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charisme1

Member Since: 23 Oct 2019
Location: Paris
Posts: 39

Defender gearbox_How to drive smoothly

Hi everybody & Greetings from Paris !
I own a defender TD5 year 2003. If I up-shift quickly with high RPM from 1st to 2d, or from 2d to 3d, I feel a crunch/grind in my hand (not so loud to hear it in the vehicle, I can just feel it with my hand).

If I leave the RPM/rev normal, and leave a 1 second pause on Neutral between these gears, all is fine.

No crunch when downshifting. The gearbox runs with new MTF94 oil.

Is this a normal behavior for a R380 ? Are we supposed to UP shift slowly with these gearboxes, losing momentum ?

Losing momentum is not an issue on flat road, but annoying climbing a slope.

I was wondering if this is a characteristic of the R380 gearbox even when it was brand new back in 2003.

Many thanks for your help and feedback !

Julien

24th Sep 2023 8:52am

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17414

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey

It's not a fast gearbox, don't try to drive it like a car. Double-declutching up and down is beneficial to smoothness.

24th Sep 2023 8:55am

TexasRover

Member Since: 24 Nov 2022
Location: Paris
Posts: 1073

2002 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Chawton White

Yes totally normal. When worn they tend to do it even when you are gentle, but then they still last a while.

24th Sep 2023 9:12am

charisme1

Member Since: 23 Oct 2019
Location: Paris
Posts: 39

blackwolf wrote:
It's not a fast gearbox, don't try to drive it like a car. Double-declutching up and down is beneficial to smoothness.

Hello Blackwolf. No need for me to double-declutch. Only a slight pause on neutral while up-shifting, and then « feeding » gently to next gear (2d or 3d) is resolving the issue. No problem at all while downshifting. Is this the way the R380 behaves from new ? Or means mine is worn ? Cheers !

24th Sep 2023 9:23am

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17414

The R380 varies a lot, some are ok, some are awful, few are good. None likes to be rushed. It sounds as though yours is ok, find what it likes and drive it that way.

I always tend to ddc up and down all gearboxes, force of habit really, I do it instinctively. I guess it is the result of growing up with (and still regularly driving) vehicles with no synchromesh. It never does any harm (although it is annoying that the pedal positions on TD5 and Tdci Defenders make heel-and-toe downshifts while braking impossible).

24th Sep 2023 10:35am

charisme1

Member Since: 23 Oct 2019
Location: Paris
Posts: 39

TexasRover wrote:
Yes totally normal. When worn they tend to do it even when you are gentle, but then they still last a while.

Bonjour Texas Rover. Thank you for your speedy reply. That reassures me. Did you have your R380 from new and this was the way it works ? Do you live in Paris ? I'm in the 17ème. We can chat on pm if you wish. Thx. Julien

24th Sep 2023 11:53am

Procta

Member Since: 03 Dec 2016
Location: Sunderland
Posts: 5180

Re: Defender gearbox_How to drive smoothly

charisme1 wrote:
Hi everybody & Greetings from Paris !
I own a defender TD5 year 2003. If I up-shift quickly with high RPM from 1st to 2d, or from 2d to 3d, I feel a crunch/grind in my hand (not so loud to hear it in the vehicle, I can just feel it with my hand).

If I leave the RPM/rev normal, and leave a 1 second pause on Neutral between these gears, all is fine.

No crunch when downshifting. The gearbox runs with new MTF94 oil.

Is this a normal behavior for a R380 ? Are we supposed to UP shift slowly with these gearboxes, losing momentum ?

Losing momentum is not an issue on flat road, but annoying climbing a slope.

I was wondering if this is a characteristic of the R380 gearbox even when it was brand new back in 2003.

Many thanks for your help and feedback !

Julien

Hi Julien, These do crunch going from 1st into 2nd gear, regardless of age, just how the box is. The best way to drive these, as you mentioned is the pause/sort of roll into the gears. They not fast gearboxes at all. Once you get used to doing the pause/ roll into gears. your laughing. Defender TD5 90 ---/--- Peugeot 306 HDI hatch back

Success is 90% Inspiration and 4 minutes Preparation # you can make it!

24th Sep 2023 3:01pm

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