VCU Torque test results

i'll post results after i do this test tomorrow. all went a bit stiff going tight right on a mini roundabout today. is everyone lifting just one wheel or both? would there be any difference in results?

Only one wheel. It doesnt work if you raise two.

And make sure it's the rear wheel you lift (either). Don't forget to chock the front wheel as you need the hand brake off during the test. If you do the test with 2 wheels lifted your weight would hit the ground straight away as the second wheel would also turn.

Tried this today on my 2003 1.8 with a 1m bar and 5kg weight, and it took 60 seconds to go from 45 degrees to horizontal. Have been thinking it's feeling tight for a while now, and seem slike it's on it's way to needing replaced after 102k miles.
Also tried my 2002 1.8 and it didn't even move, lol...

MadMalx said:

Tried this today on my 2003 1.8 with a 1m bar and 5kg weight, and it took 60 seconds to go from 45 degrees to horizontal. Have been thinking it's feeling tight for a while now, and seem slike it's on it's way to needing replaced after 102k miles.
Also tried my 2002 1.8 and it didn't even move, lol...

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Thanks for the results. Would be interesting to see if you swopped the vcu's over, if the results followed the vcu. No problem if you can't do this.

Looks like viscous couplings have their own blog.

www.viscous-coupling.blogspot.com

Just for info, did my 2001 TD4 today. Ambient temperature approx 19 degrees celsius.

1.2 meter bar.
Weight 8 kg even.
Time to rotate 45 degrees to 0 degrees: 38 seconds.

Verified multiple times.

Visual inspection confirmed VCU turned. Car has more than 130 kms on it. Was in generally poor state of repair when I got it last year, suspect it is the original VCU.

No feeling of tightness to make me suspect any problem with VCU. Certainly feels like the car has drive (compared to my Dad's which has no propshaft/VCU)

Guess the clicking noise on full lock is a cracked subframe after all. Dammit! Wish I could weld!

Here's one of my tests with 4 kg on a 1m shaft
VIDEO

I tested two cars yesterday
Test is 1.2m 5kg 45 degrees.
1998 with 146k 42 seconds ( Freelander vcu viscous coupling test 1997 146k - YouTube )
2001 with 67k 46 seconds ( Freelander vcu viscous coupling test 2001 with 67k - YouTube )

Both probably need replacing I guess?

The 1998 (brothers) is on a kseries and car may not be worth the repair as gasket already leaking oil->water (though high compression still).. so it probably a case of drive it till scrap it.

The 2001 is mine and on a td4 so worth maintaining. Plan on buying a new/recon vcu for it. I will then post the new value.

royturbodiesel said:

Here's one of my tests with 4 kg on a 1m shaft
VIDEO

Click to expand...

You're only supposed to jack up one wheel

Is 2 minutes with 8kg on a 1.2m over the 45 to horizontal too long?

New one is ordered and I will be removing the old one in the morning.

No idea of the mileage on it as I had to replace the entire shaft and it came with it from the scrappy.
(Can't go 2 WD here in Sweden as it will fail the MOT equivalent, besides that we get a shed load of snow and drive on snow pack for nearly half the year)

As said by MHN a seized VCU will cause expensive damage. And a (broken) free wheeling VCU will just not provide RWD. I shall be carrying out the advised test and will post my results.

Portchy said:

Is 2 minutes with 8kg on a 1.2m over the 45 to horizontal too long?

New one is ordered and I will be removing the old one in the morning.

No idea of the mileage on it as I had to replace the entire shaft and it came with it from the scrappy.
(Can't go 2 WD here in Sweden as it will fail the MOT equivalent, besides that we get a shed load of snow and drive on snow pack for nearly half the year)

Click to expand...

Just fittest a brand spanking new VCU and repeated the exact same test as earlier
This time it took 25 seconds for the 45>horizontal . Just to note, the temp was about the same both times. 8' C.

Portchy said:

Just fittest a brand spanking new VCU and repeated the exact same test as earlier
This time it took 25 seconds for the 45>horizontal . Just to note, the temp was about the same both times. 8' C.

Click to expand...

bet yu are glad yu checked it when you did?

Portchy said:

Just fittest a brand spanking new VCU and repeated the exact same test as earlier
This time it took 25 seconds for the 45>horizontal . Just to note, the temp was about the same both times. 8' C.

Click to expand...

Just out of interest, where did you buy it?

25 seconds still seems quite long, but I guess if it's an unrefurbished used one that would make sense.
Best recheck it once a month or so to be sure.

bukko said:

25 seconds still seems quite long, but I guess if it's an unrefurbished used one that would make sense.
Best recheck it once a month or so to be sure.

Click to expand...

I thought he said it was brand new? That would make 25 seconds a benchmark wouldn't it?

Edit: Just checked my result - 11.2 seconds with 10.8 Kg and a 1M bar length.

Still 25 seconds is still better than the two minutes measured earlier.

sijwhite said:

I thought he said it was brand new? That would make 25 seconds a benchmark wouldn't it?

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Yup you are right, I got confused the the earlier post where he got his prop from a scrappy.
But, 25 seconds is almost double the time others have recorded for a 45 degree rotation - will go back through previous posts...

[Edit] Dammit - never answer the phone while posting a reply! [/Edit]

Recon VCU fitted today, with 5kg on 1.2m bar I got approx 30 seconds. Drive is better and definitely less resistance on full lock. Got to find me a slippery patch tomorrow to make sure rear wheels doing their bit and I'll be happy.

Well all went well today, found myself a nice slippery muddy hill with nice big tyre trenches. I had intended just to sit at bottom and prove rear wheels driving once fronts started to slip which I did 2 or 3 times til I was happy. Couldnt help but notice the plane spotters at the top ( who had gotten there using the tarmaccy bit ) smiling and sneering at the idiot in the freelander who was trying to get up the hill and couldnt. Couldnt resist the moment so just pointed the old hippo and the summit and walked it all the way up. Priceless look on the guys face :wtf: who was prob explaining to the others why freelanders are rubbish while I was at the bottom. Rekindled love for the freelander. :lol:

One Wheel Up Test times can be accidently increased if the handbrake int fully released or if the rear brakes are catching.