Hi Everyone,

First time gearbox mechanic here - thanks in advance for your help! I'm now working on the primary pinion removal, and I'm stuck on the retainer plate (of all things). The videos I've watched and the manuals I've read don't have much detail on the removal and I don't want to attack it with a hammer.

The shop manual says to "remove the fixing and press the pinion out". My fixings (shown in the picture below) just spin in place when I try to remove them. Do I simply lock off the other side of the retainer plate bolts with the nuts that held in the Clutch Release Mechanism, or is there some other magic here? I ask because I've seen people drive these out (but that may have been a later model version). I also note that on the inside of the bell house the retainer plate bolts appear to have some sort of retainer (other picture) on them which leads me to think these only come out "inwards".

Hey, thanks again in advance - feeling like a noob. In my defense, I have joined the Land Rovers Owners Club Auckland and I have my first meeting on Thursday.

Been a while since I split a box [ about to do it again ] From what I recall the plate inside retains the bearing and what you need to do is remove the star nut on the clutch side and then first motion shaft should tap out leaving bearing in place.

Cheers tottot. I agreed that I could get the first motion shaft out that way, but it would still leave the bearing in place retained by the retainer plate. I should have added in the post above that I want to replace the bearing.

To remove the plate you could just hold the plain bit of the bolt shanks with a vice grip and remove nut's holding plate.
I will have to dig out my series workshop manual. I will be striping a series 3, reverse has gone awol.

You were spot on thanks tottot. Easy when you know how!