When I took the FL2 in for it's 100k service they did the auto gearbox fluid change which temporarily stopped the horrendous juddering that the car had been having at around 1800 revs. However, after a couple of weeks the juddering returned so I started to look into the problem and it looks like the torque converter is the culprit. Having just shelled out over £2k for the service and a new transfer box I wasn't inclined towards getting a new TC fitted so I thought I'd give Dr Trannys Judder Fix stuff a try, it's only a five minute job and what's the worse that could happen??

Well I'm guessing that the 300lb gorilla at the garage had put the filler cap back on the auto box with an impact driver (as any sensible person would!) and I couldn't get it to budge with my T55 bit on an extension bar and ratchet so I took it round to my mate's. When he'd finished laughing at me for not being able to remove the filler cap he had a go, he's a strong lad and couldn't do it so he got his 3' breaker bar on it. With him pulling the bar and me trying to keep the extension vertical and the bit pressed into the plug he gave it everything and still couldn't shift it so he went to borrow his mate's big impact driver. Within a matter of seconds it had completely mashed the torx splines and we were both looking at it thinking WTF!!

So now I have three questions, the first two of which are completely rhetorical because I'm annoyed:

1. Why did the garage guy put a filler cap back on with such tremendous torque?!
2. Why didn't LR make the filler cap a hex bolt?!
3. Is there any way I can get the Dr. Tranny's in the auto box without major surgery?

I've watched a few videos on YT about changing the AT fluid and there's a handy fill level plug accessible in the wheel arch that I could squirt the fluid in through... except that my gearbox doesn't look like that one and I can't find such a plug so I'm guessing that mines the box with the drain and level plugs combined into one on the underside of the box.

I had wondered about drilling and tapping a new hole in the top of the box but I don't want to drop a load of swarf into the box.

Cheers

I can't help with this but I will say that there is something about this bolts that makes it seize solid. I've done a number of ATF changes on my car and each time i use a torque wrench to carefully tighten it up to the workshop manual spec which isn't particularly high and yet when I come to remove it again a year later it's an absolute pain in the backside to shift! I'm wary of tightening it under-spec because the consequences of it loosening could be very expensive indeed.

Hmmm, that's interesting. I wonder if there's a reaction between the flat surfaces of the steel bolt and the aluminium casing that causes it to bond? Or perhaps it's a heating/cooling thing?? 2010 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto

Question 1, the person doing it was a moron. It needs "nipping up", nothing more than that.

Q 2, LR didn't make the gearbox.

Q 3, an air chisel is your friend. 2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. Soon to be sold.
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Maybe some carefully applied PTFE tape would make the filler plug easier to remove in the future. Jules

After I stripped mine the second trans oil change following torque spec, I just snug mine up. Regardless, I've changed it two or three times since and it still seizes but not where I feel it will strip. It's definitely a changing temp thing. I've not tried it on a cold transmission.

Tried the Dr Trannys, it was a total waste of money. In the end I had the TC replaced, if you find you have to go down that route be sure to have the rear crankshaft oil seal replaced at the same time.

MotionInc wrote:

After I stripped mine the second trans oil change following torque spec, I just snug mine up. Regardless, I've changed it two or three times since and it still seizes but not where I feel it will strip. It's definitely a changing temp thing. I've not tried it on a cold transmission.

CaptainBarnacles wrote:

Hmmm, that's interesting. I wonder if there's a reaction between the flat surfaces of the steel bolt and the aluminium casing that causes it to bond? Or perhaps it's a heating/cooling thing??

Your other option when all else fails is welding a nut onto the end of the filler plug and spinning it out. Not only will the welding give you a secure purchase with which to wrench or spin the filler plug out, but the heat from the welding will help loosen any rust TIG welding is much more precise than MIG welding. If you don't have the TIG/MIG equipment then there are mobile welders who you can use.

Make sure the battery is disconnected and all systems are shut down before the welding process. Electric current flowing through from the welder can damage or short circuit electrical components. The chassis is normally grounded to the negative terminal of the battery, and this is why the negative terminal should be disconnected first (and reconnected last).

There are lots of videos on YouTube showing the process of how to remove broken manifold studs from aluminium cylinder heads the principal is the same for the gearbox filler plug.

Nodge68 wrote:

Question 1, the person doing it was a moron. It needs "nipping up", nothing more than that.

Q 2, LR didn't make the gearbox.

Q 3, an air chisel is your friend.

Q1: Agreed!
Q2: Fair Point
Q3: How so? Are you thinking to grind a slot in the bolt head and air chisel into the slot with a bit of anti-clockwise angle on it? 2010 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto

I Like Chips wrote:

Tried the Dr Trannys, it was a total waste of money. In the end I had the TC replaced, if you find you have to go down that route be sure to have the rear crankshaft oil seal replaced at the same time.

Good call, will do.  2010 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto

jules wrote:

CaptainBarnacles wrote:

Hmmm, that's interesting. I wonder if there's a reaction between the flat surfaces of the steel bolt and the aluminium casing that causes it to bond? Or perhaps it's a heating/cooling thing??

Can you get a stilsons type pipe wrench (not a mole wrench) onto the edge of the filler plug (it grips more the harder you pull) and hit it with a hammer ?

I don't think so, it's a bit tight down in there but I'll have another look and see. I think I've got a small stilsons somewhere, I'll see if I can dig it out.  2010 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto

AJ918 wrote:

Your other option when all else fails is welding a nut onto the end of the filler plug and spinning it out. Not only will the welding give you a secure purchase with which to wrench or spin the filler plug out, but the heat from the welding will help loosen any rust TIG welding is much more precise than MIG welding. If you don't have the TIG/MIG equipment then there are mobile welders who you can use.

Make sure the battery is disconnected and all systems are shut down before the welding process. Electric current flowing through from the welder can damage or short circuit electrical components. The chassis is normally grounded to the negative terminal of the battery, and this is why the negative terminal should be disconnected first (and reconnected last).

There are lots of videos on YouTube showing the process of how to remove broken manifold studs from aluminium cylinder heads the principal is the same for the gearbox filler plug.

Arc welding will be fine, you're not looking for pretty welding just strong and the heat will definitely help. Tack a big flat washer to the fill plug then a decent sized nut M10 or bigger for the size of the fill plug on to the top and fill the centre with weld, concentrating as much heat as possible to the plug. If your washer is bigger than the nut you can tack the outside as well. While it's still warm get a socket onto it and hopefully wind it out. 🤞 Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

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