How do I get the gearbox off?

I need some help from the experts. I've just spent a fruitless day trying to remove the gearbox from my 2000 XeDi. I need to renew the clutch because the peddle hit the floor and stayed there. Hippo has done 130k miles but the clutch was fine. I found that the release shaft in the bell housing is very stiff to move so decided to fit a new clutch and deal with the release shaft.

I did some research and found plenty of stuff on the web especially here Freelander Clutch change and I have a rave CD. They all say it is pretty straight forward. I disagree!

Anyway I have removed everything that is obvious but cannot for the life of me find the elusive 5th bolt referred to in here There is a bolt from the engine spacer plate that goes into the gearbox backwards, no manual/description I saw mentions this bolt. Fortunately I'd removed a number of this type of gearbox in the past and was on the lookout for it !

Anyway gearbox won't budge and I'm starting to think it is all one solid lump.The questions I have are, Will the g/box simply separate and leave the IRD in place?Do you need to undo more than the 6 bolts round the bell housing, the LH mounting bkt, and the 4 IRD bolts? Obviously I have removed starter, and gear linkages, but when lightly prised apart there is no give at all.

Any encouragement will be welcome!

unHappyhippo

i allways remove ird ,its hard enough to line up on its own does sound like you still have bolts left in ,there a some below starter on ird side

thanks, but yes I removed the top two IRD bolts. Its the elusive 5th bolt I can't find. Ive seen two people mention it on this forum but is not shown on Rave or Haynes. Tomorrow I will have a go at removing the IRD, or at least disconnecting it from the g/box.

Check the Australian LRO site for 'freelander gearbox removal' thread.

It's at:

freelander gearbox removal - Australian Land Rover Owners

Good luck - I know the feeling.

Lean over the engine with a torch , rest the torch on the top of the IRD unit facing the gearbox, get your head down behind the inlet manifold (prob remove the vac pipe tbh). Then you will be able to see a 15mm (i think) bolt that goes through part of the block and into the gearbox, but isnt one of the two top IRD bolts.

Personally i dont remove the IRD, but when refitting the gearbox, its alot harder with the IRD unit left in. Also be mindful of the metal gasket/spacer that sits on the gearbox when its removed.

Thanks for that, I will go searching for it. I wonder when it is such a crucial bolt why all the "official" bodies avoid mentioning it. Perhaps its a secret known only to main dealers! Thanks for your advice re removing IRD. I thought I would try and remove the box first and then if I can't mate everything up on refitting, I can always undo IRD RH mounting.

Its because your meant to take the IRD unit out to do it. When you take the IRD out the bolt is glaringly obvious.

Its just you dont have to take the IRD out on 1.8k compared to a TD4, with which you do.