D1 to D2 transfer box swap/prop shaft 'squeek'/electric leak

Hi all,
I recently bought a 52 plate D2 without the central locking diff. Tried it out soon after buying it at Great Billing and got stuck in an embarrassing place (oh the shame...)
Strangely managed to steam through the mud bath though.
I have two questions:
1. Is there a special way to use the traction control? I usually use the 'if in doubt, flat out' method...
2. I have a D1 sat doing nothing at the moment. It's promised to a mate but he hasn't took it yet, long story. (He wants it, his mrs doesn't.) Would they be a straight swap from the R380 in the 300TDi to the R380 on the TD5?

Also, i hear failed front prop shafts on Td5s are a common failure. Do they fail due to lack of grease? I think the squeek i can hear is coming from my front prop.

If i can get the transfer boxes swapped over before Peterborough, i'll spend some time on the off road course. Does anybody know if there is water there?
Sorry, that's three questions. I hope nobody was expecting the Spanish Inquisition...
Crap. There's a fourth. Is there a common source of electric leaking out of D2s? The battery lasts no more than three weeks of non use before being as electric as a house brick! A mate warned me about the interior lights staying on on his D2. I've since switched the front and rear lights off and now stand and watch the middle one goes off when i lock it. It wasn't easy to check before as it's a converted commercial still with it's black out rear windows and tinted rear.
It's got a brand new battery on it now, which i bought after the first time i went out to it and it hadn't even got the juice to unlock the door.
I think the lights may have been staying on before, as before i switched them off and began 'operation light watch', the battery lasted less than a week! At the moment i keep the old battery fully charged up in the back with a 13mm spanner in the cubby and swap when needed. Swapping batteries takes me less than five minutes. Talking of which, is worn battery leads common? My POS lead has a bit off bared wire between the lead terminal and battery post, otherwise it won't tighten onto the post. Such a stupid design!!!!!
Better go and change the title to reflect the extra questions

yfo866 said:

My POS lead has a bit off bared wire between the lead terminal and battery post, otherwise it won't tighten onto the post. Such a stupid design!!!!!

Click to expand...

Could not agree more, what on earth was ever wrong with the old fashioned type of battery connector? Tip: you can bash the connector further down the posts with a suitably sized socket before tightening the stupidly positioned bolt which seems to be deliberately designed to make the connector come loose.

As for the rest, I too hate lack of a centre diff lock on my D2 and when I did try to use traction control once, relatively gently as the place I was in was next to a public footpath across a housing estate, all it did was let all four wheels spin. HOWEVER, you may well find that the diff lock is there in the box, but you need to fabricate a method of actioning it from the cab. but if it is a 52 plate that may not be possible, as they discontinued the diff-lock-in-the-box after a while. but if it is there, it would be easier than swopping boxes I'd have said. Without access to my manuals, as I'm not in the uk at the moment, I'd have said either the box, or the transfer box (or even possibly both) will have different ratio gears, as the TD5 has a lot more oomph as the 300tdi.
You are right about front props, they have one more u/j sort of thing (can't remember the technical term) so go off and grease it and keep on doing it! Probably best if you take it off to do so and work all the joints all over the place while doing so, will also give you the chance to see if there is any play.
Don't know about Peterborough, but a search ont'internet should tell you.
Electrical leak. Check an ammeter between the positive post and the lead when all systems have been allowed to go to sleep, (you'll have to jam the alarm button from the bonnet) and see what it says. That should tell you what it is drawing and from there you could start investigating, if there is too much current flowing. Have a search on here as this came up the other day and someone put up a table of current draws which was very helpful.
Best of luck!

yfo866 said:

Hi all,
I recently bought a 52 plate D2 without the central locking diff. Tried it out soon after buying it at Great Billing and got stuck in an embarrassing place (oh the shame...)
Strangely managed to steam through the mud bath though.
I have two questions:
1. Is there a special way to use the traction control? I usually use the 'if in doubt, flat out' method...
2. I have a D1 sat doing nothing at the moment. It's promised to a mate but he hasn't took it yet, long story. (He wants it, his mrs doesn't.) Would they be a straight swap from the R380 in the 300TDi to the R380 on the TD5?

Also, i hear failed front prop shafts on Td5s are a common failure. Do they fail due to lack of grease? I think the squeek i can hear is coming from my front prop.

