PLEASE can some one "in the know" put me out of my misery and tell me that my 300tdi R380 gearbox is knacked (Discoverey but not having muck luck with them lot)

Got back from a 2k trip to Spain last week no problems (except gear stick was a little stiffer than usual on arrival).

Set off on a 200 mile trip yesterday and gear change got progressively worse:

Difficulty from 1st-2nd with out crunching.

Difficulty from 3rd to 4th.

Comes down the box O.K except no way of getting into 2nd, no abnormal noises except for in 1st & 2nd when you let off the power the gearbox let's off an almighty coggy scream!!!

Managed to get us home, dropped the gearbox oil on arrival (that I changed 7k ago and was fine) and it's now got a lovely bronze syncro shimmer to it with a few small bits of cog!!

So if somebod could just comfirm it's a duffed gearbox, much appreciated before I get my matches out

Jason

yep id say she's had it alright!!!

Funeral time .....

My guess is, the input drive shaft and possibly the lay shaft are the problem. Not too difficult to replace yourself - and while you are about it you may as well replace the bearings on those shafts.

I came across the following - MAIN GEARBOX (R380)
The ideal lubricant for the R380 Gearbox should meet with the following criteria:
v Full Synthetic
v API GL-4
v SAE 75W80
Land Rover prescribes that lubricants with Dexron II specification should be used. This is oil that has been used for automatic transmissions (Red oil). According to Castrol this indicates that the R380 gearbox is rather more viscosity sensitive than performance level sensitive, in other words it’s something like a manual transmission calling for engine oils. During 1998 they have changed the main gearbox lubricant to Texaco MTF 94. With this they have changed the specifications to a GL-4 lubricant with viscosity 75W80, although my Service Manual still prescribes that oil with a specification of ATF Dexron IID be used. In any case, the only other oils I could find with similar specifications are:
Castrol VMX (Semi synthetic) 75W80 GL-4

Fina Pontonic TI (Semi synthetic) 75W80 GL-4

Shell Spirax (Part synthetic) 75W80 GL-4

Castrol also recommends that Castrol VMX 80 be used in the main gearbox (R380). That is why Land Rover uses VMX in the main gearbox.

The ideal lubricant for the R380 is undoubtedly Texaco MTF 94. It is marketed in the RSA as Caltex MTF 94. Land Rover has done extensive research on this oil and it is the best. The specifications of MTF 94 are as follows:
Texaco MTF 94 (Full synthetic) 75W80 GL-4


So, when you've fixed your box, use the best oil...

Regards

wayne

Oh, and while I at it, anyone know if there are any input drive and lay shafts (J suffix) lying around?? Can get them here in SA but way too expensive!

Wayne said:

My guess is, the input drive shaft and possibly the lay shaft are the problem. Not too difficult to replace yourself - and while you are about it you may as well replace the bearings on those shafts.

I came across the following - MAIN GEARBOX (R380)
The ideal lubricant for the R380 Gearbox should meet with the following criteria:
v Full Synthetic
v API GL-4
v SAE 75W80
Land Rover prescribes that lubricants with Dexron II specification should be used. This is oil that has been used for automatic transmissions (Red oil). According to Castrol this indicates that the R380 gearbox is rather more viscosity sensitive than performance level sensitive, in other words it’s something like a manual transmission calling for engine oils. During 1998 they have changed the main gearbox lubricant to Texaco MTF 94. With this they have changed the specifications to a GL-4 lubricant with viscosity 75W80, although my Service Manual still prescribes that oil with a specification of ATF Dexron IID be used. In any case, the only other oils I could find with similar specifications are:
Castrol VMX (Semi synthetic) 75W80 GL-4

Fina Pontonic TI (Semi synthetic) 75W80 GL-4

Shell Spirax (Part synthetic) 75W80 GL-4

Castrol also recommends that Castrol VMX 80 be used in the main gearbox (R380). That is why Land Rover uses VMX in the main gearbox.

The ideal lubricant for the R380 is undoubtedly Texaco MTF 94. It is marketed in the RSA as Caltex MTF 94. Land Rover has done extensive research on this oil and it is the best. The specifications of MTF 94 are as follows:
Texaco MTF 94 (Full synthetic) 75W80 GL-4


So, when you've fixed your box, use the best oil...

Regards

wayne

Click to expand...

Thanks for that Wayne

I have ordered new recon gearbox from U.K today who explained exactly the same thing about the oil.

BE WARNED DEXRON 11 WRECKS ALL YEH SYNCOS

Which explains why my oil was like liquid gold at only 127K, that and previose owner that never changed the oil.

MTF 94 what's going in the new box then.When it get's here

Jason