Changing the IRD on my 1.8 K Freelander

Hi Everyone,
After successfully changing the timing belt & water pump, with the help of this forum, I now need to change the broken IRD and the stuck VCU. I've got a second hand IRD which is good.

The Haynes manual says I need to remove the sub Frame as my Freelander is post 2001
Is this true ? mine is 2002
The guy who sold me the IRD says he removes them form the top, after removing the injectors ramp ?
Is this easier than from the bottom ?

Thanks for your help.

thefrog said:

Hi Everyone,
After successfully changing the timing belt & water pump, with the help of this forum, I now need to change the broken IRD and the stuck VCU. I've got a second hand IRD which is good.

The Haynes manual says I need to remove the sub Frame as my Freelander is post 2001
Is this true ? mine is 2002
The guy who sold me the IRD says he removes them form the top, after removing the injectors ramp ?
Is this easier than from the bottom ?

Thanks for your help.

Click to expand...

I'm sure I will be told why, but I don't think the model year makes any difference when removing the IRD from the bottom.

I've removed the IRD from a 2001 K Series car (which is the same as your 2002 car) out the bottom, but I've never removed (or loosened) a subframe.

I think that gives you your answer.

On my L Series '99 car I have removed and reinstalled the IRD without removing anything (other than prop and drive shaft - by undoing the 2 bolts on the RH hub to give room for it to pop out).

On the K Series car, I believe I had to remove the section of exhaust by the IRD/subframe.

RAVE says to remove the rear beam (i.e. where the lower suspension arms attach), not the entire subframe !! It certainly gives more room to access the IRD, and allows the driveshafts to be pulled without splitting the lower ball joints.

pwood999 said:

RAVE says to remove the rear beam (i.e. where the lower suspension arms attach), not the entire subframe !! It certainly gives more room to access the IRD, and allows the driveshafts to be pulled without splitting the lower ball joints.

Click to expand...

Is that not the rear suspension to remove the rear drive shafts from the diff?

I removed the 2 bolts securing the hub to the strut. This allows the hub to swing out on the ball joint to give enough room to pop the driveshaft out of the IRD. You can see the 2 holes where the bolts were removed and the hub leaning back in this pic...



This was removing the IRD from my L Series and I had previously removed the rear pinion. The refurbed IRD went in with the pinion attached, and I got the K Series IRD out with the pinion attached using the same method.

You need to be careful not to over extend the swing to protect the ball joint.

While the driveshaft will pop out of the IRD, it remains attached to the hub. So you are limited to where you can move it, and its a bit of a PITA getting in the way while you're maneuvering the heavy IRD, and be careful to protect it as well.

GrumpyGel said:

Is that not the rear suspension to remove the rear drive shafts from the diff?

Click to expand...

No this bit of the front subframe. Access & removal of IRD is much easier with it out of the way.

Ok thanks for this.
Its a relief not to need to remove the sub Frame

I will proceed and let you know how I get on...

@pwood999
This is the complete front sub frame (?), where is the rear beam that you are talking about ?

No it's not. This is the rear section of the front sub-frame. RAVE says to remove it, in order the remove the IRD. You can try to short-cut & remove the IRD with the rear beam in place, but not sure how much room the is to lower the IRD.

It's up to you, but I found it easier to follow RAVE !!

Ok thanks for this, I understand now.
It doesn't look like a big job removing the frame, I think I will give it a go...

thefrog said:

@pwood999
This is the complete front sub frame (?), where is the rear beam that you are talking about ?

Click to expand...

That's what I thought to.

Not sure where the rest of it is.

Even if this isn't the whole frame and just a part of it. Then there are some bolts there that could be very difficult to extract, if you don't need to.

I would add, that I have an inspection pit, so access is very good to the IRD. If its up on jacks and you're on your back looking up at it, then you can do with all the help you can to extract it.

Thanks, I also have a pit (and it changed my life ).
One more question, Do I need to lift both wheels to remove the sub Frame ?

thefrog said:

Thanks, I also have a pit (and it changed my life ).
One more question, Do I need to lift both wheels to remove the sub Frame ?

Click to expand...

Not sure as I've never removed one, but as you haven't got a rear pinion on your IRD, it will be a lot easier.

A suggestion would be to move the car to the end of the pit when you do it as you can drop the IRD onto the floor rather than over the pit, but you can still stand/crouch in the pit to get access. You'll also get better jacking options.

Another tip - is to make sure you have plenty of extension bars for your socket when undoing the 4 main bolts holding the IRD to the gearbox/plate. The top front one especially is awkward access and I think I had extension bars out through the wheel arch! That may have been cos the turbo got in the way on the L Series, forget if I had to do that on the L Series - but a good selection of extensions will be very helpful.

If your pit is like mine, be careful if you kneel down on the dried leaves.... that there isn't a hedgehog under them - that hurt!

I found that having the subframe installed, gave me somewhere to rest the IRD as it came out. Then rotate it off of it. Mind you, if its not there, I suppose it would be easier. One of the reasons they say to remove it may be to give better turning access on the ratchet or rattle gun - the IRD definitely comes out with it installed.

GrumpyGel said:

The top front one especially is awkward access and I think I had extension bars out through the wheel arch!

Click to expand...

That's the only way I can do that bolt too, access to it is almost impossible from below.

Thanks for this.
I finally removed the sub frame



I now will now try to find some kind of hydraulic cradle (I don't know how they're called) to remove the IDR and put the other one in. I know you can do this with bits of wood, but I don't want to take any risk, it was very hard to find a replacement IRD.

thefrog said:

Thanks for this.
I finally removed the sub frame

I now will now try to find some kind of hydraulic cradle (I don't know how they're called) to remove the IDR and put the other one in. I know you can do this with bits of wood, but I don't want to take any risk, it was very hard to find a replacement IRD.

Click to expand...

It looks naked

That's why I suggested positioning the car so the IRD is not over the pit, just use the pit for access to it. You can then put a jack under it to lower it. Its not so heavy that you cant lift it off the jack once its lowered.

Hi,
I finally removed the old IRD and put the other one in place.



But the top of the bracket holding the IRD to the engine is broken



I don't know if it was already broken, or if it broke while unscrewing.

Do you think I can put back together like this ? I don't know where to find one of these...

Thanks

thefrog said:

Do you think I can put back together like this ? I don't know where to find one of these...

Click to expand...

It'll be fine. Just use a washer to spread the clamping load of the bolt.

Ideally you should have removed drive shafts before dropping the IRD !!

Ok thanks for this.
Yes I have removed the drive shaft. It's a perspective effect on the picture, the shaft is behind.

I'm trying to put the shaft back in, but it's difficult, do I have to force to get it in ?

Held by circlip so a smart smack and it clicks in. Block of wood to protect joints.