Diff oil

I have very recently become a freelander owner. I bought a 2000 landy from a work colleague knowing that the diff was making a funny noise, (noise not really that funny, more scary!!!) Got her home Friday night and spent Saturday looking on here for insperation. Stripped the back end off and removed the diff as its goosed.

Found a guy breaking one locally with a good diff but it has done 116k and id like to service it before fitting it. I know that it needs to be EP90 oil but what brand?

Before I had even thought of buy a landy I had heard from friends with JAP imported cars that landy gearbox oil is the only thing to use. Im not sure if that is landy branded or other, just want to know before rebuilding her.

Thanks for looking at my thread. First of many I am sure!

didnt know freelander had diffs

Sorry about that!?

didn't realise that the wheel is round, lol. :doh:

not sure it's EP90, thought I may have read somewhere about a different spec.

Also, beware, there are different diff ratios depending on which version of freelander you have. If it's wrong, it will cause the vcu to start locking up when it shouldn't

good luck

ep90 will be fine ,its only a std diff

castrol do a nice oil for Freelander diffs-easy to use bottle too:
Halfords | Castrol Differential EPX 80W/90 1 Litre

do a search and check your VCU or uneven tyre size and wear as it'll be one of these that's goosed the diff.

Ok thanks folks, I will have a look at the castrol oil.

Having only just got the car I have looked on here and checked the VCU. It is turning so not siezed. Feels a bit easy to turn but with no previous freelander to compare with I am unsure how tight/free it should be.

I will do a torque test using the 1 meter bar and a 5kg/8kg weight and time it through 90 deg.

As for un-even tyres, the previous owner had alloys on the landy but put on a set of steels to sell it.

Acording to the previous owner the noises/problem started after driving through a bomb crater, AKA pot hole.

Im sure that a pot hole shouldn't cause the diff to go but if it was on its last legs, maybe. Car has done 118k and there is no paper work for history so also unsure what has been done and hasn't been done. This was all concidered before the purchase and reflected in the price I paid.

Regards different ratios, I have done a fair bit of research on the net, here mostly and only ever read that the diff on all freelander 1 1997-2004? Any way.

Thanks for the replies.

Regards different ratios, I have done a fair bit of research on the net, here mostly and only ever read that the diff on all freelander 1 1997-2004? Any way.

Not sure of what you are saying here. Are you impying that they are all the same ratio?
As OP says above, Freelanders have significantly different ratios for 1.8s, diesels and 2.6s so you must get the correct one for your engine.
The special oil is only needed for the Jatco automatic gearbox, manual gearboxes, IRD and diff can use standard oils.

theres nothing in an ird that needs special oil

re. diiferent ratios, The mess of a sentence was a question I think!? I had read that all Diffs on 1.8/2.0D and 2.6 were the same? The diff I am going to get is from a TD4 like my own so ratio shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks to all. Looking forward to the rebuild this weekend, I'll let you all know how it goes.

So its rebuilt, put in oil but it only took 800ml? I thinks this is too little but it was up tot he level hole.

So folks, how much should it take!!?

Took the car out for a test drive and there is a whine/low drone sound from front off side from the word go, doesn't get any worse with speed. I thought there was a tiny bit of play in the VCU bearings, could it be that? opinions please......... I dont want it broke more.

Gonna go out and recheck the diff oil now its been turned and remove plug from IRD to have a lookey there too, If minging then I will change this weekend.(need to look on here for tips on changing it!)

Ta folk.

Checked the IRD oil and its sweet. Removed the prop with VCU to run the car in mondo mode to see if the whining noise would go with the shaft and it has. So I am going to get the bearings on the VCU replaced and refit it.

Hopefully it is all good and I can resume full 4WD soon.

Ta.

check viscous isnt seized before you put it back on ,with 2 x lever 2-3ft one each side and turn opposite,should be stiff but turn slowly and smoothly

I checked the Coupling when I had the diff off because I was worried that it was faulty.

It turns, maybe a tad too easily!? its not free by any means but with it off I can twist it with out the aid of levers. As I have no other experience of VCU I don't know if it is ok or failing in an N/O condition. Once I have the bearings done and get it refitted I will do the torque test as sugested on here and see if it is similar to other test results.

Thanks for your input.

D.

vcus can vary the best way is to check when off they usually fail by locking up causing wind up especially on freelander were front wheels are driven slightly faster to give you front wheel drive feeling,but they can fail by loosing drive completely but ive never come across one ,but apparently some one sells incorrectly reconditioned ones that dont act as viscous coupling that turn easily and dont stiffen to lock up,if you try and turn it faster and hardere it should stiffen and lock if its correct the fact it turns relatively easy to start with is a bit irrelavent its the locking with load and speed thats important ,when checking on vehicle you have to turn road wheel in turn turns vcu thru diff with a reduction so more effort needed,and the fact that it turns is usually enough to say it is working