Can't engage low range

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cheezels

cheezels

Member
Posts
94
Location
Tewantin, Australia
Hello campers,

Just bought a 1979 Series 3 diesel as a bit of a project and as a camping/fishing taxi for me and the young ones.

They love, I love it, the missus thinks it's cute so everything is OK. :)

Except...... the old girl will not shift into low range.

I can only select low ratio when pushing down on the yellow knob. This then allows the red lever to be pulled back.

When in low, the red lever is very loose and easily slips out of gear on the over run. Any ideas?
 
try pouring boiling water over the top of the transfer box.....dont know why this works but was told as a tip for mine and it freed it up and now have no problems
 
remove tin cover from front of housing to expose ends of selector shafts lubricate and hammer if necessary to get them to move fully ,they work on a pivot one goes in the other comes out
 
Thanks for this, I'll give it a go.

Just curious as to why I can only move the red lever back when the yellow is pushed down??

Thought that it would be the other way round, as 4 wheel drive is 'automatically' engaged when low range is selected......(so I've read somewhere).

Have a cool Yule

Cheezels
 
yes you should be able to pull red lever bak without using yellow knob, the levers pivot inside housing and if you remove front shaft cap work and lubricate shafts where they come through housing
 
so all selector shafts move freely if the yellow knob pressed down, but the pivoting action is not working , the jam is probably inside rather than rusting ends,

by taking of the end cover at least you can see which ones move when yellow knob up/down and red lever moved back and forwards and see what is not happening

have you got a manual to see how the lever mechanism works this will help understand which rods move when you pull the red lever/press yellow knob
 
Thanks again for all the help. This is my first Series Landie, so I'm a bit in the dark.

Pretty sure I wasn't in first gear (tried a few times), but I'll check again.

Yeah, when I push down on the yellow one, the red one moves freely.....maybe too freely? Also, the yellow doesn't feel like it has 'latched'. Like I say, I'm new to series landies, so I'm not sure if this is right.

I don't have any manuals yet, either. Just ordered a Haynes from ebay, though.

Is there any other manuals you'd recommend?

Thanks again for the help.

Merry Crimbo

Cheezels
 
OK.......still having trouble here.

I've taken the floor pan panels out for better access and although there is a lot of dirt the linkages seem free enough.

I've removed a small inspection cover on the transfer case and the detent spring and 'ball'. When I move the 'red' lever back I can make out the grooves for high range and neutral but the lever doesn't go back far enough for the low range groove.

Any ideas why?

Also, I still can't work out why the red lever will only move when the yellow is pushed down??????

I know I've asked this before......but that isn't right ....is it? I thought low range could be engaged and 4 wheel drive 'happened' as a matter of course?

Thanks for the input so far
 
have you taken tin cover off end of housing the shafts sieze in front housing when red lever pushes shaft that you have exposed back the other has to go forward through front housing,its that shaft that locks front drive shaft to transfer box as well as selcting low range by sliding gear
 
Yep, front cover is finally off.

The 4 wheel drive shaft (closest to you whilst sat in the drivers seat) is rusty as buggery.

Sooooo......how do I free it up?

Looks like it hasn't been going into 4 wheel drive after all, as when I push down, to lift the locking pin, I can still turn the front prop shaft :doh:

Again, thanks for the help.
 
to go into 4wd the end of shaft you see needs to come forward ,penertraing fluid ,emery cloth and heat,but dont go overboard with red lever else you will disconnect pivot inside,yellow lever shaft needs lubing too
 
Thanks for that.

I'm a bit worried that the previous owner might have gone a bit hard on the lever.

Can you put me out of my misery and give me an idea of far you should be able to pull the red lever if the 4 wheel drive shaft is stuck solid?

As I mentioned before, I can almost see the 4 wheel drive 'slot' in the transfer gear shaft when I removed the detent spring.

Thanks for all this 'jamesmartin', much appreciated.
 
OK, shafts free.....I think.

Now, I'm not quite sure what the sequence of events should be.

When you push the yellow knob, the pin lifts and the 4 wheel drive shaft springs forward engaging the front prop?
When you pull back the red this pulls back the 4 wheel drive shaft and the yellow pops up engaging the pin again.

If you keep pulling back on the red 4 low is engaged.

Bit confused as to what should happen to the shafts when pushing and pull the levers :confused:

Can someone describe what's to happen, please.

Cheers
 
when you pull back red lever 4wd and low are engaged with yellow knob up when red lever is forward 2wd high is engaged with yellow knob up ,with red lever forward and yellow knob pushed down 4wd high is engaged .to go from 4wd to 2wd pull red lever back yellow knob should spring up push red lever forward
 
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