Right...

Good Morning, afternoon, whatever.

I need help.

I bought a cheap Freelander 1 1.8 Petrol K series.

I understand NO ONE likes the 1.8 petrol, however there are already a few things I have done.

I uprated the head gasket as I read that these ones have a ****ty one standard and blow them every 40k so I upgraded to the multi layer steel gasket kit, the previous owner told me the prop was toast so I replaced it with a re-cert, I fixed the rear boot not opening, installed a new battery, and need to replace a front driveshaft very soon as it cropped up on MOT as the boot is severely deteriorated.

I also have the muddy mods lift kit and wheel spacers to get bigger wheels.

Now to the grit of it. The prop shaft.

I have this weird noise. It is a loud and feel-able rumble when at low speed - high load (E.G 1st gear 5 mph putting my foot any more than 1/8th throttle or 2nd Gear 15 mph putting my foot any more than 1/8th). It feels like the prop shaft when the previous owner said it was toast. however at higher speeds this goes away. I also found that when I reverse I have significantly less power then forward (Barely moves on bumpy grass or just whines and does not move or wheelspin however this issue may be unrelated < if you know the cause please let me know)

When replacing I made sure to fit the prop bearings in exactly 90 Degrees to the prop itself, I did not however test the Prop I put in, hopefully it is not bad the place I bought it from had decent reviews. Also it could be an old car thing as I drive daily a much newer car, however when I release the clutch unless it is a snails pace It will make a loud clunk and suddenly start moving again could be related or not I don't know

It should be clear this rumble was there when I got the Landy (Before Prop replacement) and got worse after prop replacement.

What I have tried to resolve this;

- Deflating tyres, this was an accident and did not resolve but did lessen the effect.
- replace the prop, initially helped a lot but gradually got worse.
- replaced the brakes (Pads, discs, drums, shoes, self adjuster and rear brake lines MOT again) This helped a shaky brake pedal but not the rumble.

What I have not tried to resolve this;

- Swapping tyres > this is next on the list of things to do.
- Test the VCU on the Prop > not massively sure how to do this.
- The bearings looked quite worn (cracked), so not sure if they'd need replacing or how to replace them.
- Heard this sort of issue can ruin a rear diff, not sure if the previous owner ruined the diff and the replacement prop hid that for a bit but it is now back?
- The Landy drives all 4 wheels so I do not think there is any prop/axle wind up but again not sure.


I am a fairly new mechanic, only been doing this about 1 year and this is my first 4x4 however I do know about cars I've been interested much much longer.

If you'd like to help on Instagram or just see the Landy, my missus has an Instagram for it

Her name is Myrtle (The Landy's name)


Thank you!

Hi - my rear boot doesn’t open, what did you do to fix please?

joel4507 said:

Hi - my rear boot doesn’t open, what did you do to fix please?

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hey, the return spring on the actuator had corroded and no longer pulled the actuator so when closed the door would not open as the ECU still thought it was open (The spring had not returned) I installed a spring to the actuator bar to some random plastic bit in the actuator housing to pull the actuator back up when the boot handle is released

Basic VCU check is the "one wheel up test". See the thread at top of this forum.

You could also try taking the prop off & see if the rumble is still there in 2WD mode ?

xDParis64 said:

hey, the return spring on the actuator had corroded and no longer pulled the actuator so when closed the door would not open as the ECU still thought it was open (The spring had not returned) I installed a spring to the actuator bar to some random plastic bit in the actuator housing to pull the actuator back up when the boot handle is released

Click to expand...

That’s great thanks but did you need to remove the door trim panel first - that’s my problem as door won’t open & all I read is the 4 screws that secure the tailgate door panel are under the door so can’t get to them, did you destroy the inner door panel or did you manage to work around this please?

Nothing wrong with the 1.8 K Series, so long as you don't mind replacing head gaskets.

Depending on where you live and type of driving, they can be cheaper to run than the diesels.

Your problems are 101 Freelander.

Its likely the IRD/diff has been damaged from previous use. If they are then a bearing kit may fix the problems, so long as the gears have not been damaged. Check the oil, if it comes out metallicy/grey, then that's the bearings ground to dust and suspended in the oil - but bear in mind, it may have been changed. Check for play in the pinions, a little rotary movement is OK as the gears mesh, but not to much and no lateral play.

Putting a prop on without testing the VCU is very dangerous. You can't see what condition they are in, they need to be tested. Link here...


Did you inspect the support bearings before installing the prop? If they are 2nd hand (or cheap new ones), they may be toast.

The bearings need to be aligned, as you say, 90 deg to the prop, but also to the car, don't try to straight line the props.

joel4507 said:

That’s great thanks but did you need to remove the door trim panel first - that’s my problem as door won’t open & all I read is the 4 screws that secure the tailgate door panel are under the door so can’t get to them, did you destroy the inner door panel or did you manage to work around this please?

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My work around was I snapped the door off the bottom of the screws after about 6 hours of trying to unscrew them, I then used what was left of the screws to screw it back on (They were ripped and a little bent)

GrumpyGel said:

Nothing wrong with the 1.8 K Series, so long as you don't mind replacing head gaskets.

Depending on where you live and type of driving, they can be cheaper to run than the diesels.

Your problems are 101 Freelander.

Its likely the IRD/diff has been damaged from previous use. If they are then a bearing kit may fix the problems, so long as the gears have not been damaged. Check the oil, if it comes out metallicy/grey, then that's the bearings ground to dust and suspended in the oil - but bear in mind, it may have been changed. Check for play in the pinions, a little rotary movement is OK as the gears mesh, but not to much and no lateral play.

Putting a prop on without testing the VCU is very dangerous. You can't see what condition they are in, they need to be tested. Link here...

Tests new Freelander 1 owners should do on their car

These points have been written so many times, I just want to put them in a thread by themselves so a link can be used rather than typing them out each time! This relates only to Freelander 1 vehicles. Freelander like all cars can have many different faults. Lights can stop working, leaks can...

www.landyzone.co.uk

Did you inspect the support bearings before installing the prop? If they are 2nd hand (or cheap new ones), they may be toast.

The bearings need to be aligned, as you say, 90 deg to the prop, but also to the car, don't try to straight line the props.

Click to expand...

Thank you! really helpful information, will look at getting this all sorted, will test the prop, replace bearings, I read that the clunk on gear change is the rear centre diff mount so I will look to replacing that too.

I will check out that Freelander 1 first owners thing

Appreciate the help all!

joel4507 said:

That’s great thanks but did you need to remove the door trim panel first - that’s my problem as door won’t open & all I read is the 4 screws that secure the tailgate door panel are under the door so can’t get to them, did you destroy the inner door panel or did you manage to work around this please?

Click to expand...

If you are anywhere near and are able to get the door trim off I can sure help getting it unlocked for you, I am near Southampton

I did a bacis (non scientific) check on the bench with my Son's VCU when we changed the prop UJ, and VCU bearings. Just clmped one side in the vice, and then use a big crowbar to check the VCU would turn & not siezed or sloppy.

Then put some white paint marks on it & re-installed. Seems to move after driving a bit, and it turns on a one-wheel test, although we have not done the weights thing.