Thread: R380 5th gear

Originally Posted by justinc

VNX,

Yes, the filter isn't a tight seal, makes you wonder why they bothered actually..

You have done really well, the bearing that you have found is the only real fail point in these boxes, but at least they have a support brg. Most other vehicles, (Jap ones ...)have constant failures with 5th gear and the R380 is by far stronger in this area.

JC

Is that why even though it is not the biggest bearing in the box it is just about the most expensive?

The parts catalogue I looked up had that one at $95 and other bigger bearings of similar design at half that price.

I might have to shop around.

Thanks again for your help, advice, sympathy, explanations and encouragement.

Originally Posted by vnx205

<snip>
There is no sign that the gearbox has ever been worked on so it seems that by 1998 LR had worked out how to avoid the problem suffered by the early R380s. Mine of course has the four holes.

<snip>

Read this thread Suffix 'K' vs 'J' R380 ??

BTW, fit the rear main seal before re-installing the collar, it's a bit of a pain the other way around, you need to make an install tool to get it over the groove in the collar for the puller.

Originally Posted by justinc

VNX,

Yes, the filter isn't a tight seal, makes you wonder why they bothered actually..

You have done really well, the bearing that you have found is the only real fail point in these boxes, but at least they have a support brg. Most other vehicles, (Jap ones ...)have constant failures with 5th gear and the R380 is by far stronger in this area.

JC

Your right there,we didn't bother looking at them,drop the original and fit a reco,same with the transfer,the gears would weld themselves to the shafts and spin in the housing,the lot went in the bin and start afresh with the owner dumbfounded as tojo's don't break. Pat

Originally Posted by rick130

Read this thread Suffix 'K' vs 'J' R380 ??
... ... ... ... ... ...

I found the gearbox serial number. It's a K suffix, so even though the article you mentioned says "In 1999 the suffix K was used very briefly for a few months then came the suffix L that is used currently. The J and L are very different, 2 of the bearings were substantially uprated and pinion and layshaft teeth were widened again, this results in a much stronger unit."

Mine is a late 1998, so it looks as if a few K suffix boxes slipped in before the official changeover date.

I have found in the past that changeover dates are often a bit rubbery.

In view of the post by ashtrans in that same thread:

as per the web site there are lots of differences between the J and the K/L but virtually nothing between the K and the L, same bearings, same gears, same baulk rings, slight dimentional difference on the layshaft but no strength implications,

we treat the K and the L as the same thing,

Dave "

It seems that I should be fairly confident that my box is pretty much state of the art as far as R380s go.

I had always hoped that by buying a 1998 model with the last of the 300tdi motors and the slightly later R380, I should have been able to avoid most of the issues which gave problems.

Originally Posted by vnx205

It seems that I should be fairly confident that my box is pretty much state of the art as far as R380s go.

I had always hoped that by buying a 1998 model with the last of the 300tdi motors and the slightly later R380, I should have been able to avoid most of the issues which gave problems.

Mine came with MTF94, Cold Climate PAS fluid and OAT coolant in the Tdi too, so there is a bit of cross contamination with the TD5 at that changeover point.
I'm guessing the R380 'K' box was updated for the TD5 that was already going into the Disco.

Originally Posted by PAT303

<snip>same with the transfer,the gears would weld themselves to the shafts and spin in the housing,the lot went in the bin and start afresh with the owner dumbfounded as tojo's don't break. Pat

sounds like a lubricant problem Pat ?
Too thick a fluid not getting to the bearings ?
Lack of lube ? (I've noticed a few Toyota owners don't believe in servicing their vehicles from new and are surprised when engines fail at 35,000km from no oil changes :rolleye: )

Next time you get the chance have a look at how far down the fill point is compared to the height of the casing,they don't have enough oil. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

Next time you get the chance have a look at how far down the fill point is compared to the height of the casing,they don't have enough oil. Pat

When I first read this, I thought you were describing a Toyota gearbox.

However the R380 filler is pretty low too.

About 2.5 litres of gearbox oil doesn't seem like a lot does it? The transfer case has about that much.