jimconline Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Ive gone from no diff lock (just a selector that swings loosely from right to left) on my 1996 Defender 110 to having diff lock engage, thanks mainly to all the great advice found here. Problem now is once engaged, I need to coach the linkage with a crowbar from underneath. Have bathed the housing assembly with penetrating oil and it is much freer but still has a stop that only some prying will overcome. Any thoughts about what to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 might be easier to lift the drivers floor panel & the gearbox tunnel for better access & to see what is moving or not moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I've found on both occasions that the diff lock lever has been tight, difficult to move, I've taken the floor out. Slackened the 8mm nut, sprayed the shaft under the lever with WD40 then oil. It's worked fine when put back together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimconline Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 Got it, thank you. I needed to adjust the pivot screw (arm was not returning enough when disengaging) and tighten the linkage both of which were much simpler to access from on top as kindly suggested. I bought this vehicle several years ago in Johannesburg while working in Southern Africa. I've now brought it back home to Canada (now there's a story). In the interim it was looked after by some dear friend in Botswana who had some repairs done at different times, all at the Landrover dealer no less. Can't quite figure out how they managed to reassemble this linkage. Still need to reverse sometimes to disengage but that should hopefully ease with use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 IMO the difflock linkage is best described as Heath Robinson....I don't know who threw that lot in place but I'm sure something better could be used.. I prefere the 200Tdi linkage to the 300... Who serviced it for you in Botswana ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimconline Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 The linkage does seem rather thrown together. It has worked, however, for the most part. What puzzled me this time was how creative the mechanic was who put it back together: it simply could not have worked (e.g., the link that sits on top of the selector housing that the connector rod hocks into was 90 degrees off - and it's paired). I hadn't been back to Africa for a few years and my friends who took such great care of the vehicle felt it best to take it to Lesedi Motors, the Land Rover dealer in Gaborone, something I never do. There was a major problem with the Defender just before I had it shipped over and my friends had it towed to Lesedi. Their diagnosis and quote for repair seemed from outerspace so I went hunting for an alternative. Found a great one: Bruce at D'Arcy's Auto Clinic. It was the timing belt (something Lesedi had replaced eight months previously and, of course, was not their diagnosis this time). Anyway Bruce did a fine job (he didn't go near the diff linkage). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 I had a problem when I left Zelda's camp site. Namibia. The Defender was smoking on start up and for a couple of miles. We took it gently South eventually ending up with friends near Hemeringhausen. We were taken to Johann Strausfurther South. The turbo be then shewed it had blown. In the middle of the desert Jhoann had one in stock Back to Bots. There a tour company at Maun. Bush Ways Safaris. They build their own 150 chassis. They have a better suspension stock then the Land Rover dealer. Two pics of a Namibian 200Tdi. Front diff broken. .http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/507/img3252im.jpg/'> http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/img3256oa.jpg/'> I pulled this one 38km after extracting it. We bush camped. Next morning I took the floor out. There was no linkage there at all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimconline Posted June 23, 2013 Author Share Posted June 23, 2013 Now that was an effort. Good thing you weren't out alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.