Strange Clunking Sounds?

Hi all,

Does anyone out there know about or have heard on their own RR a strange clunking sound whenever pulling away in 1st?

I have now heard it 4 times and untill the last time it happened (yesterday) I thought it might be something to do with pulling away a bit too sharpish. Yesterday though got me a tad worried. I was having to climb a bit of a steep road/lane and all was going ok untill I just made it to the top. I was in 1st and it was the 3rd atempt at the climb when all of a suden the clunking began. It finished as I eased off the gas peddle and got onto level ground. It sounded to me like it was coming from the gearbox and as if the cogs were missing/slipping.

Has this happened to any of you??????

Phil "O Bife"

HELP!

Doesn't anybody know what it could be, it's getting worse.

Could it be anything to do with a slipping chain in the Transfer Box???????

Phil

Clonking, or Rat-ta-ta-ta-taaa....? Gearbox would usually produce closely repeated noises, varying with speed. A usual culprit for big clonks when pulling away in 1st or reverse is the A frame ball joint. This is a big ball joint located at the center of the rear axle, connected to the A frame and the self-levelling unit.

It can produce several fast "Clonks" when wheels are loosing traction, as may happen on a difficult hill. Give a check and let me know...

Philip

Thanks for that Kano,

I have since found out that it is the Transfer Box that is making the noise for sure. Now the problem is that the greedy so and so's at my local Land Rover garage (Here in Portugal) wouldn't strip it down to see what it was exactly within the T-Box that was wrong. Instead they said that it wasn't worth the labour and that we should get a new one. Well, with the price they quoted us for a new one along with the fact that this noise really rarely happens (only if I really give it large or if I try to climb something a tad steep without going into Low ratio) I am wondering if a bloke I know couldn't strip it down for me and once we know what exactly is wrong, get the spares sent over from the UK.

I've been told that it could be the Morse Chain that has had it and that it's rather a straight forward procedure in changing it. If it is the Morse Chain, wouldn't it be wise to also change the Drive Gear and the Differential Unit which the Morse Chain goes around?

Also, does anyone out there know of any UK or Spainish web sites that deal with these sort of parts?

Thanks again Keno.

Phil "O Bife"

Ashcroft in the UK rebuilds transmissions, and there are a number of other places where you can get rebuild kits. Usually they are cheaper in the US. Here are a couple of links for transmission specialists (have to check if they stock spares for this particular box, though), but if you google around you'll surely find more.

http://www.ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk/category_4.html

http://www.gearboxman.co.uk/psmotive.html
http://www.bulkpart.com/

Philip

Thanks again Kano,

Funny, I've been looking at a few and the one that really caught my eye is the Ashcroft one. Will be giving them a call to see what they can come up with. If the unit is not too large I'm going to see if my father can bring it over with him next month when he flies out, then he could take the one out of the RR when he returns to the UK and get them to pick it up.

Cheers for the help,

Phil "O Bife"