To mondo or not to mondo.....Help!

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gloker

New Member
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84
Ok, my freelander started grumbling and making whining noises. "VCU bearing" was the cry. So I bravely removed the props, took the vcu and bearings off. Before I refitted them I took the car for a spin. Noise still there! Props and vcu in shed. So I took it to a 'land rover specialist ' "gearbox bearing" they said, you need a new gearbox. "
So I went to a gearbox place for a second opinion ( they refurb gearboxes, diffs and transfer boxes) "it's the transfer box" he says. I can refurb with all new bearings and seals for £600 or 2wd only refurb for £400 (no crown pinion work or something. ) do I go for 4wd or 2wd? I need a new vcu if I'm going 4wd as the old one is a 'freelandersparesuk' (I think they use chutney in them?)
Help!
 
£400 or £600

i would go for the latter and order a bell engineering vcu.

but that's me, i aint going to tell you what to do
 
That's what I first thought but then I have to pay someone to fit it. It's all money I can do without spending at the mo. (wife had a baby a fortnight ago) at least if I get the 4wd option I can sell it as 4wd in the future? Put prop on when I can afford new vcu? Think I'm just thinking aloud here....
 
Freelaner said:
£400 or £600

i would go for the latter and order a bell engineering vcu.

but that's me, i aint going to tell you what to do
Click to expand...

Well if it was me ..... I'd be booking it into Bell Engineering to get everything fixed.

Take 2 days on the sick - drive down in 2WD - drive home in 4WD.

Problem sorted.

Wallet hurting, but of course it's really only the difference of £200 or so.
 
Last edited:
Singvogel said:
Well if it was me ..... I'd be booking it into Bell Engineering to get everything fixed.

Take 2 days on the sick - drive down in 2WD - drive home in 4WD.

Problem sorted.

But wallet hurt, of course it's really only the difference of £200 or so.
Click to expand...

Makes sense (natürlich) but having just read his last comment, he needs time in between to save for the vcu.

a one stop shop to bells would be better though. :)
 
How much is that gonna cost though?! I can only just cope with six hundred (+the equivelant £600 quid earache from the wife )
 
So it was the ird. Glad to got to the bottom of it mate. Mondo mode is not to bad tbh just dont try and pull away fast on a wet road because all it will do is sit and spin on the spot
 
Freelaner said:
Makes sense (natürlich) but having just read his last comment, he needs time in between to save for the vcu.

a one stop shop to bells would be better though. :)
Click to expand...

I agree and I empathise comepletely with gloker.

Better to save for the proper fix and be able to sell a fully functioning vehicle at some point in the future for more that a 2WD bodge.

I know all about ear-ache from 'spending too much on that LandRover'. :rolleyes:
 
Yup ird! It's a recon unit too ( case has been shotblasted and sprayed at some point.) all done by previous owner.
Recon ird...
Dodgy vcu...
Vcu bearings made of monkey metal and dairylea...
 
Trc still works, I was in 2wd on the ice and light came on and we jumped away from the lights like a learner driver!
 
If bell were local I wouldn't hesitate. I'd just drop the car off and stick it on a card and worry about it when the wife found out!
 
Singvogel said:
I agree and I empathise comepletely with gloker.

Better to save for the proper fix and be able to sell a fully functioning vehicle at some point in the future for more that a 2WD bodge.

I know all about ear-ache from 'spending too much on that LandRover'. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Me too :eek:


i really daren't tell you what mine has cost me, i still have a severe wallet ache even now :(
 
gloker said:
Yup ird! It's a recon unit too ( case has been shotblasted and sprayed at some point.) all done by previous owner.
Recon ird...
Dodgy vcu...
Vcu bearings made of monkey metal and dairylea...
Click to expand...
thats bad luck mate. am running in mondo mode atm because of a tight vcu so with that and other problems its got its really starting to test me :)
 
gloker said:
Ok, my freelander started grumbling and making whining noises. "VCU bearing" was the cry. So I bravely removed the props, took the vcu and bearings off. Before I refitted them I took the car for a spin. Noise still there! Props and vcu in shed. So I took it to a 'land rover specialist ' "gearbox bearing" they said, you need a new gearbox. "
So I went to a gearbox place for a second opinion ( they refurb gearboxes, diffs and transfer boxes) "it's the transfer box" he says. I can refurb with all new bearings and seals for £600 or 2wd only refurb for £400 (no crown pinion work or something. ) do I go for 4wd or 2wd? I need a new vcu if I'm going 4wd as the old one is a 'freelandersparesuk' (I think they use chutney in them?)
Help!
Click to expand...

Depends how much you want / need 4 wheel drive and how much money you have. they do wheel spin off the mark in mondo if you give too much gas. The TC cant cope with this (aint F1), so it a matter of just being aware of it and adjusting on wet roads etc. I've also found that my 235/17 tyres has made her very stable (over 225's). They can feel a bit light when you first go mondo but me thinks this a mind trick. It roles better obviously! Anyhoo good luck.
 
Well, I've decided to go with the 4wd refurb. I can run in mondo until I can afford a bell vcu. Out of curiosity, anyone in mondo got a synergy on (my synergy arrived the day my car started playing up) thanks got keeping me sane everyone!
 
gloker said:
Well, I've decided to go with the 4wd refurb. I can run in mondo until I can afford a bell vcu. Out of curiosity, anyone in mondo got a synergy on (my synergy arrived the day my car started playing up) thanks got keeping me sane everyone!
Click to expand...

I run my V6 in mondo mode all summer but it's a bit of a handful if you need to get out of a junction quick. It spins the wheels so hard the TC has no chance of controlling it!! You may find you have the same problem with the Synergy fitted ;)
 
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