Problem with engaging 2nd on the r380 gearbox

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blackdogarb

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5
Hi all, I have a problem with engaging 2nd from 1st. New clutch has not sorted it either. Basically if you shift from 1st straight into 2nd it doesn't like it. You have to put it in neutral then 2nd. Or even better if you throw the stick all the way over to 5th/reverse area and then back into second it's slick. Come to think of it reverse is a bit hard. And.. 1st sometimes isn't great. All this leads me to believe something in the selector gubbins has gone wrong. I'm thinking the bias plate or the nylon cup thingy Bob. But I am far from a gearbox expert. Jack of all defender master of none.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
 
Have you changed the oil in the gearbox recently ?
To thick an oil causes sticky changes...

You also have to be quite sympathetic changing gear in a landrover.
The baulk ring teeth can wear too, its all about being gentle.
Hi there. Oil seems clean. Haven't changed it in a while. Shall try that. I'm going to pull the top of the box apart and see if the bias plate has split causing bad selection. And as routine I'll replace the nylon. Baulk rings are not an easy job on the 2nd gear shaft are they. I am gentle and I now have it to a tee. My old 200tdi lt77 box was smooth as a cucumber. Watch this space!

I see you like your saw. Ex tree sturgeon here. So saws are my toys.
 
Baulk ring is not an easy thing to do ....
There was a thread recently about gear oil, I used a Smith & Allen ATF Dexron III when I did mine as it's been as sh'mooth as ... its thinner than MTF94.

Yeah
Stihls
I bought a MS362C-M in the spring.
It just starts every time, cold, wet, hot, haven't touched it in weeks, 1 or 2 pulls and it running.
Faffing about with the old 660 and 880 is a pain.
 
Last edited:
R380 = MTf94 with Lubeguard yellow, silky smooth changes......

Screenshot 2023-09-23 at 16.37.47.jpg
 
Hi all, I have a problem with engaging 2nd from 1st. New clutch has not sorted it either. Basically if you shift from 1st straight into 2nd it doesn't like it. You have to put it in neutral then 2nd. Or even better if you throw the stick all the way over to 5th/reverse area and then back into second it's slick. Come to think of it reverse is a bit hard. And.. 1st sometimes isn't great. All this leads me to believe something in the selector gubbins has gone wrong. I'm thinking the bias plate or the nylon cup thingy Bob. But I am far from a gearbox expert. Jack of all defender master of none.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
hi Blackdon does this happen also while up-shifting from 2d to 3d ? Never while doswnshifting. This is exactly what is happening to me. You can see my post and tell me if you have the exact symptoms https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/r380-gearbox-driving-style.387170/

Maybe it's a characteristic of the R380 gearbox. Happy to have your feedback, or the feedback of any of the experts around here.
 
Baulk ring is not an easy thing to do ....
There was a thread recently about gear oil, I used a Smith & Allen ATF Dexron III when I did mine as it's been as sh'mooth as ... its thinner than MTF94.

Yeah
Stihls
I bought a MS362C-M in the spring.
It just starts every time, cold, wet, hot, haven't touched it in weeks, 1 or 2 pulls and it running.
Faffing about with the old 660 and 880 is a pain.
I've condensed to a ms241, Makita 6100, a 346xp and an echo 2511. These are all awesome in their own right.

Used to love my old 064.

Been through a few others. None of them have stuck with me apart from the above.

I'll try some atf then. 👍
 
hi Blackdon does this happen also while up-shifting from 2d to 3d ? Never while doswnshifting. This is exactly what is happening to me. You can see my post and tell me if you have the exact symptoms https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/r380-gearbox-driving-style.387170/

Maybe it's a characteristic of the R380 gearbox. Happy to have your feedback, or the feedback of any of the experts around here.
No. It's only upshifting from 1st to 2nd. Reverse is a hard select, but fine. Sometimes if I have the clutch in for a while 1st doesn't roll in like it should. Strangest box I've had.
 
Maybe it's a characteristic of the R380 gearbox. Happy to have your feedback, or the feedback of any of the experts around here.

It's not.
Have you changed you oil recently ?

MTF94 is a favourite, I prefered the thinner ATF Dexron III. Some others also like additives (Lubeguard yellow said @KISSMYAURA ,who knows his stuff)
 
It's not.
Have you changed you oil recently ?

MTF94 is a favourite, I prefered the thinner ATF Dexron III. Some others also like additives (Lubeguard yellow said @KISSMYAURA ,who knows his stuff)
Thank you miktdish for the fast reply. MTF94 is fresh. This is happening only while up shifting fast at high rev. Needs a pause of less than a second on neutral, to let rev drop a while, and then engage the next gear (2d or 3d) gently like feeding it, without forcing. No issue on downshifting. Any idea ? Or any idea from anyone around here ? Thanks
 
Thank you miktdish for the fast reply. MTF94 is fresh. This is happening only while up shifting fast at high rev. Needs a pause of less than a second on neutral, to let rev drop a while, and then engage the next gear (2d or 3d) gently like feeding it, without forcing.

Defenders are not racing cars and should be driven with a touch of mechanical sympathy.
Doucement, doucement mon homme
 
Thank you miktdish for the fast reply. MTF94 is fresh. This is happening only while up shifting fast at high rev. Needs a pause of less than a second on neutral, to let rev drop a while, and then engage the next gear (2d or 3d) gently like feeding it, without forcing. No issue on downshifting. Any idea ? Or any idea from anyone around here ? Thanks
I think we have found the problem!

Defender is considered a commercial / agricultural vehicle.
For this reason in the UK its taxation class is not the same as a normal car.
As such you cannot drive it like a car.
TD5 even has a switch on the clutch master to detect clutch depression, it sends a signal to the ecu which drops the revs for a gear change.

So if you try to drive like Rene Arnoux or Alain Prost you will have this problem.

So 'ralentir' on the shifting....!
 
To be honest I have a red booster fitted before my ownership. I think it may be adding to my problemos. Everything has moved in the pedal box and the pedal has two pivots now and the sensor on the master cylinder has been moved/changed.
 
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