Need HELP engaging Series II A in 4WD

[Tim Smith]

I dunno, are you chasing rabbits? Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall.....

Apology for taking the thread off track.

No that was me pulling things off track.

[PattyG]

Okay, I pushed down the yellow knob and put her in first gear and I went nowhere. There must be something I'm not doing right. I took more pictures of the under carriage - maybe these will help you to help me ( I am very appreciative for all your help and suggestions). I do know that he has a IPF decal (I think that is just the additional headlights) and he has a K&V decal that I will research.

http://i47.tinypic.com/28md2si.jpg Rear Under Carriage
http://i46.tinypic.com/11bk87p.jpg Front Under Carriage
http://i45.tinypic.com/dr5gyq.jpg Front Under Carriage
http://i46.tinypic.com/wmbl9k.jpg Side View

[PattyG]

K&V must be the steering stabilizer kit he put on the Rover - correct? And that shouldn't have anything to do with putting her in 4WD - correct?

[stomper]

That is a very beautiful Land Rover, and I am sure it was your husband's pride and joy. He obviously spent a lot of time upgrading it to a new galvanized frame, with a coil suspension, and new axles, differential lockers, etc.

Did he do the work himself? If a garage carried it out, I would strongly recommend you go to the garage, so they can explain everything to you, as a vehicle like this one does not soon escape any mechanic's memory, and they will know everything about the vehicle.

When you stated that nothing happens when you depressed the yellow knob, what do you mean? Would it no longer drive? were you able to drive out of the garage, in first, and then you depressed the yellow knob, and then it would no longer go anywhere?

[scott]

patty

click on members list then on search and you can search for those here that are really there. i searched just using AK and then Alaska in the loacation field and found a few frozen roverites

[badvibes]

Okay, I pushed down the yellow knob and put her in first gear and I went nowhere. There must be something I'm not doing right.

Ensure that the shift lever with the red knob is all the way forward (high range) or all the way back (low range). It commonly gets knocked into the nuetral position and will cause exactly what you describe.

[Tim Smith]

Is this a Defender? A very nice one at that.

If so then my whole message about the front drive shaft and rear drive shaft spinning at the same speed might be wrong. I think the Defenders actually have a center differential but I don't own one so I'm not exactly sure how they are set up underneath. Also, I believe Defenders always in 4x4 and that is why they have a center differential. Maybe the yellow nob is just meant to lock the center differential?

[stomper]

I was thinking that the red lever was not all the way forward also, that is why I asked if she was able to drive prior to pressing the yellow knob down.
With no locking hubs, there is no other way for it to engage other than by the yellow and red levers.

Actually Patty, I think the whole rig is totalled, you better just sell it to me. I'll dispose of the rig for you.

[thixon]

Hi Patty.

Would be so kind as to get out the camera one last time. Please take some photos of the engine, and a couple of the underside of the truck, as best you can that will show as much of the transmission as possible?

Your husband did A LOT of nice work to this truck. Based on what I see, we should'nt rule out the possibility of an engine/transmission swap. These photos may provide more clues that will allow those on this board to help.

If he did change out the engine/tranny, I doubt he would have left the stock levers in place, but you never know. In addition, he may have adapted the levers to work with the setup he swapped to. Again, I'm theorizing here. It may just have the original rover set up. We'll see.

Good luck,

[stomper]

Tim, I don't think it is a defender. While I don't own one either, Defenders do not have the red and yellow levers in them. Just a little black lever that locks the center diff.

What I believe Patty's vehicle is is a heavily modified series vehicle. East Coast Rovers does a lot of coil chasis conversions, and also heavy modifications like Patty's appears to have. If a garage didn't do the work, her husband was certainly a very mechanically inclined Rover nut.

[Tim Smith]

Tim, I don't think it is a defender. While I don't own one either, Defenders do not have the red and yellow levers in them. Just a little black lever that locks the center diff.

What I believe Patty's vehicle is is a heavily modified series vehicle. East Coast Rovers does a lot of coil chasis conversions, and also heavy modifications like Patty's appears to have. If a garage didn't do the work, her husband was certainly a very mechanically inclined Rover nut.

No red and yellow levers in defenders. Got it. Thanks.

Yes I now agree that this truck has had a lot of modifications. It will be interesting to see those other pictures.

[PattyG]

Thank You for all your help. I went back out to the garage and drove her out and this time pushed the yellow knob down and the red knob ALL THE WAY FORWARD - and this time I was able to drive around the block. But it didn't really feel like it was in 4WD - she went right through small snow berms with no trouble. But it was really smooth like normal driving, not the shudder or hesitation on semi dry pavement like I would expect. When I took her out of 4WD, I pulled the red knob back and there was some slight metal/teeth grinding (I had her in neutral and running) so I turned off the engine and then pulled/pushed the red knob to bring the yellow knob back up. Is this the correct method? I just don't want to tear up something on this rig.

[PattyG]

I will have to find someone to help hoist the hood up for pictures. Again Thank You all for the help.

[SafeAirOne]

Patty,

It sounds as if you have done everything right. You shouldn't have to turn the engine off to shift back to 2wd, though. Just keep you foot on the clutch so the gears in the transmission stop spinning. It might take a second to wind down, then yank the red lever back, watch the yellow knob pop up, then shove the red lever all the way forward again.

The shudder when driving on dry pavement is almost unnoticible if you are going in a straight line (for a while, at least). It becomes noticible when the wheels are turned. The farther you turn the wheels, the more pronounced the shudder.

I am confident that you were in 4 wheel drive, and it sounds as if you did quite nicely. In case you haven't figured it out yet, the red lever has 3 positions: all the way forward=2 wheel drive; Halfway back is neutral--Nothing goes anywhere in this position (and the handbrake won't hold the vehicle in this position); And all the way back, which is 4 wheel drive low range--when you need to crawl slowly out of a sticky situation in 4 wheel drive. This aft position also pops the yellow (2 wheel drive high range) knob back up.

Of all the engineering considerations that went into the series land rover design, the greatest must be color coding of the knobs and levers--I can't imagine what this thread would be if the knobs were all black!

[bmohan55]

The quick responses and concern to this woman's questions are what make this forum great. Of course "some" of you may have an ulterior motive and really have designs on her truck!