philcbr Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Hi all, Has anyone successfully DIY repaired a "Stiff" vcu? I would like to have a go at fixing mine but the problem seems to be sourcing the silicone substance inside. Does anyone know of a supplier for the silicone gel/liquid? Many thanks. Regards Phil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustymark Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Hi I've looked into this one evening when i was bored! If you lived in the good old USA you could buy a silicone fluid specifically for VCU from the manufacturer Dow Corning. However I can't find any mention of this product on Dow's UK product pages! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llanigraham Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Not available to the Public in the UK, plus have you worked out how you would get a very thick "liquid" out. There are a couple of places now doing re-cons. Google Bell Engineering in Halesowen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wriggs Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 (edited) Not available to the Public in the UK, plus have you worked out how you would get a very thick "liquid" out. There are a couple of places now doing re-cons. Google Bell Engineering in Halesowen. Go two wheel and save some money!!!!! Please read this and be convinced IRD blanking plate kit Edited August 14, 2010 by western Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 might not save money in the long run, Freelander was designed to be 4wd from the outset, so any alterations to the driveline has got to have some effect on the vehicles handling/driveability. if LR wanted it to be a 2wd it would have ben designed/made with only 2wd from the start. case in point the latest baby RR is 2WD but may get a 4wd version later & the newest 2011 Freelander range will see a 2wd version enter the range. if this is your business http://freelandersparesuk.co.uk/FREELANDERIRDBLANKINGPLATE.aspx please note LR4x4.com is a totally independent forum for LR's with no Avertising, BUT a discrete weblink can be used in your signature line, you can set this up in your profile. similar to the forum funding link in my sig line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Sorry Ralph, the PG1 gearbox was designed to be 2WD from the outset and Steyr-Puch bolted the 4x4 bit on later for Land Rover. The engine & box combo is found in most Rover cars of the same era, and possibly a fair few Hondas too as I believe it was a joint venture. The Freebie was designed to feel like a normal front-wheel-drive car most of the time, hence the mismatched gearing which means the front pulls the back end along unless traction is lost. The whole reason for the majority of VCU/IRD and diff failures in early years was that the front:rear gearing was too far out and caused premature failures, either through accelerated wear or the VCU locking up and taking everything else out with it. Later models the balance was much closer, the new freebie replacing the VCU with a haldex clutch which is disengaged most of the time giving true FWD until the front loses traction. The upshot is that the drivetrain is happy as anything running in 2WD, and is under less stress doing so as it's not fighting the back end. The only real issue is that you have less traction in a relatively heavy car, so wheelspin pulling away in wet or icy conditions is more common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 fair enough, that plate kit might be worth it after all then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 I've seen those plate kits, not sure there's any great point really as the original drive flange will just spin merrily in free air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bean Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 so all you need to do is unbolt the propshaft and VCU and hey presto 2wd? Simples! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 That's what I did, over 30k miles ago, still working fine for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaysjetski Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 i know this is an old thread, i have heard if you dont remove the gearbox adaptor to the rear prop then the car is still using the ird. thus saving some fuel but not as much as it could. also if the front wheels slip/loose traction then it tries to put the power to the rear wheels thus cause more issues as its not there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 That's pretty much rubbish, the output flange is just a small bit of rotating metal that engages to the IRD gear, so if your IRD gear is badly broken (EG gear teeth falling off) then yes you could remove it to prevent damage, but frankly if it's that broken you're on borrowed time anyway. I would be amazed if it made even a fraction of a % difference to fuel economy, about the same as driving with a hubcap off or something. If both the front wheels slip and the TC kicks in it will brake the front wheels, so if the rear prop is missing then the rear wheels get no drive and you don't go anywhere. However, since sending lots of power to one end or the other would stress the IRD/VCU/DIFF I would hope the TC is intelligent enough not to damage itself. The RAVE manual contains a full description of how the system operates, that should give a good idea of what would happen. I'm currently driving my freebie with no rear prop and it hasn't exploded, I drove the last one for 30,000 miles or more with no rear prop with no ill effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_roberts Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I removed my vcu a couple of months ago. When the snow came, I thought about getting it replaced, but in fact I found that the traction control worked perfectly well on just the front wheels and I was able to get up my drive at home quite easily. The only problem came when I buried both front wheels in a snowdrift, and I coudln't get out at all. In this situation the wheels spun as if there was no traction control at all. I think TC only works by comparing one wheel against the other on the same axle - so it matters not at all if the vcu is missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seriebil.dk Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Hi Picking this tread up again, as some of already was close to answering my question: When did this change in gearing between front and rear happen so that the VCU and driveline is less prone to give problems ? is there a year, model facelift or serial number from which it is changed ?? i'm thinking of getting on a Freebie as daily drive, and would like to steer clear of this problem if possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_roberts Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Didn't the change happen in 2000, with the introduction of the TD4? It seems the early unit is part number TAG000020, and the later one TAG000230, but there is no way of identifying them externally! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EggNChips Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Didn't the change happen in 2000, with the introduction of the TD4? It seems the early unit is part number TAG000020, and the later one TAG000230, but there is no way of identifying them externally! Yes it was on the 2001MY, there was a host of cheanges including the IRD box ratios Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxtherotti Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 so is that from chassis 1A onwards then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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