I've been having a look at Rave, and it doesn't seem *too* much of a difficult job, but I was wondering if anyone has attempted replacing a gearbox on the L322 V8?

Mine's goosed and needs replacing/shooting. I can't afford to have it rebuilt yet, so thought I'd get a replacement off eBay to keep me going for a bit, which then leaves mine off the car for when I can afford to have it rebuilt.

Not sure if I should attempt it myself, or pay my local garage to do it (They's experience of Range Rovers)/

edit: BTW - its done about 139,000 miles... Tym
(current) L322 3.6 TDV8 Vogue 2008 Tonga Green
(previous) L322 4.4 LPG Vogue SE 2003

If it sticks, force it. If it breaks, it needs replacing anyway.

Haylands did his - search the threads - it may be in his Project Fatty Offroader thread Howard
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2002 4.4 V8 LPG Tartarini
Have RSW AllComms in Cheshire J17 M6 - happy to help.
*Gone: Classic Vogue SE Auto V8 3.9

Why get yours rebuilt if you are getting another to put in anyway,you are paying twice ??!!

Removing the gearbox is not hard, it takes a while as there is a fare amount to do and it weighs a ton... I did it on a twin post ramp, if your doing it on the floor I'd take the transfer box off the back first...

Flex plate to torque converter bolts are a bit of a PITA... self rebuilds are doable but it is quiet technical, if you google you can find the overhaul manual, it's 130 pages long so it's not a 10 minute job doing the box....

I can email you it if you need, drop me a PM with your email...  Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

I did mine with the help of a friend to take it out and stripping it down is easy, the only involved bit is making the tools to compress the clutch springs. RRPhil was also a colossal help.
Im afraid the lengthy write up is on another forum.
We made up full length wooden ramps giving us around 12" of extra lift I think with the vehicle in off-road height.
We used a motorcycle lift with a wooden adapter to fit around the sump and we dropped it complete with the transfer box although I have had the transfer box off since on its own which isn't difficult until trying to lift it back up without a transmission lift.
It does weigh the same as a small car when removed with the transfer box attached but with the right jack I would remove it complete.
You must recon the torque converter while you are in there with Sussex autos or JPAT the favourite for that and any parts you need for the ZF5HP24 and the correct Mobil oil to refill the transmission is a must

From my experience, removing the gearbox twice on my car, (don't ask!). yes it's a straightforward job. The gearbox you need must come from a Range Rover, not x5 etc. as Pete says, the rotten job is to undo the torque converter to flex plate bolts. You will need a short 3/8 ratchet, and a deep hex 17mm socket. Make sure it's not a double hex one as it's much harder to avoid rounding the heads etc. You might want to remove these before you even start the rest of the job. If you search 5hp24 gearbox you will find a really long one showing how to get these out, and some other tales regarding rebuilding etc. I think it was '5hp24 rebuild it begins' search that.
You will need two wide trolley jacks, not those 2ft narrow types. A few squares of plywood, and as I did mine on the drive, a nice pile of bricks, helps your 'insurance' against it falling etc.
On replacing, read up regarding having the torque converter fully inserted, as it's easy to not have it located.
If you are buying secondhand, check the fluid, it should be yellowish brown. The correct oil is about £11 a litre off eBay. It must be original Mobil, not equivalent. If I was you I'd buy the box from a dismantler that gave it a warranty, 3 months might be all you get, but it takes the risk factor well away. £500 upwards, they are not given these away..many come without the TC.
If you just have the old gearbox banging into 4th, you might not actually need to remove it, as it could be the valve block. That is serviceable by removing from underneath, and might be worth investigating. If you drop the box sump you might find all manner of clues. The magnets attract a sort of graphite grease. That's normal, but swarf is not. If the car is jacked up just off the ground front wheels, axle stands on the front subframe, you will be just able to slide it out.
If you drop it onto a pice of carpet, you can pull that to make it easier. I did mine with the the transfer box still on.

I remember looking underneath the vehicle while deciding whether to start it or not and it looks daunting but once the exhausts are removed and all the aluminium covers, it looks remarkably exposed.

Ive bought gearboxes from ebay in the past for various cars, id say half of them were basically rubbish. You've no real way of telling if they're any better than your existing one when they're sat on a pallet. Sure some sellers will offer a warranty, but they only limit themselves to replacing or refunding the cost of the box, doesn't cover your labour and if they only have the one gearbox you end up with yours removed and the car in bits while you source another one. So in that sense it may be worth paying your local garage and having them source the box, then if it's no good it's their problem.

As for removing them a transmission jack is a worthwhile investment, http://www.uktoolcentre.co.uk/Shop/p~61488...GwoduQoGPg
There are dedicated ones like that, or you can get cradles that fit on those generic 3 ton trolley jacks.
The biggest challenge is maneuvering the thing down and out from under the car, so the proper jack makes the job so much easier, because as Haylands says, they're heavy lumps.

i wouldn't go near mine again without a proper transmission jack, i used a little trolley under the lift you can see in the pic but when i removed and replaced my transfer box on its own it took me a day of struggling with a trolley jack and various wooden cradles to get it back in and it was a freakin nightmare

I was lucky and picked up a box that was less than 6 months old and came with the TC, new oil cooler and lines and wasn't much more than £500, I bought it to recon it myself as my box was too bad to recon, someone had been there before and repaired it with a hammer (I kid you not) The idea was at that price it was still cheap if it needed anything, as it was it works great...

The main rebuild kit from ZF is well less than £200, you do need to fabricate some tools but it is doable....

Ask a garage to source you one and you won't have much change out of £2000 as their not going to take the risk on a second hand one...

Autodata time to remove and refit a box is 5 hours, but most garages would charge more, usually a days job so you will get billed for 8 hours...

Again, do not underestimate the weight of these boxes, we used four people to remove mine on a ramp, it's a two man job just to pick it up...

to holiday chicken and Johnboy for doing it on the drive....  Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

johnboyairey wrote:

a nice pile of bricks, helps your 'insurance' against it falling etc.

The transmission is simple to remove (try an Integrale if you want hard!), the flywheel/flexplate bolts are the only awkward bit but it is HEAVY!

I did mine in the garage on wheel ramps (actually might have been wheel ramps with concrete block underneath to get the height). Unless you have a decent transmission jack or reliable help just remove the transfer box first, I wish I had!
I did the whole lot on my own without a transmission jack but using two trolley jacks.
Due to the unbalanced weight of the transfer box (it will try to twist over) it gradually slipped off one of the jacks when lowering it, luckily it was nearly down anyway but I saved it hitting the floor with my body (ouch!). Then when maneuvering it came off the other jack. Not nice lying on the deck with a whole transmission almost pinning you down! Luckily I was prepared and got a creeper and wheeled trolley underneath it.
I bought a transmission jack that afternoon! I split the transfer box off before refitting, so much easier than wrestling with a heavy unbalanced load.

Bearing in mind the cost of the transmission fluid (£100ish per swap), if you can, I would avoid messing about with swapping boxes around and getting yours rebuilt. Either make sure you find a decent replacement and forget about yours or make sure you have time to rebuild yours and put it back on. I was only changing the torque converter on mine but replaced the input shaft seal as a precaution on the box and crank seal too (slight weep).

I can't recommend Sussex Auto Parts enough, they were extremely helpful in getting the torque converter rebuilt and offered to do it while I waited when I popped down there (I was told a 2 day turn around as they didn't have any in stock). Instead of a trip back to pick it up they ended up supplying me with a rebuilt replacement there and then from a regular shipment they send out to Germany and only cost me £150 too.