boguing said:

I'm late to the party as usual, but I agree with you on taking the gearboxes out instead. I don't know why, but I have a hatred of working on exhaust manifolds, so will always look at the alternatives. I also found that having the (separated) gearbox on your chest and lifting it up is by far the easiest way to get it lined up with the clutch.

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did that with daughters Corsa gearbox recently wouldn’t fancy that on the Land Rover

steve2286w said:

did that with daughters Corsa gearbox recently wouldn’t fancy that on the Land Rover

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I couldn't recommend it with both boxes bolted together, but it was fine with them separate. I'd driven it up on to blocks to make sliding the bellhousing out under the rails easier but it gives me more space too.

frog hopper said:

BUT, I have wondered wether it would have been easier to take the gear/tranny box out and do it that way, because I still had to remove the bell housing cover and floor plates from the interior to get at the last couple of nuts on the bell housing. For anyone else I don't suppose this would be much of a job, but as I put loads of soundproofing in my cab, a lot of it fixed with black gaffer tape, I have given myself another couple of hours work putting all that back as I would like it.

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I am another one similar to @boguing who thinks it is definitely easier to remove the gearboxes than the engine. I am am also an advocate (where possible) of sitting it on your chest and just lifting into place, however I only do this for the transfer box is split. The gearbox is easy enough with an engine crane through the passenger door. You can do it this way with both boxes together but the off centre mass of the transfer box makes lining things up more difficult so I split the boxes, hoist the main gearbox in and then "bench press" the transfer box into place with a helper in the cab to line things up.

I would also take the opportunity to sort your sound proofing into sections to make future removal easier. I have layers of sound proofing in mine beneath the factory shaped matting but made sure that bolt heads were accessible through cutouts and it was sectional for ease of removal. It might lose a bit of it sound proofing properties but on jobs like this it really does pay dividends.

I suppose if you have the access and gear it is a simpler method to remove the gearbox. Sadly my engine is dead so I have no choice. I will change the clutch etc while I am in there and we may even remove the gearbox and transfer case to do the seals while it is out. Oh and there is a bit of welding on the bulkhead to do also.....

Spent a few hours replacing wires/pipes etc, fitting the wiring tags onto the starter was a real pain up the bum, just couldn't quite get the push fit connector onto the spade, nearly got it so many times that I was sure next time it will go. Gave up for a couple of mins for a smoke, thought I might try taking out the washer bottle, 2 x 8mm nuts, lift it out the way, connect the starter, put it back. 2 minute job. Trouble is by the time I need to do that again I will have forgotten how to do it.

After a few short trips and with everything seeming to be behaving and no leaks I am happy to say the clutch job is done and dusted.
Unfortunately the reason for the change was a rather nasty noise, and it is still there. The old thrust bearing looked in reasonable condition but rattled a lot when shaken, that led me to believe it was that that was the problem, unfortunately not, so at the moment the plan is to just leave it for a bit and see what happens. I shall change the fluids in the boxes just in case that makes a difference, though that had been done 2 years ago (say 5k miles)