DIFF LOCK FIXED!!! Woo Hoo!!!

[JimsMowing]

At long last i have finally taken the time to have a bash at my non existant diff lock on the Disco! And i am so chuffed its finally fixed!

I have posted a couple of threads on it and read others peoples issues on their non working diff locks. A common solution to the problem is to just coat the linkages in WD40, which at my first attempt i did but to no avail.

The second theory is to get physical with it and try and force it into gear. Again gave it plenty of stick but felt it would most likely snap before anything else.

So today me and a mate started with the "from above" approach, i.e remove the centre console and drill out the rivets and plate and work from inside the cabin.

I had seen the link as previously posted that showed you how to do this operation but thought i could remember it! Bad move. We couldnt work out why the horizontal bar thats attached to the gear stick had no bearing affect on the bar that goes down to the box when you moved it.

After some swearing and wot not we realised we need to get on the end of the bar with an adjustable spanner and work it to and fro...very small increments to start with progressively getting larger movements each time whilst my mate was working the diff lock lever side to side!

Then all of a sudden, bang and it moved right accross! Woo Hoo its free. After removing the linkage and its housing we noticed that it had corroded  the end bar solid into its housing. No amount of "soak it with WD40" would have got anywhere near this in a million years.

So with that we took it all apart and gave it an overhaul with new grease and a rub down with emery cloth. It now works like brand new with the minimalist amount of ease!

Put most of it back for now, but it was getting late so i'll sort it out tomorrow. Just thought id share my happiness with you lot! I now have a PROPER Land Rover! I wana go tackle some areas i used to get stuck!

My advice to anyone else that has this issue, dont waste your time with the soak it with wd40 from underneath - just get stuck in and do it this way - it just makes far more sense. Do one job, once, and do it properly!!

Roll on the next weekend for a play!

[Cassillis]

Well done :!: It's a great feeling when you diagnose and remedy a fault yourself :D

[RichardM]

Well, done.  I used a similar approach to fix mine, but rather than "very small increments to start with progressively getting larger movements each time whilst my mate was working the diff lock lever side to side!" I took it out, put it a vice and used a big "persuader" and then like you stripped it right down, cleaned up and re-assembled with plenty of copper grease.
I just need to the diff lock light to work as well now!

[JimsMowing]

Thanks guys! I've told all my mates as im so happy its working!

[daveyravey]

Hmmm  wanna do mine for me  

[JimsMowing]

Hmmm  wanna do mine for me  

Now i know what im doing i wouldnt say no, but im thinking your just a tad too far away from me!!!

I reckon i could do it in 3 hours or so, which is drastically quicker than when i did it last! But thats when we didnt know what we were doing!

Its well worth the effort to do it your self!

[daveyravey]

[

Its well worth the effort to do it your self!

I know Jim, but i really can't be arsed  lol

[beatmasterdave]

yay well done! mine got fixxed a week and half ago. took it to salisbury plains, got stuck, whacked it in diff lock, and it pulled away no problem! happened a bit later again, got away without strugling. i love difflock! 8)  :D  :D

[JimsMowing]

yay well done! mine got fixxed a week and half ago. took it to salisbury plains, got stuck, whacked it in diff lock, and it pulled away no problem! happened a bit later again, got away without strugling. i love difflock! 8)  :D  :D

Awesome!! I cant wait to get stuck like you and then bosh it in Diff Lock to pull yourself out of a scrape! One question though...does the diff lock light have a timer before it goes out like the abs light, or maybe even a speed sensor? When i move into Diff Lock it lights up immediately, and when i swap it back to normal high range it is still lit until i drive down the road for a bit and then it goes out.

Anyone got any thoughts?

[thermidorthelobster]

It'll come out of diff lock when the axle windup dissipates.  If you're worried about it, knock it into reverse, go back a few feet, then forward again and that usually does it.

[JimsMowing]

It'll come out of diff lock when the axle windup dissipates.  If you're worried about it, knock it into reverse, go back a few feet, then forward again and that usually does it.

Oh right! Thanks for the tip.

[Strong Stuff]

Fantastic feeling when you finally get that lever moving, I know, I did mine on Friday!!  :D

But, there's always a snag .........  :?

When I first got the lever moving and sliding into each position nice and smoothly, the DL light was coming on almost straight away, certainly within a few yards, have tried it again a few times over the weekend, and now it doesn't light up, although the lever is clicking over to the left no problem at all, any suggestions please?

Just checking, but are you supposed to be stationary when you slide the lever to the left to lock the diff?  :?

This is my first post in this section, so please be gentle with me, not like that "other site"  :roll:

[skip]

Hi strong stuff, I had problems with mine when I bought it. Long story short dealer freed off lever, box still gummed up inside.

The eventual fix was get the thing nice and warm i'e a good run. get on some gravel and drive it around untill the light will come on and off. then spend the next hour leaning though the passenger door waggling the lever like mad :D

It's taken about a month of messing around like that to get it working faultlessly, Best O luck.

[Strong Stuff]

Hi strong stuff, I had problems with mine when I bought it. Long story short dealer freed off lever, box still gummed up inside.

The eventual fix was get the thing nice and warm i'e a good run. get on some gravel and drive it around untill the light will come on and off. then spend the next hour leaning though the passenger door waggling the lever like mad :D

It's taken about a month of messing around like that to get it working faultlessly, Best O luck.

Cool, I'll be the one driving around in circles then!!  :lol:  :lol:

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated!

Aaron.

[nishikigoi]

Fantastic feeling when you finally get that lever moving, I know, I did mine on Friday!!  :D

When I first got the lever moving and sliding into each position nice and smoothly, the DL light was coming on almost straight away, certainly within a few yards, have tried it again a few times over the weekend, and now it doesn't light up, although the lever is clicking over to the left no problem at all, any suggestions please?

  :roll:

Sounds like your trying on the road not mud, remember the diff lock light is not triggered by the lever, but by the locker itself.

AFAIK, the dif lock will only engage when a wheel slips, when I'm off road I lob diff lock on and it engages as the first wheel slips (or if I hit a bump) same with getting it off, no slip on tarmac so diff will lock on untill you get it to slip or reverse for a few yards untill it goes off.

[Strong Stuff]

:?

Yes you are absolutely correct! I guess TESCO car park isn't the best place to put CDL on and off then .........  :oops:

I'm off out to find somewhere slippy, thanks for that!

A

[JimsMowing]

Fantastic feeling when you finally get that lever moving, I know, I did mine on Friday!!  :D

When I first got the lever moving and sliding into each position nice and smoothly, the DL light was coming on almost straight away, certainly within a few yards, have tried it again a few times over the weekend, and now it doesn't light up, although the lever is clicking over to the left no problem at all, any suggestions please?

  :roll:

Sounds like your trying on the road not mud, remember the diff lock light is not triggered by the lever, but by the locker itself.

AFAIK, the dif lock will only engage when a wheel slips, when I'm off road I lob diff lock on and it engages as the first wheel slips (or if I hit a bump) same with getting it off, no slip on tarmac so diff will lock on untill you get it to slip or reverse for a few yards untill it goes off.

In my experience Diff Lock works as soon as you engage it regardless of terrain your on.

[Strong Stuff]

It does seem to be working much more consistently now, have been moving the lever through all its positions and the diff does indeed lock when on any surface, am sure it's not ideal to have it on whilst on tarmac though, but the good news is that the light comes on within a few yards of moving the lever, sometimes straight away, so it does seem to have freed itself after much jiggling.

Thanks again for the replies to my questions, they have helped greatly.

 8)