Catastrophic Transfer Case Failure?

[craig]

Thought you guys might find this interesting... I am swapping the transfer case, so I don't really need technical advice. I am very curious as to what happened though.

My transfer case actually failed so catastrophically that it put a hole in the side of the housing. I've spoken to a few people that work with Land Rover driveline components and nobody has heard of a Land Rover transfer case failing like this, especially on a stock rig. Has anyone ever heard of this happening before?

Additional detail.
Both the front and rear driveshafts, U-joints, etc look just fine.

I put a 2" lift on about 6 weeks ago.

The front tires had serious cupping because I did not rotate them regular enough.

I put in a CDL solenoid switch 1 week ago, but the truck was vibrating before then, and the CDL light on the dash would go on/off so I am certain the CDL was not the problem.

I was going in a straight line when it popped at about 25mph

For a few months I would occasionally get a clunk out of the transmission when letting up on the accelerator rapidly.

For the last few weeks, every once in a while the truck would feel like it missed a cyclinder or something.

The transfer case has been making a sqeak squeak squeak noise when I went very slow.

 

[p m]

what came out of the hole?

 

[FIVESPDDISCO]

what came out of the hole?


the beer the tec who built the truck was drinking

 

[p m]

LOL, and fish and chips along with it...

the reason I asked - there's one particular t-case known to blow, but it's chain-driven. When the chain breaks, the links get lodged between the sprockets (steel) and aluminum case.
The only thing that [I can think of] could pop the side on the LT230 is the gear on the intermediate shaft, if the latter breaks. But I've never seen LT230 inside, so I wonder what's in the store for my D1.

 

[Rocky]

These boxes are hugely tough. Their worst vice is leaks. I've never heard of one grenading before, but since there is a diff and diffs can grenade, suppose it can happen. Wonder if you were unknowingly running in diff lock...

 

[jmoore]

Chris,

That's what I would think too. It got wound up and popped.

 

[craig]

I don't think the disco transfer case has a chain. It is all gears which is why it is so bullet proof. It is also what makes it a little bit louder than others.

I have been suspect of the CDL myself. The only thing though is that I have an AMV CDL kit, and when I put it "IN" the disco dash lights up with the transfer case dash light warning (See Ho's avatar). If I press "OUT" it promptly goes out. I am assuming that it is extremely unlikely that both my CDL kit, and the dash light are failing. I also started having driveline vibration trouble before the kit was installed. But, like you guys, it is the only semi reasonable thing that might have happened.

As far as the question about what came out? I only saw the transfer case while under the truck when it was still on. I haven't seen it since it was pulled. I will try and remember to bring my camera with me tomorrow when I go to the shop. It might be fun to record the carnage.

--Craig

 

[ShaunP]

It's not unheard of for then to sieze the star gears and spit out a crossshaft I've heard of it before In OZ. the rest of the box is strong as long as it has oil in it.

 

[ducati]

Interesting. I have an appointment on Monday to get my tbox swapped out due to a clunking noise that is out of the ordinary.

The clunk I hear in mine is different from the "normal clunk"--it happens when getting on the gas, and when letting off the gas. Not always, but 100% of the time you ham-foot it, and approximately 20% of the time you are babying it. The rest is about 30-40%.

I took the regional warranty and service reps for a ride, and they agreed it wasn't a normal thing. We put it up on a lift and the noise was coming from the rear of the transfer box, when the output shaft was turned. Normally the "clunking" of D2 transfer cases happens in the front, in my experience.

My tbox was also very noisy. Additionally, it would sometimes seem like it had a bit of "slip," usually close to a shift from the ******; perhaps this is the "cylnider missing" you noticed?

I wonder if mine was on it's way to grenading itself, too?

 

[p m]

Craig, a Disco's t-case does not have a chain, that's why I've been wondering. Gear-driven t-cases can live very long even if they are completely dry. Please post what you find.

 

[craig]

Interesting. I have an appointment on Monday to get my tbox swapped out due to a clunking noise that is out of the ordinary.

The clunk I hear in mine is different from the "normal clunk"--it happens when getting on the gas, and when letting off the gas. Not always, but 100% of the time you ham-foot it, and approximately 20% of the time you are babying it. The rest is about 30-40%.

I took the regional warranty and service reps for a ride, and they agreed it wasn't a normal thing. We put it up on a lift and the noise was coming from the rear of the transfer box, when the output shaft was turned. Normally the "clunking" of D2 transfer cases happens in the front, in my experience.

My tbox was also very noisy. Additionally, it would sometimes seem like it had a bit of "slip," usually close to a shift from the ******; perhaps this is the "cylnider missing" you noticed?

I wonder if mine was on it's way to grenading itself, too?

You and I have exactly the same symptoms. I barely noticed them around 80k and now at 90k - boom. These transfer cases are the same (for the most part) as all the other land rovers though, so I don't think there is an epidemic in store for all disco 2 owners.

--Craig

 

[craig]

Craig, a Disco's t-case does not have a chain, that's why I've been wondering. Gear-driven t-cases can live very long even if they are completely dry. Please post what you find.

Yes, we have the same understanding. Disco's don't have chains in their transfer cases. I'll try and take/post some photos.

--Craig

 

[ducati]

Hmmn.... Too bad they're not going to pop mine open before they send it back to Rover, I'd like to see what might be going awry in there.

 

[craig]

Pictures

Here are a couple of pictures. Not too much to see, and the pictures are kind of bad since I took them with my phone. My digital camera is suffering from the wraith of a 4 year old boy.

 

[p m]

hmmm... weird, I'll check the drawing in the manual.

 

[LMRW]

i blew the t/c out of my99- f-250 a few years back, left the front hubs locked and after about three mounths at highway speed she finally let go! too bad for it and the cheesy auto locking hubs that never work! swaped one out of a wreck. cheep!

 

[craig]

hmmm... weird, I'll check the drawing in the manual.

Yeah, nobody knows what to make of it.

The gizmo bolted onto the side of the transfer case is the solenoid for engaging the CDL. I just added it though, so I don't think that is it. The problems started manifesting themselves long before I added it or the lift kit.

--Craig

 

[Lutzgaterr]

looks like to me the differential lock selector fork let go, rotated on the shaft and slammed it's impression through the case cover.
Now, that was the easy part. Why it let go and why it may have seized on the shaft is another set of questions, if that is what happened.

 

[Ron]

If the diff did not explode I would like the diff. I would also like the front flange.

I have quite a growing concern here reviving dead LT230s

 

[craig]

If the diff did not explode I would like the diff. I would also like the front flange.

I have quite a growing concern here reviving dead LT230s

Send me an email Ron. I enabled email messages in my profile.

--Craig