transfer box crisis - no rear drive

Hi everyone
I’m mostly a lurker around here, but I have a question that I hope to get your feedback on. I did a search, but I cannot find anyone describing this same problem with the transfer box. I was on the highway and my front u-joint was going, so I stopped and took off the front prop shaft. To my surprise, I could no longer drive; the rear prop shaft is not turning even in difflock. Furtunately, I solved my u-joint problem another way and replaced the front prop shaft and continued on, but the whole event served to show me that I’ve lost the rear drive. The halfshafts are fine, but the prop shaft isn’t turning. On Monday we’ll go into the transfer box, any ideas what I’m going to find? There is no noise or any other obvious evidence of a problem, although I did say to my passenger a few days ago that I thought the rear wheels felt heavy. Other than that, there’s nothing to indicate a problem.
Defender 110, TD5 2000.
Thanks!
Tamara

Is your diff lock engaging? I had same prob and had to adjust the connecting rods. Remove centre panel to gain access. 10min job.

I think so, but I'll double check. We lifted the front left wheel and tried regular drive and difflock but the rear prop shaft didn't turn at any time. I suppose that it could be the difflock since in regular hi/lo the drive would go to the easiest wheel, in this case the left front. The real test would be to lift the rear at the same time and see if it is turning at all in regular hi/lo. If so, then the difflock may not be engaging. Have I reasoned that correctly?

Hmmmm... keep in mind, when I took off the front prop shaft I had no rear drive at all, not in regular or difflock. Would that still be a case of drive going to the easiest wheel in regular drive?

if you jack up one front wheel it shouldnt turn if diff lock is working

Well, I've just checked and the dash light does not light up in difflock, so it looks like it's not engaging and therefore the issue is drive going to the easiest wheel. The jacked wheel did turn and the rear shaft didn't, so now it's making sense.
So, Monday I'm going into the centre panel and checking the connecting rods instead of into the transfer box.

Thanks!!

Wear in the arm on top of the front output housing stopped my difflock from working.

I'm not sure which part you mean by 'arm'. The little lever/switch thingy above the tranny?

This might help

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your linkage will look a little different as the diagram is of an lt85 ,but if you turn nut where linkage joins box with 13mm spanner clock wise it should put it in diff lock if linkage is loose or needs adjusting

Great diagram, thanks. Yep, it looks a bit different, but it makes sense. I'm going to try to free it up with some lube spray and then fiddle with it more if necessary.
Thanks!

( was the only pic I had in photobucket of any relevance , Green circle linkage will be vertical ) .

green circled part for hi/low will be horizontal ish on any other box than lt85 .lt85 is the only t/box where hi/low are selected up/down all the rest are forward/back ,on r380 in td5 the linkage from lever assembly pivots on an eye bolt screwed into gear box just below lever assembly ,eye bolt can be adjusted in/out if needed to ensure proper selection of diff lock