Difficulty engaging gears and whirring noise.

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.

K4n3

Member
Posts
30
Hi guys,
I have a 2000 disco 2 td5. This last week or so I've been having real trouble selecting gears.
It started with second but first and reverse also seem to be a problem now too.

It seems ok going from first to second, but trying to go from 3rd to 2nd is a real struggle and almost impossible at times.

I thought it might have been the 2nd gear synchro at first, but now with having problems with the other gears it seems less likely that they all would have gone at exactly the same time?

I don't know if this is related or not, but recently I've also heard a strange whirring sound first thing on a morning, when pulling slowly out of the drive or reversing. Seems like it is maybe clutch related?
Could this also be related to the above problem?

I found some info that might suggest the squealing/whirring on a morning might be the spigot bearing. Could this relate to the gear problems or is this a separate issue?

Any ideas?

Cheers guys.
Kane.
 
Last edited:
I changed all the oils - diffs and transfer box (75w90 GL5) and gearbox (MTF 94) - about 5 months ago.
It just seems strange how it has come on so suddenly. Could it be anything to do with the clutch master/slave?
 
Hi guys,
I have a 2000 disco 2 td5. This last week or so I've been having real trouble selecting gears.
It started with second but first and reverse also seem to be a problem now too.

It seems ok going from first to second, but trying to go from 3rd to 2nd is a real struggle and almost impossible at times.

I thought it might have been the 2nd gear synchro at first, but now with having problems with the other gears it seems less likely that they all would have gone at exactly the same time?

I don't know if this is related or not, but recently I've also heard a strange whirring sound first thing on a morning, when pulling slowly out of the drive or reversing. Seems like it is maybe clutch related?
Could this also be related to the above problem?

I found some info that might suggest the squealing/whirring on a morning might be the spigot bearing. Could this relate to the gear problems or is this a separate issue?

Any ideas?

Cheers guys.
Kane.

Hi Kane, it sounds to me like you have a clutch problem or two.

The whirring/screeching noise first thing in the morning is very often the 'spigot bearing', a component which is/should be replaced whenever a new clutch is installed.

Re the selection of gears, is there the same difficulty irrespective of whether the engine is running or not?

Replacing the clutch is a big heavy job to do on your own, or an expensive job to have done by a garage; so before you go down that route I would suggest that you ensure the clutch hydraulic circuit is working properly.

I would bleed the circuit to ensure there is no air in it and there is clean fluid. IIRC the fluid actually comes from the same reservoir as the brake master cylinder so it might be an idea to check the colour of that stuff and if it is black suck it out and replace with new DOT4 fluid. As you bleed the clutch circuit keep topping up the fluid.


Good luck,

Dave
 
OK I've just been out and had a play.
The noise on a morning is definitely just as you are releasing the clutch, just as its reaching its biting point - both in forward and reverse. So is this definitely the spigot bearing? And could this cause any of the gear selection problems or is it unrelated?

If the car is stood still but the engine running, then i seem to be able to select all gears easily. Same with the engine switched off.

I've also just checked the brake/clutch fluid, the top of the float seemed a bit blackened but i couldnt really tell the colour of the fluid itself. Although the reservoir does appear dark (not sure what it should usually look like).

However I also just noticed while reversing, that after pressing the clutch in (and still rolling backwards) there is a definite clunk/grinding for a moment - the same sort of sound when you cant correctly engage a gear (but i was not touching the gearstick or anything else, just depressing the clutch).

I'll try bleeding the clutch and see if that changes anything.

Edit: Also when in low range, the clutch seems very clunky/jumpy when letting out, I've never really used low range though so don't know if this is normal.

Thanks Dave.
 
Last edited:
if its spigot bearing it will go quiet if pedals fully pressed,if its still there its release bearing, clutch not fully clearing should show in reverse and first gear more than the others , spigot bush shouldnt effect gear change ,baulk rings will be worn if box has done any miles and effect may be mitigated by oil change ,and effect can be intermittent depending on how gear dog teeth are aligned as baulk ring grabs gear , aligned pretty well gear change will be not bad aligned not very well gear change can be very difficult
 
OK I've just been out and had a play.
The noise on a morning is definitely just as you are releasing the clutch, just as its reaching its biting point - both in forward and reverse. So is this definitely the spigot bearing? And could this cause any of the gear selection problems or is it unrelated?

If the car is stood still but the engine running, then i seem to be able to select all gears easily. Same with the engine switched off.

I've also just checked the brake/clutch fluid, the top of the float seemed a bit blackened but i couldn't really tell the colour of the fluid itself. Although the reservoir does appear dark (not sure what it should usually look like).

However I also just noticed while reversing, that after pressing the clutch in (and still rolling backwards) there is a definite clunk/grinding for a moment - the same sort of sound when you cant correctly engage a gear (but i was not touching the gearstick or anything else, just depressing the clutch).

I'll try bleeding the clutch and see if that changes anything.

Edit: Also when in low range, the clutch seems very clunky/jumpy when letting out, I've never really used low range though so don't know if this is normal.

Thanks Dave.

Hi Kane, bleed the clutch hydraulic circuit first, so at least you'll know it's not that, at fault.

What I'm trying to suggest is stuff that you could do, without a complete tear-down of the gearbox to install a new clutch/release bearing/spigot bearing.

So, bearing that in mind, does the gear lever (when released) come to rest between 3rd and 4th, so that it's easy to move the lever into each on those two gears?


Dave
 
Edit: Also when in low range, the clutch seems very clunky/jumpy when letting out, I've never really used low range though so don't know if this is normal.

Yes. You have to change your driving style slightly I find. Due to the low ratio, there's a far more aggressive take up of the clutch - all that extra torque available I guess.
 
Where is the bite point? Low or high? If it's high then the clutch is worn (diaphragm fingers moving away from flywheel due to worn plate), if it's low then probably a slave fault
 
Ok, I have now bled the clutch circuit.
The initial fluid flowing from the bleed nipple was black and dirty. I kept bleeding until fresh fluid flowed through.

This seems to have eased the issue somewhat, down changes from 3rd to 2nd are now possible, but still a little stiff/slow.

Also Dave, the gear lever does come to rest between 3rd and 4th.

I would say the bite point is probably at about 1/4 - 1/2 through the pedal travel from the floor.
 
Last edited:
Also just noticed. There is a knocking noise, at about the same speed as the engine when sat idling.
If I then try to put it in any gear without the clutch (not pushing so hard to actually engage, but just enough to take up the 'slack') then the noise disappears.

Don't know if I've just never noticed it before or again if its related.
 
Back
Top