Oil leak and grinding

Hi all
Recently I was driving the car around and all of a sudden there was a grinding which I could feel through my clutch pedal and sounded like it was coming from the transmisson. Managed to get it home and the noise had gone.
Forgot about it until the other day when it happened again. It sound like grnding metal and as I say I can feel it through the clutch pedal.

I decided to have a look underneath and saw oil which appears like it was coming from around the base of the IRD. I took the underbelly panel off and cleaned the area. Took it for a bit of a drive and no noise and no oil leak.

Really worried now. Any one got any ideas?

Update. Hope someone can help me with this.
Grinding more and more now.
Just read a post which say something along the lines of the offside CV joint could cause it. Is this correct? What should I look for?

All sounds a bit ominous Mick. Hard to say what it's going to be. I can only suggest that you jack up and check each driveshaft, pull on the joints and check for any rotational play. If the noise gets worse on a lock it could well be a CV.
Have you found the source of the oil leak? I hope the grinding doesn't turn out to be from inside the IRD. Is there any lift/play in the output pinion for the rear drive?

I once on my old BMW 535i had a similar problem with a grinding which I could feel & hear when depressing the clutch. Turned out it was the spigot/carrier bearing in the centre of the flywheel which was goosed. That & obviously a new clutch as it wasn't worth refitting the old one cured it but it took a while to suss out. Don't know if that's what's wrong with yours but worth checking after eliminating all the simpler possibilities.

Hopefully the oil leak is a red herring as my IRD leaks a very small amount - enough to wet the inside of the bottom plastis cover but no more.

I can't explain it.
I drove it tonight and nothing at all for ages then all of a sudden a little grind again. Sounds like teeth grinding so am assuming it is the diff. I did the tipex test again and that doesn't seem to be the issue I hope. Lines are separate but the back does turn a little on drive.
I put my foot down and it flew and it is driving quite well (synergy 2 fitted). I had the master cylinder done a couple of months back and it cured the clutch problem so I don't think it is that, unless you guys know better???
Gearbox is working as well as I have ever known it and apart from a little bit of fuss sometimes getting into 1st or reverse but not i'm too bothered with.

While I had it jacked up I did notice that when I rotate the left front left wheel the whole prop moved (Front and back) and if I did it hard the final drive lifted. Should it lift??? Exhaust moved also but I assume that it would a little.

I keep reading horror stories and am worried a huge bill on the cards. It is going in to garage for MOT Wednesday and it would be good to have an idea prior to it going in. I am going to ask them to replace all oils anyway.
Oh and no leak since I cleaned it up which was all over the bottom of the dif and under belly panel.

Could no leak mean its empty of oil?

Hello again a bit of an update on the grinding problem.
Had MOT last Wednesday and specifically asked them to change the gearbox and IRD oil while in. I went to pick it up and asked about the oil change. He said "Checked them and they appear to be fine." I asked if he had changed them like I wanted he said no need as the levels are fine. mmmm not sure how he is going to check the levels without topping up a little so asked him to do it. So he told me to book it in again Friday. I think he was trying to fob me off.
In between then intermitant grinding was appearing more frequent. Friday came and when I picked up the FL spoke to guys in garage for about 20 mins about faults on freelander etc. :blabla:Highly uplifting as you can imagine. Paid and left.

Since though no grinding at all but the clutch pedal squeeks evertime depressed which I can cope with as long as no grinding. Looks as though there was a leak from the IRD which might have been causing it. I just hope that is the end of the grinding since it has been five days now.

" While I had it jacked up I did notice that when I rotate the left front left wheel the whole prop moved (Front and back) and if I did it hard the final drive lifted. Should it lift??? Exhaust moved also but I assume that it would a little.

If by the final drive you mean the rear differential this would suggest that its bushes need replacing. If on the other hand you mean the coupling on the rear of the IRD this would suggest a failure of the bearing supporting the IRD final pinion. Dropping the front of the prop-shaft would make testing this easier by giving it a good waggle. Removing the shaft altogether and going "mondo" might help you determine where the troulble lay by eliminating the VCU and torque reaction on the rear differential.

Since though no grinding at all but the clutch pedal squeeks evertime depressed which I can cope with as long as no grinding

Pedal squeak means that the bush on which it pivots requires lubricating. Its somewhere up on the bulkhead behind the fuse box and is difficult to see/get to. Cant be exact because mines an auto. Requires oil can with flexible pipe.

Gears in the IRD cant "grind" unless there has been a serious failure which would be very obvious. You would easily see evidence if you drained the oil. Small pieces of debris would indicate that a bearing has failed, while large pieces would show teeth have been broken.

Good luck.

Have had two IRD units fail - when they start to let go you are under no illusion that is whats happening. Neither were intermittant, both started to rumble, gradually getting louder over the weeks, they sounded like I was running on mud tyres at first, in the end you had to shout over the din.
Changing the oil in the rear diff is a pain as there is no drain hole, the diff pan has to be removed. A local dealer said they were sealed for life ie when the oil is shot the diff fails. The local independant (Land Ranger Services) goes to the trouble of removing the diff pan during service and changing the oil - I know which solution I was happier with.

Thanks for the replies fellas.
Since the oil change no grinding at all. I can't explain it. Bloke in garage believed it could be something to do with the clutch if I am feeling it through the pedal but I am not sure.

Same garage changed the Master cylinder but has only been squeeking since oil change last Friday. I wonder if they adjusted something since my comments to them.

Rear diff (final drive) did lift which I didn't think that it would but I have not been able to have a look at the bushes due to having a slopey drive and not enough time. I hope at some point over the weekend to do so.

I might just drop the whole prop and change all of the bearings and bushes. Not even worrying about rear diff oil yet. Will think about that over next couple of weeks.

Thanks again.