VCU Torque test results

Chaser said:

Sounds like a bodge to try and loosen off the VCU

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Particularly as it ain't grease.

I am about to fit a Bell Engineering recon vcu. Having spoken with them and seen their way of testing vcu's I am very confident that these peeps do know what they are doing.
Their units come complete with the rubber damper and they will fit bearing carriers with good quality bearings to it too, if you ask, all for a very reasonable price and fast delivery, stocks permitting. My old un is on the way back for the next customer!

Results of static test, engine end held in vice, rear output end with 36" bar, 5l oil bottle full of water wire tied to end of bar, ie 5kg mass.
Timed result thru 90 deg, starting at 45 deg from verticle, in normal direction of drive.
Recon vcu 17 seconds to describe 90 deg arc.
Original vcu, did not move, Fail. Repeat with 10kg load, did not move, Fail.
Apply large HGV fitter to bar, vcu did move, but the bench moved more, FAIL!

Will do test on the hub nut once fitted to give a base line measurement that anyone can try without removing vcu. Also will be able to see if my new one goes off with time or miles. Every 6000 miles say?

I would say I was lucky as the IRD and Diff show no obvious symptoms of wear or damage, no excessive backlash or play, notchiness,tight spots, roughness, noise or vibration, the old oils came out clean, no metallic particles or silver sheen in the oil etc, but the oils were obviously NOT fresh. I've done enough transmission oil changes to recognise old oil and contaminated oil due to component damage to be happy.
Results of road tests and torque test on wheel hub nut to follow.
Regards, Bill

good one

Thanks mate, I'll think on the recon VCU and whether to take the chance or not. It would be good to get it back into 4 wheel drive now the snow is back but I need a service first so will take from there.

Riverside said:

Results of static test, engine end held in vice, rear output end with 36" bar, 5l oil bottle full of water wire tied to end of bar, ie 5kg mass.
Timed result thru 90 deg, starting at 45 deg from verticle, in normal direction of drive.
Recon vcu 17 seconds to describe 90 deg arc.
Original vcu, did not move, Fail. Repeat with 10kg load, did not move, Fail.
Apply large HGV fitter to bar, vcu did move, but the bench moved more, FAIL!

Will do test on the hub nut once fitted to give a base line measurement that anyone can try without removing vcu. Also will be able to see if my new one goes off with time or miles. Every 6000 miles say?

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Thanks for the positive feedback Bill, and this is a perfect test. i'm sorry i have never done this, but just never have cars in long enough or the spare time to do it.

10 year old prop and only 30k miles (founder of mondo mode )

With the front prop wedged in the vice, a 1/2" solid bar (1 metre length) wedged inbetween the UJ at the rear of the VCU

7.5kg approx 20-25 seconds to rotate 90 deg, note I was counting hippopotamus 1, hippopotamus 2, hippopotamus 3.......

The VCU was able to rotate with just 2.5kg on the bar.

Nice to know the VCU doesnt suffer from long term dormancy!

Northern Irelander said:

10 year old prop and only 30k miles (founder of mondo mode )

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weren't Mondo the "founder" of mondo mode ?

Sean said:

weren't Mondo the "founder" of mondo mode ?

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Yup

The Mad Hat Man said:

Yup

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so we don't need to be having a renaming ceremony

Northern Irelander Mode doesn't have the same ring to it

These are VCU tests only - any chance someone can try to do the rear wheel torque test as well, to see if there is any correlation?

Is this layout ok? any other fields/comments? whether VCU or wheel test?

Sean said:

weren't Mondo the "founder" of mondo mode ?

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it was Mad Hat Man who coined the phrase, the irony being Mondo never removed his prop........only ran it in VCU slip mode.

His account has been deleted but I remember the thread, it was a 3dr metallic grey one which was on the back of a recovery truck, thats when his transmission problems had started, he was so embarrassed he tried to say his father owned the FL.... yeah right lol

I have been going 2wd since 2001, if anything it is more apt to call it mondeo mode but mondo mode has stuck

Northern Irelander said:

it was Mad Hat Man who coined the phrase, the irony being Mondo never removed his prop........only ran it in VCU slip mode.

His account has been deleted but I remember the thread, it was a 3dr metallic grey one which was on the back of a recovery truck, thats when his transmission problems had started, he was so embarrassed he tried to say his father owned the FL.... yeah right lol

I have been going 2wd since 2001, if anything it is more apt to call it mondeo mode but mondo mode has stuck

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int that a bit like claiming to be the 7th Beatle ?

Northern Irelander said:

it was Mad Hat Man who coined the phrase, the irony being Mondo never removed his prop........only ran it in VCU slip mode.

His account has been deleted but I remember the thread, it was a 3dr metallic grey one which was on the back of a recovery truck, thats when his transmission problems had started, he was so embarrassed he tried to say his father owned the FL.... yeah right lol

I have been going 2wd since 2001, if anything it is more apt to call it mondeo mode but mondo mode has stuck

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I think it was Mondos - rumour has it that he sold it to his dad after finding the 100% slipping VCU .

The Mad Hat Man said:

These are VCU tests only - any chance someone can try to do the rear wheel torque test as well, to see if there is any correlation?

Is this layout ok? any other fields/comments? whether VCU or wheel test?

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I agree, havent had a chance to do a comparative torque test on the rear driveshaft nut.

I have another complete prop, which was turning about the same speed, I didnt time it though, it has done circa 70k miles

The Mad Hat Man said:

I think it was Mondos - rumour has it that he sold it to his dad after finding the 100% slipping VCU .

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Yeah he was a funny guy

so was LR1796 RIP .

Sean said:

int that a bit like claiming to be the 7th Beatle ?

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So how many beatles were there..........dont matter, their collection ended up owned by Michael Jackson

the mad hat man said:

so was lr1796 rip .

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:d

Interesting thread which has now made me paranoid about the VCU on my FL. How do you know if its failed or failing??

anyway found this torque test vid

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh01nQgh7z8"]YouTube - Freelander 1 2001 v6 Viscous Coupling Unit VCU Torque Test[/nomedia]

Yu look in the FAQ section where several tests are described.

Did Yu bother to read post #1 in this thread?