HELP - broken down in Spain - think my transfer or torque converter has let go

[Chas]

Maybe as a forum group with people travelling around Europe / the world - maybe we should have a "sticky" list of mechanics / repairers that we could call if we are in need. Think that would make me feel a bit more relaxed if I was on a road trip.... Just a thought but worth perusing.

Excellent idea, I'd feel much more at ease with that knowledge.

 

[frank rabbets]

Someone posted on here that Toyota dealer would not do their tappet clearances. I assume they are not in breach of their dealer contract ? Perhaps if the car is over a certain age they have no commitment.

 

[Lorin]

Someone posted on here that Toyota dealer would not do their tappet clearances. I assume they are not in breach of their dealer contract ? Perhaps if the car is over a certain age they have no commitment.

That may also have been me - I tried to book my 80 in to the local Toyota main dealer to have the valve clearances done and they refused to do it. They told me they no longer have the tools or ability to do it.

 

[Trevor]

And yet they still sell the required tool, I know as I bought one.

 

[Shayne]

More like Toyota policy rather than breach of contract , 20 years of development later and still the majority prefer their older trucks to their new , a little embarrassing for mrT don't you think

Glad you got the ball rolling again Lorin think of it as an alternative adventure is all

 

[Graham]

Good to hear that you are getting sorted and that as a club people came to the forefront and helped where they could! Wish you all the best with the rest of your journey and the subsequent recovery back to the uk. Hopefully there might be a trip report include good parts ;-)

Just a point on the Toyota not wanting to fix it. Yes it might be good thing that Toyota don't want to touch it as I am sure the cost would have escalated with all the new parts that they would want to do. However.... Slightly disappointed that it sounds like they do not want to assist - what if that was the only option?
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Maybe as a forum group with people travelling around Europe / the world - maybe we should have a "sticky" list of mechanics / repairers that we could call if we are in need. Think that would make me feel a bit more relaxed if I was on a road trip.... Just a thought but worth perusing.

These guys have it, probably as an ultimate requirement
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/forum/landyzone-international-rescue.75/

 

[Towpack]

With vehicles as old as 80 series LC's now are, and even some a lot newer, I don't think there is any onus on dealers to take on repairs in the absence of a manufacturers or dealer warranty. When I bought my 80, almost 11 yrs ago now, and took it to our local main dealer to have an engine 'tick' diagnosed the head mechanic said he'd never seen one in the workshop. As far as repairing a fubered xfer box goes, assuming they are prepared to take on the job, I suspect they'd just want to replace with a new/reconditioned box and that would be horrendously expensive. If a home DIY mechanic can read a FSM and adjust the tappets etc then obviously a qualified mechanic at a dealership should walk it but if there are no staff who are actually trained specifically for a particular vehicle then maybe they feel safer just declining the task just in case anything goes pear shaped?

 

[StarCruiser]

In this day and age with CPD and membership of trade organisations, if you don't have the right bit of paper that says you can do it, you're not insured to do it or it's not acceptable. Or at least that is some company's interpretation of it. An assistant to built in obsolescence.

 

[frank rabbets]

That's both categories of cars they can't mend then. Old ones and new ones.

 

[Dave2000]

So what causes these transfer boxes to fail ? And at what mileage ? I bet Dave's had plenty of oil in it.

Just checked my on going thread on 'MUD' Frank. Just goes to show how bad my memory is. I said above no warning before my TB went, upon checking I DID have a vibration a day or so before, thought it was a UJ, no luck there, then the 'invisible rubber wall' and then the grating. When stripped (still plenty of clean oil inside) no metal shavings, just some teeth stuck in the side of the TB housing.

With regards the oil, due to previous weeks flooding, the 80 had done plenty of wading. At 230,000....ish miles I had changed all oils G/box/T box, and axles. No leaks and the T/Box failed around 3,000 miles/4 months later. So, with new oil and 233,000.....ish miles it failed.

regards

Dave

 

[Chris]

To answer a previous question about the 80 v 90- T box, no the 80 does not have a chain in it. Just massive gears. I took one to bits for fun.

