Listen to this noise

Hi, my gear box on our diesel S3 has started going "skutch skutch skutch" in second and third at low revs, Getting faster as road speed increases.
I am very scared, as when i fitted it in 2009 it was a s/h army recon box.
What could it be?
I have the knackered gearbox i took out in 2009; do any of you chaps and Chapesses know how easy it is to recondition a box yourselves,
Or, have a box spare?
Ideas on a postcard please.

Has it got any oil in it ?

yes lots, probably too much!

come on!
someone must be able to diagnose that noise!
My dog looks down and concerned when it happens, so even she knows it ain't right...

Fairly easy to recon, i bought a cheap one to recon with a view to replacing the one in vehicle, but was so easy repaired the existing in a week or two
hardest bit was getting the old one out, made a scaffold A frame , used a hoist, removed hardtop, seatbox and then have good access to get to it, just about carry it by myself

ok then.... does the manual give you a good plain english, step by step explanation?
yrs

If you've got far too much in it could be frothing and causing the oil to loose viscosity, basically you get whipped cream instead of double! pull out the FILL plug and let the excess out and see if it's full of tiny bubbles. If it is you may need to drain and refill. I got mine all frothed up and even after sitting for a couple of weeks it was still frothy.

Before doing too much I'd check that the intermediate shaft on the transfer box is still held in place by it's little metal tab, mine used to spin and made a funny noise!

Other than that have you tried putting it up on axle stands (all four wheels up in the air) and running it in gear...make sure it REALLY, REALLY DEFINITELY CAN'T FALL OFF and don't get caught by the spinning wheels! Have a look / listen underneath or get a friendly garage to do the same with it on a pillar lift. There's plenty of things that spin round and make funny new noises in Land Rovers.

Now my rear diff has STOPPED making a funny noise, that's worrying...

Making no noise , now that is scary!

Then again...everything else might just have got louder...

the other oddity is that it won't drive on tarmac in 4WD.
the front wheels skip and jump.
or stop.
the steering is pulled all over the place.

It sounds as though you are getting transmission 'wind-up'!

Are both your diffs the same ratio, or has one been changed?

Driving for long periods on tarmac in 4WD will not do anything any good, which is why you have the option of 2WD for on-the-road!

Transmission wind-up will also affect your steering!

it is driven off road ( grass) and it even does it then.
the front wheels skip on or off grass , my other land rover doesnt do it.
i did wonder if it has different axles..
iit has FWH as well.
very odd.

Are your FWH's disengaging?

sometimes it has to be driven backwards a few inches to disengage.
Anyway its been like it for years!

dump you gearbox and tranfer box in to individual containers and see what they both tel you, you should not be getting gunge or froth or metal filings lol hope that helps