How much play is too much play? 300tdi LT230

And I don't mean foreplay. Had the inspection plate off the transfer box to reseal it and I checked the movement inside. This is with the vehicle in neutral and handbrake on. I expected some but I'm not entirely sure how much is too much.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/T9f8uUriD7Szx1UQ7

Could that clank be coming from the intermediate gear to main output shaft from the gearbox
To check remove the round cover [ where PTO ] would go and look for any play between the shaft splines and the internal gear splines as you move the gears back and fore.

tottot said:

Could that clank be coming from the intermediate gear to main output shaft from the gearbox
To check remove the round cover [ where PTO ] would go and look for any play between the shaft splines and the internal gear splines as you move the gears back and fore.

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Got the inspection plate back on now but ill check that before I fill it up. From looking around online it seems that they all have some element of play in them (even newer Puma engined ones) and no two are ever really alike. I think the transmission clunk is just a part of land rover life but I'm trying to eliminate as much slop as I can

What you say is not so, most ckunk's come from worn diffs and on the way out UJ's.
Puma engine Defenders [ JLR never learn ] suffer the same problem as 90,110, 200 and early 300 tdi's of wear on the gearbox output shaft/intermediate gear splines leading to total loss of drive due to lack of lubrication [ oil just does not get to where it should ] The answer is a cross drilled gear that gets oil to the place needed. For pumas there is a kit to do similar after the output shaft is replaced.
If you do nothing else remove the intermediate gear and check the splines [ easy to remove with gearbox in place ] and check the splines. If crossdrilled gear good. If not and you find dry worn bits a good dollop of grease on the splines will give longer life.

I thought the clunk was a semi normal defender noise but lost all drive when I pulled out of work a few weeks ago when the last of the splines went. (Was a Friday so was extra eager to pull off, and I don't mean get home and pull off) Didn't get any notice really, it just works until it doesn't. It could've been bad if pulling out on a nasty island so I wouldn't chance it. Had the gearbox rebuilt, mainshaft replaced, along with the input gear, and input gear bearings.

Depending on the age of your transfer box you can fit a cross drilled input gear. If all is fine, which I hope, I'd start with the axles and props for clunkhunting. UJs are easy to replace are horrid sounding when bad.

Hopefully someone knowledgable can judge the play but please don't do what I did and ignore it as completely losing the ability to move the vehicle all of a sudden was brutal.

I was lucky when mine went,[ if you can call it that ] happened outside the back door !

I know you can get the plate that gives better oil distribution and I've heard of the cross drilled gear as well. If I drive it carefully I can avoid the clunk completely but someone who doesn't know a Defender can very easily have it sounding like the bloody Iron Giant. I don't think the play in the tfr box is too much but I do know that my UJs need done however its slack in the transfer box specifically I was looking at. I've never done it but how easy is it to replace the intermediate gear? Few things I've seen say take off the PTO plate and just pull it out whereas others look more in depth

Take off the PTO plate and you will see the end of the main shaft in intermediate gear. To remove undo screws holding outer gear race and pull it away, then with a twist the gear comes out and you can inspect the splines on the shaft and in the gear. Come back for more info if it looks like replacement needed.

tottot said:

Take off the PTO plate and you will see the end of the main shaft in intermediate gear. To remove undo screws holding outer gear race and pull it away, then with a twist the gear comes out and you can inspect the splines on the shaft and in the gear. Come back for more info if it looks like replacement needed.

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input gear

I may be wrong but I'm pretty certain you can just about see he already has a cross drilled input gear, at the beginning of the video.

jamesmartin said:

input gear

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I stand corrected. Thanks James.

ChrisBduck said:

I may be wrong but I'm pretty certain you can just about see he already has a cross drilled input gear, at the beginning of the video.

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Looking again I recon you are right ChrisBbduck, Good news for the wolf.

Happy day's, that'll probably be because it was originally built by Land Rover as a utilities vehicle. I've got what's stamped as a heavy duty chassis as well but if that's HD I'd hate to see how badly a normal chassis rusts lol

More likely had a replacement gearbox at some time with the up dated cross drilled gear, it's what I did to mine some years ago.
Have a go at turning the gears with the transfer box in neutral, the noise may be coming from the centre diff.
Oil and diesel mix sprayed on once a year has kept the rust at bay on my 31 year [ been mine 28 ] 90 even though it lives/works by the sea [ see avatar.]