checking vcu

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garyrigden

garyrigden

Active Member
Posts
367
Location
Herne bay
right well i thought i would have ago at checking to see if my vcu was ok using the method given on the ashcroft transmissins web site. so here goes. i jacked up one rear wheel,got my 18" pry bar out to wedge in the uj and try and turn the prop and guess what? theres a rubber boot over it so i couldn't do it.
so i thought well i should be able to grab the tyre,hang my 17 stone's worth of mcdonalds breakfasts on it and it would turn!
well i could not shift it at all so now i'm worried that it's all going to go pear shaped and turn my transmission into a box of shrapnel.
Has anyone of you nice people tryed this method of checking your vcu and what result did you have?.
(oh and before anyone asks i did have the handbrake off).:confused:
 
I dont know if this is correct or not, but hopefullysomeone will confirm deny it, anyway, i read somewhere tht is yo draw apaint line across the vcu and then go for a drive and come back to a staggered line, then it aint seized? Makes sense anyway...
 
i've had a look at the other threads on vcu's but still none the wiser.i know you get a lot of rolling resistance when on full lock in fowards and reverse but how much is to much? when reversing off the drive in mine with it on full lock the car will stop when you take your foot off the loud pedal(feels like the handbrake is being applied). i suppose the only way to see if mine is normal or not is to have ago in another one and see what that is like.
 
garyrigden said:
i've had a look at the other threads on vcu's but still none the wiser.i know you get a lot of rolling resistance when on full lock in fowards and reverse but how much is to much? when reversing off the drive in mine with it on full lock the car will stop when you take your foot off the loud pedal(feels like the handbrake is being applied). i suppose the only way to see if mine is normal or not is to have ago in another one and see what that is like.
Click to expand...
yup garry . . .this is a normal thing wiv freelander ,mine has never done it but er lot on here have the same thing un jist ignore it. . . .
 
garyrigden said:
right well i thought i would have ago at checking to see if my vcu was ok using the method given on the ashcroft transmissins web site. so here goes. i jacked up one rear wheel,got my 18" pry bar out to wedge in the uj and try and turn the prop and guess what? theres a rubber boot over it so i couldn't do it.
Click to expand...


There shouldnt be a rubber boot over the uj, or any of them. There are three in total, but the rear uj is next to flange which bolts to flange on final drive
 
This months LRO magazine has an excellent section on all of the freelander transmission parts.

It tells you how to check by driving at walking speed with the vehicle on full lock. (Make sure you are in a car park or clear space) Then depress the clutch. The vehicle should slow to a halt.

VCU is suspect if the vehicle slows and then reverses slightly.

I tried this on mine the other day and it reversed afterwards. LR dealer had a look and said that the VCU is fine - so even i'm confused!!!

Regards,

Steve.
 
thanks for all the advice guys, i think i'll have a go at painting a white line on it then see what happens. Hopefully it will be ok, i'm just paranoid that it will go and destroy my ird which would mean i would either have to sell my series 3 or the kids to pay for the repairs(difficult one that;) ).
anyway will give it a try at weekend and report back.
 
garyrigden said:
thanks for all the advice guys, i think i'll have a go at painting a white line on it then see what happens. Hopefully it will be ok, i'm just paranoid that it will go and destroy my ird which would mean i would either have to sell my series 3 or the kids to pay for the repairs(difficult one that;) ).
anyway will give it a try at weekend and report back.
Click to expand...


The kids!

=series 3 loud
=Kids louder!
 
use white tipex. . . .un if yer make a mistake jist tipex it out.oh yes fergot to say,after makin yer line un goin fer a drive ,it is 1000000-1 chance lines might be in line, solution = go fer nuther drive . . .:rolleyes:
 
was going to use tipex today but as usual it was pi##ing it down so put the new seats belts in the series 3 instead.(still got wet though). hopefully will have chance to do it tomorrow when i get home from work.(oh the joys of working on the railway).:mad:
 
right well i painted a white line across the vcu today,went for a drive and it was still in the same place!.so after i had calmed down a bit i had another look at the exploded diagram of a vcu in this months LRO and realised i had done it wrong.
what i can gather from the diagram is that the output shaft on the vcu(that goes to the rear prop)is attached to the whole casing of the vcu.
this casing has rotors attached internally.
the input shaft of the vcu(front prop) just has rotors attached to it internally and is not in any way attached to the casing of the vcu.
so basically speaking when driving normally the rear prop turns in time with the vcu casing and the front prop turns seperatly,and when off road and you lose traction on the front wheels the difference in speed between the front and rear props causes the jelly stuff in the vcu to thicken resulting in the rotors locking together and transfering drive to the rear wheels.
so to check that my vcu was not seazed i painted a white line on the front prop and one on the rear prop(in line of course) and went for a drive. when i got back they had moved which leads me to believe that the vcu is ok as if it were siezed they would have still been in line with each other.
i think i'm right on this but if anyone has another suggestion or thinks i'm talking bo###ks please let me know.;)
 
Spot On gary!;)

But just cos the props have moved independantly of each other dunt mean the VCU is workin ok ;)
Your right It aint seized thou. which is good news :D


But is it 4 wheel drive ?????????:rolleyes: :p :D
 
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