 

[Towpack]

Could the Tbox failure be due to the diff part of the box locking up somehow and causing front to back transmission windup and eventual breakage of the box's driveline? I'm aware of the VC in the later box failing and causing windup but could this be possible in the non-VC versions? I've never stripped one so I'm just speculating here. The 'rubber wall' effect is similar to transmission windup in a part time 4wd vehicle when 4wd is engaged.

 

[Dave2000]

I think you are close with that thought TP. On mine the pinion planet gears were busted, and the main differential had teeth broken off (about 4/5 IIRC?), this led to the front and rear shafts being effectively being welded together but no actual drive to the main gear. Looking at the bearings that support the differential they had some wear but, the thrust washers behind the pinion gears were chewed up pretty bad. It was as if the differential assembly had moved out of line? It was a mess, and the scrap man was ready to clear the garage so I let him have the lot. I recall getting the feeling as if gears of different teeth spacing's were trying to mesh....if that makes sense?

As the teeth met they bound up, difficult to explain, but I had never experienced anything like that before on any car that I can think off.

regards

Dave

 

[toolsplus]

fly down when it's ready
test it with Dave on the dirt,have some fun in it for a change,you bought it to make you smile

then drive it thru' the Pyrenees as you planned
get home just in time to see your new daughter

job done!

 

[clivehorridge]

First on the sticky list for Romania is

GTC Auto - Bucharest

 

[frank rabbets]

I wonder if the transfer boxes without VC have the same failure ?

 

[Lorin]

Did I say you couldn't make this up.....? It gets better!

The truck is sorted. We however are not. We're in Valencia and need to get back to the UK - me, my wife and our dog who is greater than 10kg (hugely relevant - hold on!). Easy you'd think, right - there's buses, trains, planes, hire-cars, taxis.....? Well no actually. Any dog greater than 10kg is excluded from all of them, and I mean rigidly, categorically no way, even with bribes! The Spanish really have got it in for any dog greater than 10kg. Would they actually check the weight - probably not, but they have conditions such as must travel in a box of certain dimension etc. Also, our dog is 35kg so not really an option to try it on. We are effectively, stranded.

Now if we could just get across the border to France - a mere stones throw away in relative terms, we'd have no issue. The French allow all dogs on everything. Hire a car and don't tell them....? Yep, that is the only option but here's the rub. To take a hire car from Spain, one way across a border, incurs a hefty £400ish surcharge!!! It doesn't matter if the hire is all the way to Cherbourg or just across the border, one day or five days, the surcharge is the same. It appears we have no choice it but it really is salt in the wound. I though it'd be sorting the truck that would be hard but that now appears to have been the easy bit. I guess it may seem like small change in the grand scale of things but actually when you add it all up its a lot, so much so that every pound hurts.

Lesson learned and all that, always get repatriation cover....? Actually even that isn't so simple. Sure if we'd had it the truck would get home but it turns out our dog would still have caused issues. Also, the company that the AA uses to repatriate told us that they wouldn't have been able to transport a truck of our size for 2-3 weeks. The AA doesn't make you aware of that!

Oh well, updates to follow.

 

[chadr]

Sorry to hear that you're having so much hassle - even after your truck's been sorted out.

Would your insurance cover any of the costs?

 

[Julian T]

Buy a cheap car and sell it when you get home?
Might work out a little more expensive than a hire car but you stand to get most of your outlay back when you sell it I think.
Or sell it when you go back to pick up the cruiser perhaps?
If it's in the uk for less than 6 months you wont have to import/register it in the uk.
I dont know whats required to purchase a car in spain but I an sure there are people on here that could help with that.
As much as I would like to take a drive to spain I am a little too busy with work

 

[Shayne]

Have a little faith in humanity go to a cafe and ask the staff for suggestions offering whatever you thinks fair in mickey mouse money for a lift over the border . They might not be able to help but you will have maybe 10 customers thinking our Jim has a van and he could use that money .

Failing that how about phoning an animal shelter just to see what they suggest dog lovers united and all that .