Second hand or Exchange?

[gords]

IF I keep my Discovery, I will be looking to change the gearbox. Ashcroft charge £445 + VAT, a breaker charges around £290.

So, considering money doesn't grow on trees, would you stretch to the recon or risk the second hand option?

[thermidorthelobster]

You can't be sure what you're getting with the breaker, and you don't want to have to shell out again.  On the other hand, Ashcrofts will presumably have some sort of warranty, although I'm not sure what it is.

[beast5680]

being me i would go for a good secondhand one if i found one

[Henry Webster]

I'd go the secondhand option myself, but that strikes me as a little pricey.  I think I'd want to be paying less than £250.

Is it LT77 or an R380?

H

[gords]

I'd go the secondhand option myself, but that strikes me as a little pricey.  I think I'd want to be paying less than £250.

Is it LT77 or an R380?

H

How about £395 + VAT for a R380 + LT230 (exchange). Donor car has done 62K miles?

Ashcroft 12 months back to base warranty. Breakers - 90 days.

[dazzawhipple]

Gords

A mate of mine had the ashcroft recon one (box and transfer box)

even after cooking the clutch up those rocks in wales it drives like a new one ........... if i had the money recon from a good supplier is all ways the way to go

Just remember to take everything of the box if you go down the exchange route

Darren

[rangerider]

If at all possible I would go the full recon route, despite the extra cash outlay. Be pessimistic and pretend that a breakers box is good for double its warranty length before you have to replace it, even if the recon only lasts a day beyond its warranty you are still quids in after a year. Not only that you dont waste a day fitting it yourself with all the skinned knuckles that involves :) assuming you pay ashcroft to fit it (the alternative is come up with the extra cash for the exchange surplus while you swap it yourself.

[gords]

How about £395 + VAT for a R380 + LT230 (exchange). Donor car has done 62K miles?

Ashcroft 12 months back to base warranty. Breakers - 90 days.

Ashcroft would charge £840 + VAT for R380 + LT230.

For Ashcroft to fit both, the price goes to £1320 :shock:

[dazzawhipple]

Gords

Removing and refitting a gearbox is fairly easy its measured in hours dont throw money at ashcrofts (for Fitting)

remove center consule

all the linkages and wiring

The engine rests on the bulkhead and you drop the box down and drag it out

You will need the disco jacked up on axle stands and a engine crane

it is easy just take your time

Darren

[gords]

OK, changing the subject slightly ... I know the gearbox is dodgy, but the transfer box appears to be OK apart from the fact that it's quite stiff to operate.

Are they supposed to be easy (light pressure) to engage different settings, or is "stiff" the way it was designed? Are there tell-tale signs of a transfer box on it's way out?

Basically, I was thinking that while I was changing the gearbox, I may as well change the transfer box. But if it's really not necessary (and easy to split/join them), then maybe I should just do the gearbox...?

[Henry Webster]

Don't bother about the transfer box unless you are convinced that is knackered as well.  Save the money.  But do put a new clutch kit in, if you haven't done one recently.

H

[Mace]

I'd go the secondhand option myself, but that strikes me as a little pricey.  I think I'd want to be paying less than £250.

Is it LT77 or an R380?

H

How about £395 + VAT for a R380 + LT230 (exchange). Donor car has done 62K miles?

Ashcroft 12 months back to base warranty. Breakers - 90 days.

Gords, just bear in mind that at 62K there's a great chance they are the orginal boxes and would naturally be coming near their working life anyway. It's a gamble but they could be worse than you've already got.

If you are going down the road of throwing money at it because you really want to keep it and use it then why not consider swapping the transfer box for a defender one at the same time. The ratios are different so it will correct the overgearing that your larger tyres have created, returning your driving to a similar level the original tyres had. 235/85's over gear by 11% and defender ratios would under gear by 13.3% so if anything you'd be slightly undergeared. You could also then back off your fuel pump to factory settings thus reducing the smoke.

