Gearbox clunk

With this new to me Discovery (Auto ES), it has a rather nasty 'clunk' when going from stationary into drive or reverse.
You don't feel it when driving, although it does seem to hang in the same gear to long sometimes.

I had an earlier manual version with a LT77 box in it that used to have a simular 'clunk' when lifting the clutch, and that was the mainshaft, it finally went at 103,000 miles.

This current model (the Auto ES model), has just reached 85000 miles, seems to be in realativly good condition (full LR service stamps), it has never had a twin electric tow sockets fitted (so proberly no caravans), but it has had a replacement front diff and rear propshaft coupling in December 2005, so I am a bit suspect.

Never having owned an auto discovery before, I don't know what the boxes are like, does the mainshaft go and if so would this be likely at 85k ?
Ashcroft do a supply and fit replacement for £1081.00 inc.
Providing i'm looking at the right box, my car is 'N' reg (1st registered 23/08/1995).
Any ideas would be very welcomed.
thanks in advance.
Gary.

All D1 auto's 'clonk' when going from drive to reverse. The noise comes from the transfer box, the same type of box that was fitted to the 3.5. RR. When the 3.9 RR came out the trans box had a important design change (no diff lock for one) so no more 'clonks' from then on. Unfortunatly this didn't happen to the 3.9 disco.

I had 10 'clonking' years with a 3.5 RR and soon another 10 years with my 3.9 D1.

Regards

Thanks Discool, i think the previous owner got stitched up by a garage, he paid out for a diff and a rear propshaft coupling, proberly to cure the clunk.

With the mileage being low, and after researching the previous owners, five out of the seven said they had never towed anything larger than a small 3x4 trailer, one of the owners i couldn't contact was Land Rover themselves (it was a demo car), and the second owner has moved house, but he only had it for 18 months anyway, the rest i spoke to.

I'm taking it to Devon next week (with a small camping trailer) and a car full of kids, still got the RAC backing me up i surpose.
Thanks for the reassurance matey.
Cheers Gary.

Clunk in the gear box somtimes is not what it seems try looking at the front radius arm bushings and chassis mounting bushings take a large scrwdriver and check if there is any play between the radius arm and the front axel its a somple job to remove the radius arms and check for wear.
good luck jummy

Early 300 tdi's suffer from clunking due to excessive wear in the splines between the gearbox main shaft & a pinion in the transfer box.This is fixed by replacing the main shaft & pinion in the transfer box with a cross drilled one with longer splines that allows oil to lubricate it.

This I have just done whilst changing gearbox (127k and splines were quite bad) and will be putting gearbow back on tomorrow so will let you know what it feels like afterwards.

mine is a V8, is that going to make a difference.

Gary.

Jason2 is refering to his manual gearbox auto's don't have a main shaft and as u have an auto u r ok.

Regards

PHEW !!!
He had me worried then, thanks Discool.

you seem to have the same model and nearly the same year as mine, have you got leather or cloth ?
Mine is cloth, I looked for about a month to find either an ES WITHOUT leather (don't like leather in cars), or a good XS model (I would love a set of Land Rover Logo seats) but gave up on the XS as there are no good ones left.
Found this ES half a mile from home (typical).
cheers Gary.

the Electrician said:

PHEW !!!
He had me worried then, thanks Discool.

you seem to have the same model and nearly the same year as mine, have you got leather or cloth ?
Mine is cloth, I looked for about a month to find either an ES WITHOUT leather (don't like leather in cars), or a good XS model (I would love a set of Land Rover Logo seats) but gave up on the XS as there are no good ones left.
Found this ES half a mile from home (typical).
cheers Gary.

Click to expand...

Automatics have a "coupling shaft" that drives the transfer box by the input gear.it was this gear that was later modified, cross drilled for more lubrication and longer splines to reduce wear on the gearbox mainshaft/coupling shaft!

Ashcroft Transmissions

"He" was not trying to worry you and if it might put you at ease it's nothing to "worry" about automatics are known for being a lot less harsh on the transfer box & every auto I've ever driven has lurged,bumped,burbed when put in drive.Besides it could be somthing else like a rear a frame ball-joint/bushes, worn uj's,rubber coupling etc.....

Stick to talking about interiors,less worrying

Jason

Sorry for moving from 'Clunks' ....Leather as most luxury cars have it and the ES was the 'top of the range' disco so leather it was. Before my disco I had a 3.5 RR with cloth and that was soft and you sat in the seat that was luxury, but with the disco I sit on top and don't sink into the seat although I do a bit now on the drivers seat after 10 years of wear but with the passengers seat you still sit on and not in.
It may also be that the seat springs make a difference after all both seats are simillar the RRs are a bit bigger. 20 years ago the RR was very much THE luxury vehicle and when the disco arrived it was designed for the family so the seats where uprated to handle all that jumping in and out... May be!

Lot of owners go for the cloth option even though leather is standard.

Regards