The Rover-Landers of BC

The R380 on my 95 D1 is a little bit rough... When I first got the vehicle shifts from 1-2 and 2-3 were very clunky and notchy with an audible metal on metal "clink" when finding the gears. Also a little bit of crunching going into second gear which goes away with slowing down gear changes and double clutching.

I just did a fluid drain and refill with Redline MTL which has made a massive difference - gear changes are a lot smoother and seem to be getting better as the fluid works its way in there but it's still a bit notchy and clinky when engaging 2nd and 3rd gears. 4th and 5th are fine, and downshifts seem not too bad but I do get a vibration in the wheel when downshifting into 2nd (engine braking).

I should mention that when I drained the fluid, the magnet on the plug had about 1/2" of fine metal shavings on it - no chunks of synchro or teeth but it was definitely a bit of an "oh shit" moment when I saw that!

Anyway, it's certainly drivable, and I suspect I will be fine for some time if I'm deliberate and slow with my gear changes, but I do thing a rebuild is in my future. Has anyone on here had any success with rebuilding an R380? Anyone know any shops that can do this for a reasonable price, or know of a good reconditioned box for sale?

A frame bushes have been mentioned to me as a possible culprit, but by the feel/sound of it, I'm pretty sure the noises are coming form inside the box. Any other recommendations for trouble shooting?

Cheers,
Dave

Dave,
Ashcroft do rebuild kits, or reconditioned.
Working on gearboxes is relaxing and satisfying, on a bench in your workshop (or kitchen table)
You can get by without the special tools but the workshop manual is a must.
As its likely to be down for a while, especially if you need additional parts, best to look for a spare.
If you get in a crunch (sorry about the pun) I have a spare that I could lend you.
Eric.

Kitchen table?!?! Sue must be very understanding!

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll look into Ashcroft...