Framtaff said:
Not an expert on this subject. However spoke to my guy at garage. Has fixed my cars for 20 years. We live out in sticks. He has worked on dozens of freelander and has long relationship with his customers cars. Never had to replace a vcu. Sometimes the bearings but never vcu. Im not saying they dont break but it is an interesting observation.
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lol, he's never replaced a VCU, but probably the money he gets for fixing IRDs pays for his villa in Marbella :)
 
Framtaff said:
Not an expert on this subject. However spoke to my guy at garage. Has fixed my cars for 20 years. We live out in sticks. He has worked on dozens of freelander and has long relationship with his customers cars. Never had to replace a vcu. Sometimes the bearings but never vcu. Im not saying they dont break but it is an interesting observation.
Click to expand...
Freelanders have a reputation for destroying their drive train for a reason, and the collective knowledge here has worked out the reason is the VCU stiffens over time putting excessive strain on the other parts. Trouble is most mechanics know nothing about VCU's so they don't fix the cause of the trouble, just replace the parts that failed. It might last another year before something breaks again but it will happen.
Don't forget mechanics work on all models of car so they don't have time to research every fault in every car.
 
Framtaff said:
Not an expert on this subject. However spoke to my guy at garage. Has fixed my cars for 20 years. We live out in sticks. He has worked on dozens of freelander and has long relationship with his customers cars. Never had to replace a vcu. Sometimes the bearings but never vcu. Im not saying they dont break but it is an interesting observation.
Click to expand...
he sounds like a tratterer who ses his roof dun't leak, doesn't collect condensation and his heater works

:eek:

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/cracked-freelander-1-ird.278571/
 
Agree with point about how many people run around with different or odd tyres placing strain on drivetrain.

Is it true that in some EU countries it is a legal requirement to change tyres in pairs due to the adverse effect that odd tyres can have on safety. In UK anything goes.

Be interesting if there was a way of finding out how many vcu have failed where people looked after tyre combinations.
 
Austen rang just now - the VCU had seized solid. He’d never seen one do that, but his Dad had seen one before. They suspect a needle roller bearing inside.

Anyway, since it’s been reconned already, it’s only fit for the bin. They’ve offered to supply a recon unit and knock off the exchange fee, so you can’t really say fairer than that.

So, it’s 2wd for now until the winter. The car does drive well like this, and returns 40mpg, so I’m happy.
 
guineafowl21 said:
Austen rang just now - the VCU had seized solid. He’d never seen one do that, but his Dad had seen one before. They suspect a needle roller bearing inside.

Anyway, since it’s been reconned already, it’s only fit for the bin. They’ve offered to supply a recon unit and knock off the exchange fee, so you can’t really say fairer than that.

So, it’s 2wd for now until the winter. The car does drive well like this, and returns 40mpg, so I’m happy.
Click to expand...
tell yo insurance - it might invalidate yo insurance otherwise,
 
guineafowl21 said:
Austen rang just now - the VCU had seized solid. He’d never seen one do that, but his Dad had seen one before. They suspect a needle roller bearing inside.

Anyway, since it’s been reconned already, it’s only fit for the bin. They’ve offered to supply a recon unit and knock off the exchange fee, so you can’t really say fairer than that.

So, it’s 2wd for now until the winter. The car does drive well like this, and returns 40mpg, so I’m happy.
Click to expand...
Might be fun to cut it open and see what caused the problem. ;)
 
I've opened several VCU's in the past so have a fair idea what is going on inside them, and TBH it's not much. I guess a needle bearing could end up inside but not sure how unless there was an issue during the recon or the bearing collapsed but that might be obvious. The plates are flat against each other with a thin layer of fluid separating them so will only chew up if they are damaged during recon or a foreign body ends up inside.
Defo worth taking a look see.
 
I wonder if it lost its fluid and over heated.

I know the fluid isn't a lubricant (its the opposite!), but as said, it does keep the plates apart.
 
Alibro said:
I've opened several VCU's in the past so have a fair idea what is going on inside them, and TBH it's not much. I guess a needle bearing could end up inside but not sure how unless there was an issue during the recon or the bearing collapsed but that might be obvious. The plates are flat against each other with a thin layer of fluid separating them so will only chew up if they are damaged during recon or a foreign body ends up inside.
Defo worth taking a look see.
Click to expand...
I’ll let you know if he cuts it open.

Austen said there are two needle bearings, one inside the other, and maybe a needle has dropped out and jammed the thing up.
 
GrumpyGel said:
I wonder if it lost its fluid and over heated.

I know the fluid isn't a lubricant (its the opposite!), but as said, it does keep the plates apart.
Click to expand...
No sign of a leak. I was thinking of drilling a couple of holes in it to let the fluid out, to see if that would loosen it, but then it didn’t seem like a typical stiff fluid problem. I’d guess a VCU with no fluid would just turn fairly freely, wouldn’t it?
 
guineafowl21 said:
No sign of a leak. I was thinking of drilling a couple of holes in it to let the fluid out, to see if that would loosen it, but then it didn’t seem like a typical stiff fluid problem. I’d guess a VCU with no fluid would just turn fairly freely, wouldn’t it?
Click to expand...
I'd have thought so... until something broke because metal was rubbing metal. The fluid may even cool the bearings.
 
Have to say,
I have done 40,000 mls, and a lot of muddy/snow hill climbs with a Bell Eng Recon. And would have another. Yes , the same tyres and closely watched tyre pressures observed through out that time.

Cheers.
 
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