Hi all,

I was looking to have the gearbox oil changed on my now 100,000 mile RR - however, having read that the torque convertor clutches and other bits dont last much longer than that anyway, I have decided to bite the bullet and have a full rebuild done as I want to keep the car long-term.

I have found this place local to me, that seem to specialise in the ZF box, and offer a guaranteed and very comprehensive rebuild job for a very attractive price:
http://www.birchmotors4x4.co.uk/#range-rover

Has anyone used them before at all, or otherwise got any good/bad reviews of them? Their website looks impressive enough but their premises look a bit less confidence-inspiring:
[https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.3964354,-2.9800127,3a,75y,286.37h,87.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1spcTfxqHCTzWRKP7XOj_V9A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656]

Obviously, before dropping a 4-figure sum on a very complex bit of the car, I want to make doubly sure the job will be done right the first time!

Thanks in advance,
Matt NW060

"Red Shed" - 1982 Series 3 88" County Station Wagon
"Spirit of Great Britain" - Rolls Royce Meteor V12 engine
ZG875 - Westland Sea King (cockpit section)
"Carly Rae Jeepsen" - 2006 Jeep Commander 5.7 Hemi
"Pride Of The Road" - 1/4-scale Marshall traction engine - sold
"Georgina" - 2000 Discovery 2 TD5 ES - sold
"Windsor" - 2005 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 - dead

If they are the firm I remember, their premises look dire but the two oldish blokes who worked there where of the old school of can we fix this rather than just nailing on a new bit. They certainly have been at it for many years and at one time, I remember they also specialised in car carpets.
I remember seeing old classics in there where by they had lifted the body off the chassis and where working away on it.

They did my box the second time.
They commented on how the original £3k rebuild had used poor quality parts and they were doing it for less than half that.
Place is a but it was done at the agreed price on time and its been fine since. Stuart who I delt with was very good and even offered to picked me up from the station when I went to collect.
The car went back for a seperate issue (my mistake) and they even let me collect Saturday morning when they are closed.
I think they nicked some photos from RR Phil to put on their website bit of scally cheek Mine was a blue one!

Thanks muchly for the recommendations, sounds exactly my kind of proper old-school place. I shall be booking in to them asap! NW060

"Red Shed" - 1982 Series 3 88" County Station Wagon
"Spirit of Great Britain" - Rolls Royce Meteor V12 engine
ZG875 - Westland Sea King (cockpit section)
"Carly Rae Jeepsen" - 2006 Jeep Commander 5.7 Hemi
"Pride Of The Road" - 1/4-scale Marshall traction engine - sold
"Georgina" - 2000 Discovery 2 TD5 ES - sold
"Windsor" - 2005 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 - dead

As way of an update and to help keep things flowing is there any further update Andy? How has the rebuild gone and anyone else who has used them at all? Selfishly keeping myself ready for the inevitable on mine lol 😂😂😂 FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

Hi, my apologies as I thought I'd replied to this thread!

I was very impressed with the friendliness and service there, all very knowledgeable chaps who were happy to explain exactly what they did and how the autobox worked.

As said, the place was a very old skool workshop - looked like a bomb had hit it but obviously they knew where everything was!

I certainly wouldn't hesitate in recommending them! Mine was so much smoother after the rebuild, though it is still getting a bit warm now winter is over, despite a new oil cooler being fitted when the box was rebuilt - this means it must be a sludged radiator at fault as it was the only thing not renewed by Birch 4x4! NW060

"Red Shed" - 1982 Series 3 88" County Station Wagon
"Spirit of Great Britain" - Rolls Royce Meteor V12 engine
ZG875 - Westland Sea King (cockpit section)
"Carly Rae Jeepsen" - 2006 Jeep Commander 5.7 Hemi
"Pride Of The Road" - 1/4-scale Marshall traction engine - sold
"Georgina" - 2000 Discovery 2 TD5 ES - sold
"Windsor" - 2005 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 - dead

Thanks Mat,

So we definitely have a box that's lasted 7months after the rebuild.

After Miggits adventures if mine needs doing id like to know about the uprated TC but don't think a UK builder does them. FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

Hi Will
All is good fingers crossed. Got a big trip this weekend so hope not jinked it.
i have been France and back twice (1300 miles) once towing a trailer since the rebuild so probably about 12k miles since the repair.

ta Mine was a blue one!

kingpleb wrote:

Thanks Mat,

So we definitely have a box that's lasted 7months after the rebuild.

After Miggits adventures if mine needs doing id like to know about the uprated TC but don't think a UK builder does them.

What's this heat build up issue? FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

The bottom part of the radiator and the gearbox oil cooler connected to it are both known for sludging up, reducing flow and leading to a heat buildup that makes the torque convertor lock up and hold onto gears until the oil has cooled down a bit.
Mine was doing this before the rebuild, was fine over winter but has now done it again on warm spring day. As I had a new oil cooler fitted with the gearbox, it narrows things down to the radiator. As a new OEM Hella one can be had for 150 quid it's not the end of the world to swap it NW060

"Red Shed" - 1982 Series 3 88" County Station Wagon
"Spirit of Great Britain" - Rolls Royce Meteor V12 engine
ZG875 - Westland Sea King (cockpit section)
"Carly Rae Jeepsen" - 2006 Jeep Commander 5.7 Hemi
"Pride Of The Road" - 1/4-scale Marshall traction engine - sold
"Georgina" - 2000 Discovery 2 TD5 ES - sold
"Windsor" - 2005 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 - dead

Mat

Had to change all mine when I did the box.. there is a thermostat down there that the cooler plugs into, mine was seized solid with all the sludge out of the rad, they also sell the plastic mount for the oil cooler and the thermostat but mine was fine, just changed the stat, rad, cooler and lines... works a treat now... (that's just jinxed it!!!)  Pete
__________________________________________________
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-

As Pete is aware I'm probably going to send my poorly car to Birch so it's really good to read that Mat has had such a good experience with them. I just need to get it there from North Lincs but I get the feeling it'll be worth it

If your stuck Chris let me know and we could sort a shipping out maybe using mine or one of the transporters I've got details for somewhere and used before 👍 FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.