Yet another VCU thread - with a what would you do?

[Mainwaring]

Booked into Bell Engineering for next Saturday.

Thanks for the advice

 

[nickjb]

Booked into Bell Engineering for next Saturday

Good call. I got one from Freelander Spares UK a while back, IIRC Bell were out of stock and I was impatient. Turned out to be a leaky hunk of junk and the warranty was completely useless. They wouldn't even answer my emails. Bell for me next time

 

[angeloc]

Do me a favour - tell Bell I made the recommendation - they have been really helpful to me recently.

 

[Mainwaring]

will do

 

[crockett007]

Hey guys

Just got the FL up to scratch, changed the brake pads/calipers/discs, took him for a test run.............. and a new VCU will be required
Noticed it was a bit sluggish in reverse, like I had left the handbrake on, and on full forward lock the same, but in a straight line fine. So a trip to Bell will be in order. I might need to disconnect the props and run it in mondo to get there, as I don't know how long I can run it with this fault, as it's a 100 mile trip to Worcester for me. But no probs, that is what I'll do.

 

[Mainwaring]

Austen (from Bell) was saying that people have been in with the transmission so bad that when they go on full lock it stalls!

Mine felt like it had the handbrake being pulled on, now with a recon VCU I have hardly any resistance at full lock.

I drove a lot more than 100 miles to get there and I would defo do it again. Bell were really friendly and helpfull, and fitted it whilst I waited. (I actually went and had a very nice breakfast and cup of tea in a cafe on the high street whilst I waited, highly reccomended too!).

 

[Andrew McIntyre]

angeloc.
That make interesting and worrying reading. Here's the link for the site, everybody should have a read at their info.
Symptoms - Bell Engineering

 

[crockett007]

I drove a lot more than 100 miles to get there and I would defo do it again.

Hi Mainwaring
Did you drive there with all the driveshaft connected, or did you isolate the VCU?

 

[nickcc]

Just drop the whole drive train off, takes about 45 mins using ramps "but it's heavy"

 

[crockett007]

Just drop the whole drive train off, takes about 45 mins using ramps "but it's heavy"

Hi Nick
my issue is whether to run it on a long journey, when the VCU is on it's last legs, as I don't want it affecting anything else on the drivetrain.

 

[nickcc]

I changed my VCU at 103,000 miles mainly because I no longer trusted it (it turned out that there was nothing wrong with it) and the cost of replacing the Diff or IRD pushed me into it. If you think that damage to the Diff or IRD could occur just drop the VCU complete with propshafts off, just remember to take them with you

 

[Mainwaring]

I drove up there with mine all connected.

tbh though, you really can't tell if it's started to do any damage or not untill it's all too late. Bell said that mine was really stiff and defo the right descision to bung a recon VCU on and I noticed the difference immediately (when on full lock).

This rather good post by Hippo gives directions for prop shaft / vcu removal should you choose to.

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f69/freelander-1-vcu-bearing-replacement-how-guide-156068.html

 

[crockett007]

Cheers Mainwaring, I will probably remove it all and take it up to Bells.