Transfer box leak

Just had a local independant land rover garage clean up and blather my chassis in old oil. While it was up on the lift I asked them to see if they could find out where the transfer box was leaking from.

I was told "the usual place - where the shaft from the main gearbox goes into the transfer box" and that "the lad that does all our re-builds throws the cases away when they leak from there". This raised my suspicions a bit. I can understand how a shaft might wear on an oil seal, but not how the casing that the seal is pressed into can wear. I was also thinking of the scrap value of a set of casings.....

This particular establishment does not have a reputation for bad workmanship, quite the contrary, but does have one for carrying out unauthorised additional work. This could well be for reasons of wanting to do a top notch job, or it could be opportunism. I am as yet undecided.

Having snooped around this site I have found that the input shaft oil seal goes and the input shaft itself also needs replacing, but no mention of the casings.

Can anyone shed a little light on this issue? What parts would I need to buy? I don't want to go to the extent of a full rebuild as the box functions perfectly well. I would however replace any other seals on the exterior of the casings as a matter of course.

I have a copy of the transfer box workshop manual, but cannot find reference to an "input shaft" - what is its proper Land Rover name?

Any help and advice would be much appreciated. I do not intend to do the job until around easter as the Disco is my only vehicle and its a long way to work by bus - I shall just keep topping it up by about 100cc a month and gather all necessary parts in advance.

input seal may wear but case never does there but intermediate shaft pokes out the front on case to the side of there and a leak can look like input seal leak ,case wears but most can be sealed with new oring and silicone sealant ,i used to machine it out and fit a sleeve

jamesmartin said:

input seal may wear but case never doies there but intermediate shaft pokes out the front on case to the side of there and a leak can look like input seal leak ,case wears but most cane be sealed with new oring and silicone sealant ,i used to machine it out and fit a sleeve

Click to expand...

+ 1.

Agree, the intermediate shaft O-ring on one side and there's only the shaft fit in the hole the other.

As said, new O-ring and a bit of RTV.

Not too bad a job to do but you'll need the transfer box out, and while you are there, change the two output shaft bearings as well and check the input shaft taper roller bearings for wear.

Peter

A bit more rare, but there's a collared land around the gearbox output shaft that sits inside the tbox main input seal, this can wear and cause oil to leak too.

But as said above, the intermediate shaft o-rings would be the first port of call.

Thank you all for your thoughts. Machining sounds a good option, but I will be pushed for time when I do the job, so it looksa like the RTV.

I shall study the workshop manual more closely and get a list of parts to order. Had a quick glance the other day and there is just that deformable bush that gives me cause for concern - I won't have to have that out will I?

Maaarrghk said:

Thank you all for your thoughts. Machining sounds a good option, but I will be pushed for time when I do the job, so it looksa like the RTV.

I shall study the workshop manual more closely and get a list of parts to order. Had a quick glance the other day and there is just that deformable bush that gives me cause for concern - I won't have to have that out will I?

Click to expand...

you would have to reset bearings by squashing bush buts its not difficult you can either use torque guage or feel by hand ,ie tightening till all free play has gone and then nip till you can just feel some preload added

The D2 Tbox doesn't have the deformable bush, you just torque the nut back up to 88nm...

Land Rover Workshop Manuals > Discovery II > TORQUE WRENCH SETTINGS > Transfer box - LT230SE

I had an oil leak from my transfer box
Same place from the input shaft sill (mainly leaked on motorway trips when the oil is up the top of the box)
I just took the transfer box out replaced the £5 sill and it's been ok since

Are you sure about that Bennehboy?

Just asking as the manual you are refering to is for the North American spec' V8 rather than the UK TD5 that I have. Still trying to get a manual for the TD5 for nowt , but without success.....

Bennehboy said:

The D2 Tbox doesn't have the deformable bush, you just torque the nut back up to 88nm...

Land Rover Workshop Manuals > Discovery II > TORQUE WRENCH SETTINGS > Transfer box - LT230SE

Click to expand...

later box do use a non compressable selectable spacer, though torque setting isnt vital

Maaarrghk said:

Are you sure about that Bennehboy?

Just asking as the manual you are refering to is for the North American spec' V8 rather than the UK TD5 that I have. Still trying to get a manual for the TD5 for nowt , but without success.....

Click to expand...

Yes 100% sure. James confirms it above. I only suggest 88nm torque because that's what landrover themselves suggest. The last one I replaced the seals on was finger tight!

Maaarrghk said:

Are you sure about that Bennehboy?

Just asking as the manual you are refering to is for the North American spec' V8 rather than the UK TD5 that I have. Still trying to get a manual for the TD5 for nowt , but without success.....

Click to expand...

Go to this site and download Rave disc 1 for Discovery 2; then search for a free download of: Virtual Clone drive. Once installed this program will allow you to open the Rave .iso file.

This is the genuine LR workshop manual for D2's.

"Go get 'em Floyd......................"


Good luck

Dave

James, you mention a selectable non-compressible spacer. This suggests that I have to select a spacer from a number of different available lengths. Am I correct? If so, how do I select the correct size?

Biglad, thanks for the software info - I have that download of RAVE and can't get it to open, so that should help.

Maaarrghk said:

James, you mention a selectable non-compressible spacer. This suggests that I have to select a spacer from a number of different available lengths. Am I correct? If so, how do I select the correct size?

Biglad, thanks for the software info - I have that download of RAVE and can't get it to open, so that should help.

Click to expand...

yes selectable instead of crushing a spacer to the right length to give correct preload to the taper bearings and at the same time providing something for nut to tighten against ,a solid spacer is used like a shim in effect ,if you use genuine timken bearings or the ones already fitted it most likely you wont need to change spacer ,spacers come in 20 different sizes ,youi either measure and calculate correct size or fit one and test rotational torque

Thanks for all your advice everyone. Sounds like it could get to be a bit of a scary and long-winded job. I might wait till my motorbike is back on the road so that I have a back-up vehicle.