[gords]

Gords, just bear in mind that at 62K there's a great chance they are the orginal boxes and would naturally be coming near their working life anyway. It's a gamble but they could be worse than you've already got.

So mine has done really well to reach 138K then! 60K or so miles seems awfully low for the life expectancy of a gearbox. Doesn't that mean that pretty much every Disco 300 either has a knackered or replacement gearbox?

Looking at the costs - £570 for Ashcroft against £340 from a breaker - it's a difficult choice :(  The breaker does at least give 30 day warranty/period (in their words) "to check everything is OK". Assuming it is you make the old gearbox ready for collection (put it on their pallet) and they come and collect it and refund the deposit?!

[Mace]

So mine has done really well to reach 138K then! 60K or so miles seems awfully low for the life expectancy of a gearbox. Doesn't that mean that pretty much every Disco 300 either has a knackered or replacement gearbox?

YES. You could be coming to the end of your 2nd box. My 96 300 tdi has done 142k and I've a receipt for a new exchange gearbox at 90k. I'm happy to be corrected but the average life is 60-80k, correct? Someone will chip in I'm sure.

[dazzawhipple]

Gords

As yours is a m reg and 138K miles I reckon its on its second gear box

there is another option here


Put an Auto box in it!!!

Darren

[MudRat]

a mate of mine had issues with ashcrofts, as they farm out their fitting of gearboxes, so when he had a problem he was tooing and froing between the two.

[dew1911]

Personally I would go for a Reconditioned unit purley for piece of mind, as you really have no idea what the second hand one has done or has been exposed to. At least with a Recon you're getting Piece of Mind that it p Shouldn't have any problems.

[mark.yellow.series.3]

i bought a second hander and its not very good

[discodj]

remember gearboxes can go anywhere from 5k to 60k and its a big (heavy) job to do and you will not want to do it again,! recon for me

[gords]

remember gearboxes can go anywhere from 5k to 60k and its a big (heavy) job to do and you will not want to do it again,! recon for me

and what's to stop a recon going anywhere within the same period?

Remember what I said - "considering money doesn't grow on trees"  There's approx £230 difference between Ashcroft and the breakers ... more than enough for a new rear bumper!!

[dazzawhipple]

Ashcrofts should fit modified bits to overcome LR bad design!!! I ahvent heard anything but good reports about the actual gearbox ( I stand to be corrected)

Darren

[thermidorthelobster]

Ashcrofts should fit modified bits to overcome LR bad design!!!

They do on LT77s, but I'm not sure about R380s?

My LT77 lasted 150K miles.  I'm hoping for something similar out of the R380.  It's showing no problems at all at 80K miles apart from a bit clunky into second, but they all seem to do that.  I'd say 60K is a bit pessimistic for a fairly hefty gearbox, personally.

[Range Rover Blues]

Ashcrofts also do their own in-house shift improvement modification which I'm told makes their boxes so much nicer to drive.  Santa is bringing me one for blue.  I fitted a S/H one last year just before Whaddon, behind the S/H engine.  Both were supposed to be good but it's surprising sometimes what other people are prepared to put up with.  The engine might need a new valve soon and the gearbox is just s**t.  Julie won't drive it so she's got a 300TDi and can't believe it's also a Range Rover, it's that nice.

I'd say do the work for the MOT and see how the funds are looking, unless the box is busted already then see about a day in Luton.

[Mace]

From what I understand, Ashcrofts make a few mods to the R380 over and above the factory shipped gearbox, so assuming the original box is original then the 'new' one should be better and last longer. A lot of the problems with the original boxes revolved around the input gear in the transfer box. They lacked lubrication and wore out the gearbox mainshaft. Ashcrofts and others have made modified cross drilled input gears for a few years so this should have increased the life of most newer reconned boxes over and above the factory fitted ones.

[davidlandy]

going for the unit from the breakers really depends on why the vehicle was in there in the first place- if it was that good it wouldnt be there! but if it was in there say for accident damage then the breaker box may be a good option - so Gords ask the breaker about the vehicle it came from then you may be better clued up to make your decision.