D1 1st to 2nd gear synchronizer repair estimate

lennonjon

Well-known member
Jun 21, 2010
65
4
Ashtabula, OH
Hello,

I'm lucky enough to have one of the coveted D1's with manual transmission. I'm unlucky enough to have one with what seems like a bad gear synchro when shifting to 2nd. Any ideas what a fair estimate for having a shop repair this problem would be? I'm not a transmission guy, so I would not be able to do this myself.

Salud,
Jon
 

KorytheLorry

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2020
51
12
Maryland
Mine has 170k on it. I double clutch it between 1 and 2 to avoid what you describe. I'm not sure what a shop would charge for a rebuild but you can buy a rebuilt one for 850 pounds + shipping from Ashcroft. Unfortunately I don't think they will take core returns from the USA.
 

nickhand

Well-known member
Jan 18, 2018
47
14
Oklahoma
mine has 132k on an original box I believe
Mine had about 110000 miles. I got a rebuilt box from ashcroft[ no upgrades]. With a clutch pack delivered to Oklahoma in four days . Price around $2000 even. Then I paid a local shop to install . Including a remain engine seal for $350. I did all the inside work . Removing console etc.
 

lennonjon

Well-known member
Jun 21, 2010
65
4
Ashtabula, OH
Thanks for all the replies. This transmission has 133k miles on it.

The symptoms are indeed the gear grind between 1st and 2nd. I have been double-clutching, or slowing down the shifting and things are fine. I'm not really concerned with pissing people off as if it's annoying them they're too close to me, to begin with :D.

Anyhoo, I thought I had read on another forum that not fixing it can lead to worse issues down the road, that's why I was considering taking care of it. If people are driving around just fine with the double-clutching method, then I'm not too concerned.
 
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terryjm1

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2011
1,485
375
I have 2 with an R380. One is rebuilt with about 3000 miles and is smooth shifting. It came with a 300tdi “kit” from Land Rover Import. I have no idea who rebuilt it but it cost me $1500 as an upcharge from the standard used one included. The other, like the D1 it is in has 55,000 and it shifts smooth.
 

nfbeckman

Well-known member
Dec 10, 2013
110
14
Memphis,TN
146k on my 96 R380. It grinds also, so if I’m on level ground I just start in 2nd, even with 235/85/16 and gear it’s no problem
 
My 98 D1 has 300.000km on the clock, this is around 200.000 miles, and do not grind. Do you all use MTF94 or still old Dexron oil?
Sadly in order to change 2nd gears syncronyzer ring is necessary to disassemble the whole gearbox. But if MTF is not used I recommend to fill with MTF94 because syncro works a lot better.

Regards
 

Jimmy

Well-known member
Apr 10, 2006
740
64
Aurora, CO
Good to see that fluids finally came into the conversation. That's an important piece.

I've been running Redline MTL for many years. If I go too long without changing it, when I finally do I notice a difference. The shifting gets better.

I can't speed shift into 2nd either without it fussing. 126,xxx miles on mine. Fluid changes help it, but it's no substitute for a rebuild.
 
Almost 20 years ago, when Land Rover changed ATF to MTF94 on their maintenance sheets, in our domestic forum we did a spectrographic analysis from a couple of oils to detect if we could get under other brands the same type. While there are many 75W80 GL4s on the market, none had exactly the same composition. As Jimmy wrote above, the R380 is one of the few boxes that shows a better performance after every oil change. That is why I dare to recommend if it is possible to try the genuine MTF94 oil. It is more expensive but its performance is excellent.

Regards
 

terryjm1

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2011
1,485
375
I’m going to be changing the fluid in mine soon. What is the best price on mtf94 out there? Id like to give it a try.
 
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rover4x4

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2004
5,228
45
41
North Carolina, Raleigh
Redline MTL is great. My R380 will grind a little in third if the box is cold and I am in a rush, it has been on a diet of MTL roughly 60k. I have also not treated it with the love and respect it deserved in the early years....
 

lennonjon

Well-known member
Jun 21, 2010
65
4
Ashtabula, OH
"Redline MTL"

OK, I'm going to go ahead and change the fluid to this. How much do I need? I can't seem to find any numbers on the transmission capacity.