How do I disconnect the Hi-Lo actuator on a Defender 200tdi? LT230

Hi All,

I found out yesterday whilst on an offroad day that my Hi-Lo selection on the transfer box is not working. I found out when selecting Dif engaged, low box 2nd gear on a hill decent. It went a bit quick.

Today I have checked that the diff is working by Jacking up the front and sticking it on axle stands, diff lock not selected. The tyres not on the ground spun as expected. there was no attempted drive from the rear wheels.

I then selected Diff lock and tried again. this time when I let the clutch out the rear wheels attempted to move me forward. The front wheels also attempted to move but when the rears didn't move they stopped.

I repeated the same steps with the rear jacked up on stands and had the same results. I surmise that Diff is working. I even reconnected the missing diff lock lamp cable that was preventing the Diff Lock selected light illuminating on my dash.

I can not however, select anything in Hi or Low range. Its just sloppy. the lever moved forwards and back fine and looking under the center console the linkage is all present and correct. I have read a few articles that say the grub screw under the Hi/Low select may be loose but I cant work out how to disconnect the Hi/Low selection linkage so I can remove the part and check. Any ideas? its item 6 on the pic I want to disconnect Hi Low Linkage

While since I have looked at one, but the joints on the linkage will come apart, there may be a little clip or spring collar. Should be fairly obvious when you look at it.
Probably easiest access is under the centre seat panel.

Yeah, there is a clevis pin but it wont clear the transfer box. some one may have put it in the wrong way first time round.

Yes, a good many of the joints are secured by a kind of spring clip. Mine's a slightly later model than yours so the design might have changed. They can be slit off sideways. With the gearbox in the vehicle you might need to think about lifting the transmission tunnel too.

Well I managed to get it off. As suspected the Hi-Lo select isnt working due to lack of grub screw. Anyone know the part number for the screw and the gasket?

where is the screw !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah. Tell me about it. Its obviously been missing for ages. The Hi-Low selection has been as sloppy as beer. I may have to open up the transfer box and see if i find it laying in the bottom. Is there some kind or sump trap in a Transfer box? I just ordered the replacement part and gasket

FTC4536 - Screw-Grub £0.20
FRC7998 - Gasket-transfer box cover to case £0.62
Postage £6.00

Did I mention I hate postage and packaging.

I think GATSO's remark was more about the screw rattling around inside and getting trapped in the mechanism. If I were you I'd definitely get the 'nose cone' (the bit containing the diff and difflock mechanism) off and have a look for it. I'd guess it's more likely to be in this front bit than in the main transfer case.

On another car ages ago I saw where a loose component had got trapped between a gear wheel and the case and had succeeded in punching its way out through the alloy casing.

Brown said:

I think GATSO's remark was more about the screw rattling around inside and getting trapped in the mechanism. If I were you I'd definitely get the 'nose cone' (the bit containing the diff and difflock mechanism) off and have a look for it. I'd guess it's more likely to be in this front bit than in the main transfer case.

On another car ages ago I saw where a loose component had got trapped between a gear wheel and the case and had succeeded in punching its way out through the alloy casing.

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That's absolutely vital to avoid a disaster in future, don't know about this one but my TD5 one has a cover plate which gives access to the innards, worth taking it off and finding the screw, stripped a box recently and the screw was fitted with Loctite had to heat it up to get it out, might be a good idea to re fit the new one with thread locker.

It'll probably not have migrated through into the main transfer box sump. There's a removable plate on the side of the nose cone that faces the gearbox but that only gives access to the difflock selector mechanism. I think it's a nose cone off job.

Hi Guys, Thamks for the advice. Thats exactly what Im planning on Saturday. Cone off. Will I ned a gasket or is gasket sealer ok?

twelsh37 said:

Hi Guys, Thamks for the advice. Thats exactly what Im planning on Saturday. Cone off. Will I ned a gasket or is gasket sealer ok?

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Sealer is probably ok, but I like to use a gasket as well. Try and get a sheet of gasket paper, about 1mm thickness, then you can draw round the component and cut them out as needed.

The body of the transfer box and the 'nose cone' define the distance between the tapered roller bearings that hold the centre diff (which also doubles as the final drive shaft for the transfer gears). So if you insert a gasket you might need to be messing about with spacers to re-set the bearings and take up any slack. if you keep everything the way it was when it came apart then hopefully the existing spacer will suffice.

Here's some stuff about me working on mine last Christmas:
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/building-the-gearbox-of-my-dreams.293835/
There's a bit about the overdrive which you can ignore. But it might be useful to have some pictures, other than the rather sanitized ones in the Haynes manual.

Brown said:

The body of the transfer box and the 'nose cone' define the distance between the tapered roller bearings that hold the centre diff (which also doubles as the final drive shaft for the transfer gears). So if you insert a gasket you might need to be messing about with spacers to re-set the bearings and take up any slack. if you keep everything the way it was when it came apart then hopefully the existing spacer will suffice.

Here's some stuff about me working on mine last Christmas:
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/building-the-gearbox-of-my-dreams.293835/
There's a bit about the overdrive which you can ignore. But it might be useful to have some pictures, other than the rather sanitized ones in the Haynes manual.

Click to expand...

Apologies, I thought he was asking bout a gasket for the top cover!

Usually I am a big fan of gaskets and have put quite a few on my Land Rover where there weren't any before, such as where the stub axles bolt to the axles, where the swivel balls bolt to the axle casings, where the diff mechanisms join the axle casings and a load more. However, in some cases where the measurements are critical for bearings I stick to sealant. Well I tend to stick to sealant anyway, or at least sealant sticks to me, especially clean pairs of trousers that I should have changed out of before I started work. My favourite gasket of all is the Seirpinski gasket https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierpinski_triangle which, if pursued through successive iterations, has zero area and infinite edge, and less than two dimensions.

Brown said:

The body of the transfer box and the 'nose cone' define the distance between the tapered roller bearings that hold the centre diff (which also doubles as the final drive shaft for the transfer gears). So if you insert a gasket you might need to be messing about with spacers to re-set the bearings and take up any slack. if you keep everything the way it was when it came apart then hopefully the existing spacer will suffice.

Here's some stuff about me working on mine last Christmas:
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/building-the-gearbox-of-my-dreams.293835/
There's a bit about the overdrive which you can ignore. But it might be useful to have some pictures, other than the rather sanitized ones in the Haynes manual.

Click to expand...

Nice mods there Brown. Gives me loads of upgrade Ideas. Thanks. Im off to try and find my missing grub screw and fit the new one along with a gasket.

Next job, change all the fluids in the transfer box and front and rear diffs. Joyus Saturday for me. Must remember the overalls trashed a tee shirt wriggling under the defender last weekend.

Ah, you're very kind!

Thanks for all the advice guys. Everything is now repaired. I spent hours looking for that missing grub screw. Couldn't find it anywhere. Took all the panels off on the transmission but still no joy. I'm thinking it may never have been there from the start. The Hi/Low select has always been sloppy.

Changed the Fluids in the Transfer box. Man, that was really low. The diffs were fine but I changed them anyway., Its been about 18 months since the last time I looked.

Running much quieter now as well. Thats an added bonus.