Intermediate oil leak and removing a Lt230 transfer box.

Hi, l have a Defender with a lt230 transfer box and unfortunately it has an oil leak that looks to be coming from Intermediate Shaft. Watching various videos it doesn’t look to hard to change the O rings on the shaft. But l cannot find any videos on how to remove the transfer box. Is it a hard job to remove the transfer box, can it be done on drive using basic tools and if so does anyone have a step by step guide, or even better a link to a video?

There were vids out there, I rembdr seeing them, Or at least a write up with pictures.

Use a set of long bots with the heads cut off to align the transfer box on refitting. Cut a slot in the end where the bolt head used to be.

Cheers

Thanks for the tip, but is it easy to remove the box?

You can find a write up in the RAVE manual. All the writes up I have just seen are missing the phots due to the photobucket cock up.

It is not difficult to remove. Try Youtube "defender transfer box removal LT230"

its a bit of a heavy bugger.

Cheers

Thanks, that’s a great help. It looks like l can replace the seals with out removing the transfer box.

If it is leaking between the main box and transfer box it is possible to renew the O ring. The intermediate gear shaft has to go forward to come out and can not do so without the removing the transfer box. However there is a work around, the way I did mine was get a pair of bolts as neilly suggests and with jack under main box remove mounts and remaining transfer to gear box bolts.
Then slide trans box back on the long bolts some so when pushed from the rear the shaft comes forward just enough to revile the O ring and change it.
Do not push shaft out any further forward or a thrust washer inside may fall out of place.
I did not try and renew the rear O ring as it was not leaking but after a wipe clean smeared some RTV silicon in the hole.

Thanks for the advice, l’m definitely going to try this method. How long did it take and can you do it by yourself, or would l need help?

Did it in an afternoon by myself, can not remember if rear prop had to come off but think not.

Removing the transfer box is not a difficult job and can be done with basic tools but it is heavy and uneven weight distribution. This makes removal and refiting using a jack a challenge unless you build a jig/frame to hold it. I find it far easier to just lift it in and out onto my chest bench press style, but I am still young and strong enough to do this, I know others have made frames to balance it properly onto a trolley jack, or you can use an engine crane through the pasenger door..

In terms of removal it is just a lot of small jobs that in there own right are fairly basic nut and bolt jobs:
remove the centre seat base and access panel (large crosshead screws)
remove the prop shafts (9/16)
disconnect the hand brake cable (split pin and 19mm)
remove the handbrake drum
remove the handbrake backing plate (15mm)
disconnect the speedo cable (10mm)
disconnect the transfer box linkages (can be done from underneath without removing the floor and tunnel although removing floor and tunnel gives lots more access) (difflock split pin and hi/low 13mm)
disconnect the breather (14mm)
disconnect the diff lock switch cables
support on a jack and remove the transfer box mount (rubber mount 19mm and chassis bracket 13mm)
using a cardboard template remove all of the bolts holding it to the greabox and place in the template (they are different lengths and orientations) (17mm)
slide backwards and lower to the ground
and it true haynes fashion refitting is the reverse of removal!

Apologies if sizes are not correct they are all from memory having done my clutch a couple of months ago. Also if I have missed a step any please feel free to add as again done from memory

Hi, l’ve got a bit of a problem, l’ve just changed the intermediate oil seal using the long bolt method and l’m just putting everything back together, however, l’ve noticed a strange problem. When l put it into high or low box l only have rear wheel drive, but when l put the diff in l have 4 wheel drive, it didn’t used to be like this prior to changing the seal.
I would appreciate some advice on this?

Have you got all wheels off the ground ?

Yes, the vehicle is on axle stands. Ifl go underneath and manually turn the rear propshaft the front one turns.

All sounds normal then, drive through diffs always goes the easy way. An axle has one wheel off the ground that is the one that spins. Rear axle turns more freely than the front so that is the one that spins until you put the centre diff lock in.
Only way to have full all four wheel drive is to have axle diff lockers fitted