I had Suzuki 3 speed auto that died after 220 thousand k's[wouldn't shift from 1st to 2nd for a very long time....3 kms in winter] only cost $980 to rebuild...cheap I thought. The Auto Trans guy said the old 3 speeds very robust, as long as they didn't overheat. Are these Rover 3 speeds a similar design to other mid eighties autos?

I hadn't realised just how much the old auto was slipping, until it was rebuilt!

The auto in the Rangie changes fine, up & down even when stone cold.

Cheers Scott.