Disco 1 300 Auto Box

Well, I am giving up on my auto box jumping around all over, so going to go down the route of putting in a new box.

My question is, is there a better box to replace mine with? Its the fly by wire version in a 1996. Have heard the ones from a V8 are stronger, but not sure if that is true or not? Will any other box from elsewhere fit and do a better job?

Or do I just stick with the same 4HP-22 Auto box?

Same as... I would think... it's possible that the V8 box is stronger but I doubt it, any way that's immaterial as the gear change points are different, a Tdi would really struggle if it had one fitted.
So if it's been confirmed the box is iffy, as u have cherished your disco from all the work u have done to it... what I would do is " bite the bullet" and get a recon replacement from Ashcroft Transmission fitted by one of their approved garages, but that's just my opinion.

Torque convertor stall speeds will be different, I would like to tell you I know what that means but I dont, I just remember reading it years ago!
Pretty certain all the disco 4 speeds are pretty much all the same box, think r/r 4.6 had the slightly more h/d box.
I had a 97 TDI EDC auto that was chipped it was a flying machine

Thanks guys, will stick with the tdi box then.

Discool, that was what i wanted to do, just cant find that sort of money

StuRox said:

Well, I am giving up on my auto box jumping around all over, so going to go down the route of putting in a new box.

My question is, is there a better box to replace mine with? Its the fly by wire version in a 1996. Have heard the ones from a V8 are stronger, but not sure if that is true or not? Will any other box from elsewhere fit and do a better job?

Or do I just stick with the same 4HP-22 Auto box?

Click to expand...

There is a stronger version of the 4HP22 - and this is the 4HP24 - which is the same box, but has uprated internals to withstand the greater torque of the V8's - so the V8's do have a stronger box. Lots of info on the ashcroft site about their upgrades, and the lower stall point converter - which is physically larger, 9", and transmits more torque than the standard 7" at any given input RPM.

Your auto is not fly by wire, the engine is, but the kickdown cable is completely mechanical.

I'm in the process of converting SWMBO's manual D1 to auto using the 4HP24 from a V8, and then I'm going to upgrade my de EDC'd 97 300 to the 24 and larger TC.

There are a few people on here with the larger TC, and they have all said it's worth doing - clearly YMMV

What is wrong with your box ?

It skips around in the lower gears.

When it changes up, a way to describe it is it rides the clutch almost as revs up to limit before going into gear.

Worst part is it's intermittent so it can behave itself and change properly.

I did wonder if it was the lockdown cable and setup as looks pretty dodgy and have been trying to adjust it which does seem to make slight differences.

StuRox said:

When it changes up, a way to describe it is it rides the clutch almost as revs up to limit before going into gear.

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IMHO, govenor is suspect - IIRC this is changeable / serviceable with the box in the vehicle

StuRox said:

I did wonder if it was the lockdown cable and setup as looks pretty dodgy and have been trying to adjust it which does seem to make slight differences.

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Kick down cable adjustment is covered on the ashcroft site, and in RAVE - sometimes the cable dies within the box - again fixable with the box still in the vehicle.

Have you changed the oil regularly ?

I remember the govenor bring mentioned before.

I am just waiting for funds from a project I am finishing and will then start from the top and look what I can change first and the costs involved as oppose d to fitting a new box.

I got all the adjustments for cable from Ashcroft.

Oils have all been changed when I tried to sort it first time round and never helped.

Has been like this ever since I got it 8 odd years ago.

Adjustments to the kick down cable seems straight forward, but they must be precise according to the workshop manual.
Unless you had some work done in that area there shouldn't be an issue with the cable, well is something that I've never had had a problem with.

Maybe as it's adjusted and held in place with cable ties may not be helping then....

StuRox said:

Maybe as it's adjusted and held in place with cable ties may not be helping then....

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OMG!!! explain that a bit more please - the box can be destroyed if the kick down cable is not doing its job !!!!!

discool said:

Adjustments to the kick down cable seems straight forward, but they must be precise according to the workshop manual.
Unless you had some work done in that area there shouldn't be an issue with the cable, well is something that I've never had had a problem with.

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+1 - you deffo want the cable adjusted properly.

They do stretch slightly over time and mileage, and go out of adjustment as the box wears - IMHO, high mileage over a long period being the condition which would require some minor adjustment. Quite rarely, they also snap

StuRox said:

Maybe as it's adjusted and held in place with cable ties may not be helping then....

Click to expand...

Put some piccies up ......

Ok will get some pics up

StuRox said:

Well, I am giving up on my auto box jumping around all over, so going to go down the route of putting in a new box.

My question is, is there a better box to replace mine with? Its the fly by wire version in a 1996. Have heard the ones from a V8 are stronger, but not sure if that is true or not? Will any other box from elsewhere fit and do a better job?

Or do I just stick with the same 4HP-22 Auto box?

Click to expand...

v8 and tdi boxes are mechanically the same but you need to swap bell housing and valve block

Here you go....

jamesmartin said:

v8 and tdi boxes are mechanically the same but you need to swap bell housing and valve block

Click to expand...

Agreed that the bell housing is different on the V8. Valve block determines change points, so agree there too. I was told by ZF, and the ash croft site supports this, that the V8 box has the stronger internals - the 24...

Is this not right ?

@StuRox - well, that's not as bad as I thought - I'd suggest a new throttle cable, and a new rubber boot and some oil on the kick down cable.

So, it's sounding more like the governor to me - perhaps JM would like to comment ?

IMHO, I'd be replacing your oil cooler pipes too - I had one let go once - and its not pretty - it would lubricate all your cables though

Disco1BFG said:

Agreed that the bell housing is different on the V8. Valve block determines change points, so agree there too. I was told by ZF, and the ash croft site supports this, that the V8 box has the stronger internals - the 24...

Is this not right ?

Click to expand...

when you get to the slightly longer 24 it has an improved clutch pack A and C/D one way clutch etc but you cant retro fit an ecu controlled box to a governor controlled vehicle unlesss you machine out the drillings needed for the governor

jamesmartin said:

when you get to the slightly longer 24 it has an improved clutch pack A and C/D one way clutch etc but you cant retro fit an ecu controlled box to a governor controlled vehicle unlesss you machine out the drillings needed for the governor

Click to expand...

We're getting at crossed purposes here. Do you know if the V8 box is the ZFHP24, or the 22 ?

( 300 Tdi EDC auto is not ecu controlled )