LT230 stiff to select high/low range

Anyone know about LT230 transfer boxes? Mine's very stiff to change
between high/low and back again. I know you have to sometimes jiggle
the gears about a bit (I have to nudge between drive/neutral/reverse)
to get the gears to drop in, but the lever is really stiff. Diff lock
by moving the lever left/right is fine. I've had the selector housing
off the top of the box to check that moves freely, as does the linkage,
it's something inside the box that's stiff. Any ideas?

Alan C

'88 3.5 RRC
'98 4.6 RR HSE

On or around 21 Jul 2005 04:11:32 -0700, [email protected] enlightened
us thusly:

>Anyone know about LT230 transfer boxes? Mine's very stiff to change
>between high/low and back again. I know you have to sometimes jiggle
>the gears about a bit (I have to nudge between drive/neutral/reverse)
>to get the gears to drop in, but the lever is really stiff. Diff lock
>by moving the lever left/right is fine. I've had the selector housing
>off the top of the box to check that moves freely, as does the linkage,
>it's something inside the box that's stiff. Any ideas?

I was about to say "linkage is crudded up", when I read the last bit. Not
much clue about internal bits in the box, but it's not gonna be cheap to
sort - box out and part-strip at least...

You are *sure* all the external bits are free?

--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that
"Would to God that we might spend a single day really well!"
Thomas À Kempis (1380 - 1471) Imitation of Christ, I.xxiii.

On 21 Jul 2005 04:11:32 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>Anyone know about LT230 transfer boxes? Mine's very stiff to change
>between high/low and back again. I know you have to sometimes jiggle
>the gears about a bit (I have to nudge between drive/neutral/reverse)
>to get the gears to drop in, but the lever is really stiff. Diff lock
>by moving the lever left/right is fine. I've had the selector housing
>off the top of the box to check that moves freely, as does the linkage,
>it's something inside the box that's stiff. Any ideas?

Perhaps just try using it a bit and see if it free's it up?

A silly question but you are moving at 2-5mph when you are changing it?

Regards

Brian Tonks

"Tom Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 21 Jul 2005 04:11:32 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>
> >Anyone know about LT230 transfer boxes? Mine's very stiff to change
> >between high/low and back again. I know you have to sometimes jiggle
> >the gears about a bit (I have to nudge between drive/neutral/reverse)
> >to get the gears to drop in, but the lever is really stiff. Diff lock
> >by moving the lever left/right is fine. I've had the selector housing
> >off the top of the box to check that moves freely, as does the linkage,
> >it's something inside the box that's stiff. Any ideas?
>
> Perhaps just try using it a bit and see if it free's it up?
>
>

I had one seize up in a similar fashion. The hi/lo lever works on a rod
in a housing on top of the xfer box. Said rod has the gear selector on
it. In my case the rod was seized in it's housing; it is only splash
lubricated. The housing is held on (from memory) by 6 bolts, and I seem
to remember it is visible and accessible with the gearbox/transmission
cover removed. You might need to remove the floor panels to get it off,
I can't remember if the floors are above or under the gearbox cover.
Remove bolts, remove housing and free the rod.
To prevent it happening again, use low range more often and/or tilt the
vehicle to more extreme angles to slop the oil around a bit!

Oops, just seen that you're a RR man, in which case I don't know how to
get at it, I was talking Defender. Anyway it's on top of the transfer
box so might be a problem with a RR.

Gordon