Is my FL two wheel drive

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Bizzie

Active Member
Posts
117
I have been going through the paperwork that came with my FL and found a receipt for removal of propshaft, remove t/box strip clean and convert to two wheel drive and refit refill with oil and test.

Total price with vat 1018.90 dated 25/8/09

Then the previous owner who I bought the car off had the prop shaft refitted but no mention of T/box.
Dated 5/8/13
Fitted s/h prop shaft
materials £100
labour £20
VAT £24
Total £144

So can the propshaft be refitted without returning the transfer box to 4WD.

I have just been for a 10 mile ride and checked the VCU and its stone cold to the touch.
 
With the prop/vcu removed = 2wd , if replaced = 4wd , sounds like the IRD was repaired/replaced , but left in 2wd (no vcu) then a replacement prop/vcu put back on , if the final drive is ok , then you should be on full 4wd !
 
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Thats what I'm hoping but I wondered what was meant but by repaired and converted to 2WD does it mean that something has been taken out of the T/box or as you say just the prop shaft left off, when looking for info on the net I came across one engineering firm offering a 2WD IRD as a replacement for a failed unit.
 
you can easy test it by finding a wet grassy hill and trying to get up it, if you are only in 2 wheel drive the front wheels will spin if in 4 wheel drive you will go up without any problem ,some unscrupulous firm will do a conversion to 2 wheel drive ,I am not sure at this point what they take out of the transfer box ,most probably the drive to the rear wheels ,and it will not matter if you have a brand new vcu on it will do nothing
 
I was thinking of trying the 1 wheel up test as for testing the VCU as I want to test this anyway and I think that if the rear wheels aren't driven then the wheel will turn really easily is that right
 
Is there a prop shaft and VCU actually fitted to the car?

If not, some places take off the prop shaft pinion from the back end of the VCU and put a blanking plate over it.

Bell Engineering sell a 2WD IRD.
 
look for a pinion fitted to the rear of the ird. If it's missing then you'll need one of those. There's a chance they may not have taken anything out of the ird. Just the pinion gear at the back.

As said above, the one wheel up test won't work if you have a prop and/or vcu missing. Lift 1 rear wheel and you'll be able to spin it by hand easily. You can do the same test to a vcu on a bench on it's own.

edit: just read above.
 
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There is a prop and VCU fitted and I did lift a rear wheel at work last night and it spins easily with on finger and the prop shaft turns with it so there must be something different about the IRD, do I need to take the IRD off and strip it to see if it has the pinion gear.
 
Someone's fitted a "2wd" Vcu - they been conned. Send it to Bell to have it checked.

Do both halves of the prop spin easily, or just up to the vcu?
 
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The Mad Hat Man said:
Someone's fitted a "2wd" Vcu - they been conned. Send it to Bell to have it checked.

Do both halves of the prop spin easily, or just up to the vcu?
Click to expand...

This^^^^
I fail to see why a previous owner would cough out over a Grand to get a 2WD Freelander???
If the VCU had stiffened up it would have been cheaper to fit a new one!
 
Both halves of the prop turn right up to the IRD so they must have altered the IRD to make it 2WD somehow.
 
Nodge68 said:
This^^^^
I fail to see why a previous owner would cough out over a Grand to get a 2WD Freelander???
If the VCU had stiffened up it would have been cheaper to fit a new one!
Click to expand...

The IRD must have been damaged as it was reconditioned and converted to 2WD according to the invoice at a cost of £690+£180 labour+oil £8 +£8 for something I can't read +vat total £1018.90.

This was in 2009 milage 75000 now 115000 it does seem excessive this was a company called Geartorque in Westhoughton near Bolton I may give them a ring see if I can find out how they convert to 2WD.
 
Bizzie said:
Both halves of the prop turn right up to the IRD so they must have altered the IRD to make it 2WD somehow.
Click to expand...

They have removed the lay shaft in the IRD. I just don't see why? It's common to remove the props if the VCU has gone stiff but can't see why the IDR would need to be messed with unless it got damaged by the VCU? Then then it would only cost around what was paid to fix it properly!
 
Would replacing the layshaft be something I could do myself or would it be a specialist job I've never stripped a gearbox before but have rebuilt motorcycle engines.
 
The reason why they take something out of the ird is so they can fit all other parts, and pass it oft as a working 4x4 with the props/vcu fitted. It's not always the garages fault. Owners request this to be done sometimes. Gives them the opportunity to sell it on easier for a much betterer price.
 
Bizzie said:
Would replacing the layshaft be something I could do myself or would it be a specialist job I've never stripped a gearbox before but have rebuilt motorcycle engines.
Click to expand...

All the gears need to be matched or it will howl. You would be better off getting a good condition secondhand unit.
 
Nodge68 said:
All the gears need to be matched or it will howl. You would be better off getting a good condition secondhand unit.
Click to expand...

Thats probably the best thing to do or a recon unit but how do you tell if a second hand one is OK until its been fitted, there are a couple on ebay that say they're good but who knows.
 
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