P38 front prob probs

rrveight said:

Dont bother replacing the VCU , just leave the front prop off , problem solved , been running a 2.5 dse around Donegal for over a year now like that , drives better , tows better , and cheaper to run , getting a extra 6 mpg without the front prop fitted

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really? well i was towing a trailer and any kind of incline i was slipping as it was a heavy, i also live on the top of a mountain and with the cold snap we just had i nearly didnt make it home one night due to ice on an incline. i can buy a transfer box on ebay for like £200 with the VCU. personally i need the 4WD and the price aint terrible. but thanks for the advice though.

anyoine know if a transfer box from a P38 4.6 V8 will fit a P38 2.5DSE?

P38_Ireland said:

anyoine know if a transfer box from a P38 4.6 V8 will fit a P38 2.5DSE?

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Don't know about the transfer box as the gearbox is different between the 4.6 and the DSE if it's auto, but the VCU looks like it's the same.

rrveight said:

Dont bother replacing the VCU , just leave the front prop off , problem solved , been running a 2.5 dse around Donegal for over a year now like that , drives better , tows better , and cheaper to run , getting a extra 6 mpg without the front prop fitted

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Only problem with that is that if the VCU, which is only a difflock in effect, decides to break up or free up you will be left with no drive. No front prop is OK short term but I personally wouldn't like to trust it for too long.

Hard to believe an extra 6mpg as you are still turning the front diff via the front wheels which will absorb more energy than driving it from the transfer box. A siezed VCU would not help your economy tho as it causes transmission wind up which would also affecr drivability.

As for towing better, you must have had too much of the black stuff, try towing my mini digger and trailer off a muddy site in 2 wheel drive, or the caravan out of a sandy pitch for that matter.

Datatek said:

Don't know about the transfer box as the gearbox is different between the 4.6 and the DSE if it's auto, but the VCU looks like it's the same.

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According to Ashcroft, although essentially the same model of box on manuals and auto's, there are slight differences, which, from reading the overhaul manual, I suspect is more to do with differing ratios on the input (reduction set) side, rather than any difference in the VCU, as it does not list different procedures for auto and manual. A quick email to Ashcrofts should confirm that.

kernowdragon said:

According to Ashcroft, although essentially the same model of box on manuals and auto's, there are slight differences, which, from reading the overhaul manual, I suspect is more to do with differing ratios on the input (reduction set) side, rather than any difference in the VCU, as it does not list different procedures for auto and manual. A quick email to Ashcrofts should confirm that.

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sorry i should have clarified, there both automatics

kernowdragon said:

According to Ashcroft, although essentially the same model of box on manuals and auto's, there are slight differences, which, from reading the overhaul manual, I suspect is more to do with differing ratios on the input (reduction set) side, rather than any difference in the VCU, as it does not list different procedures for auto and manual. A quick email to Ashcrofts should confirm that.

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I presume you are just referring to the Transfer Box. I'll have to re-read RAVE but I thought it said the auto boxes were ZF24 for the 4.6 petrol and ZF22 for the diesel. I seem to remember the ZF24 is slightly longer than the ZF22 which might affect the Transfer Box. I might be dreaming tho.

Datatek said:

I presume you are just referring to the Transfer Box. I'll have to re-read RAVE but I thought it said the auto boxes were ZF24 for the 4.6 petrol and ZF22 for the diesel. I seem to remember the ZF24 is slightly longer than the ZF22 which might affect the Transfer Box. I might be dreaming tho.

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Yup, was just talking about transferbox. RAVE says BW44-62 for all models, but Ashcroft's say auto and manual are different, the BW overhaul manual does not give different procedures for different models, so my assumption was (dangerous things I know!) that the basic box was identical in function and layout, just that the ratios were probably different.

The output flange is probably longer on one than the other if there is a length difference.