If i can get the transfer boxes swapped over before Peterborough, i'll spend some time on the off road course. Does anybody know if there is water there?
Sorry, that's three questions. I hope nobody was expecting the Spanish Inquisition...
Crap. There's a fourth. Is there a common source of electric leaking out of D2s? The battery lasts no more than three weeks of non use before being as electric as a house brick! A mate warned me about the interior lights staying on on his D2. I've since switched the front and rear lights off and now stand and watch the middle one goes off when i lock it. It wasn't easy to check before as it's a converted commercial still with it's black out rear windows and tinted rear.
It's got a brand new battery on it now, which i bought after the first time i went out to it and it hadn't even got the juice to unlock the door.
I think the lights may have been staying on before, as before i switched them off and began 'operation light watch', the battery lasted less than a week! At the moment i keep the old battery fully charged up in the back with a 13mm spanner in the cubby and swap when needed. Swapping batteries takes me less than five minutes. Talking of which, is worn battery leads common? My POS lead has a bit off bared wire between the lead terminal and battery post, otherwise it won't tighten onto the post. Such a stupid design!!!!!
Better go and change the title to reflect the extra questions

Click to expand...

IIrc the td5 has a longer input shaft so wont fit.
Check here for some info as you might be able to fit the cdl kit
https://www.ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk/miscellaneous/disco-ii-difflock/disco-ii-diff-lock.html

Thanks Stanleysteamer. I haven't seen one of those for a while. I think the last time was at the Silverstone Classic meeting.
My prop U/Js don't have grease nipples. I assume i have to grease one sliding joint and then remove the nipple and screw it into the other end?
I think from memory, last time my old S2 made this noise it was a dry sliding joint. Once greased it went silent.
Pretty sure i've read somewhere that said 2002 vehicles had nothing inside the transfer case. I was hoping to just swap the whole thing over. Reckon it will be easier than removing both and then transferring the innards over from one to the other.
I'll take your advise regarding the ammeter on the battery terminal. I'll try to call in to Droitwich Land Rover this week after work and price up new battery leads. I'm pretty resilient at the end of my shift. Not much will shock me(unless they come out with an extra silly price...)

Hi Kevstar. Thanks for the info. If i can't do a straight swap i'll look at taking the innards out of the D1 and transplant them plus the linkages/lever over and put them into the D2. I'll be able to return to the '**** or bust' technique that's done me proud up until now! At least with the CDL fitted again, if i break a half shaft or prop shaft i can bang the CDL in and still get home. I'm going to assume the TC wouldn't help in this sort of situation.

I finally got around to jacking up a front corner of the Disco today and having a proper look.
The source of the chirpy chirpy squeek squeek is the front rear cardan UJ. It has a lot of play in it.
Bought a new one which should be here well in time to go on before friday when i'll be heading off to Peterborough for the weekend.
I was going to in the Ibiza as not taking this heap off road until i've sorted out a locking centre diff, but it decided to send it's clutch pedal to the floor with a resounding twang on the way home from work on friday. Checked online assuming it was the cable. Hmm, seems that it is hydraulic, so not the cable. Looked on the forums and it points to some plastic gizmo on the top of the pedal breaking that pushes the rod to activate the master cylinder.
Checked and despite needing to remove a plastic panel could see enough to see that nothing was broken.
Noticed a new wet patch underneath. Dipped a finger and did a taste test...
Clutch fluid, 2019 vintage!
That's not good considering a couple of months ago i had a new clutch, dual mass flywheel and clutch kit fitted. It's got one of those hydraulic clutch release actuators that live inside the bellhousing.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH A METAL LEVER?????
You know where you are with a lever...
If i'm very lucky it's the fluid connection that's outside the housing, but i bet it isn't. Either way, my MOT man who did the work can sort it out!
He can sort out the aircon leak and recharge it again. It cost me £££ to have the condensor seals replaced then recharged. Then it leaked, so another recharge with dye, and now another. At least he only charges me £50 per hit of gas, which is less than what he charges retail.
It used to be free but thanks to the EU the price of gas has gone through the roof!

You poor sod! hope things start to got right for you!

Thanks, it could be worse, both cars throw a wobbler at the same time. They do always seem to take it in turns