99 Defender TD5

Hi folks. I'm brand new on here and looking for some advice and guidance please. I bought my first Landy in December; a 99 110 CSW TD5. It's all good, doesn't give me much bother and played ball everyday since I got it home. However, the last few days I have noticed it becoming intermittently difficult to get into first and second gear. It happens both going up and down through the box, but not on every change. A few weeks back I picked up on what was diagnosed as clutch judder when pulling away in first. This has now disappeared, but been replaced with this new difficulty in selecting 1st and 2nd. I also have what was diagnosed as an oil seep from the rear crank seal. Basically I'm wondering if this is all pointing towards a full clutch replacement and if so, what would anyone recommend? I had looked at an LOF Powerspec kit and thought it might be decent, but as I'm new to Landy ownership, I'm not sure. I've been warned off Britpart by an LR specialist whom I would have had do the work, but who is very sadly no longer with us. Thanks in advance.

Just the standard oem valeo clutch works perfectly well, no real need to go for the LOF stuff unless really running a powerful unit upfront or just like the boasting right, which plenty do!

Also the synchros in the gear box wear, especially 1st to 2nd as this tends to be a rushed change. Always slow and steady with an old defender, I actually double de clutch mine if I feel hesitancy on the change.
Drop the gear ow oil out and re-fill with atf dexron 3 as recommended by ashcrofts. Transformed my notchy change.
You'll be suprised by how much a sympathetic change and new oil will make.
I have a 99 td5 and have all the issues you've described, apart from the crank leak, and I thought new clutch etc, 46000 miles later and she's going strong, changes sweet as a nut!

I also change both box oils and diff oils every 8k. I think this is key!

Gottschalk said:

Just the standard oem valeo clutch works perfectly well, no real need to go for the LOF stuff unless really running a powerful unit upfront or just like the boasting right, which plenty do!

Also the synchros in the gear box wear, especially 1st to 2nd as this tends to be a rushed change. Always slow and steady with an old defender, I actually double de clutch mine if I feel hesitancy on the change.
Drop the gear ow oil out and re-fill with atf dexron 3 as recommended by ashcrofts. Transformed my notchy change.
You'll be suprised by how much a sympathetic change and new oil will make.
I have a 99 td5 and have all the issues you've described, apart from the crank leak, and I thought new clutch etc, 46000 miles later and she's going strong, changes sweet as a nut!

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Thanks for the response. Hopefully that’ll help alleviate some of the issues and be considerably easier on the pocket.
One quick question; you say to use atf oil, would it not be mtf? I see a lot of stuff online about different brands etc and there’s some conflicting opinions on atf v mtf variants. As I say, this is all new to me so any and all help/ guidance is greatly appreciated.

Either will be fine, although ashcroft are world renowned landrover gearbox reconditioners, and they recommend the atf, just make sure its the dexron 3.

I think atf is slightly thinner than mtf, so if you have worn synchros the thinner oil helps with getting a nice change, this is the badger that ashcroft recommended to me.

5 litres gives you enough for two changes!

Gottschalk said:

Either will be fine, although ashcroft are world renowned landrover gearbox reconditioners, and they recommend the atf, just make sure its the dexron 3.

I think atf is slightly thinner than mtf, so if you have worn synchros the thinner oil helps with getting a nice change, this is the badger that ashcroft recommended to me.
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Spot on. Thanks a million. I’ll hopefully get looking at this this weekend coming.