Well, this week's failed component was the clutch in the alternator pulley. It had seized so it could no longer freewheel.

I bought the pulley set with new belt. I also bought the splined tool. I didn't get the more expensive one as the middle part was advertised as a T50 which I already had.

Symptoms were very noisy idle, and a metallic noise if you made it struggle under load. Visually the tensioner was bouncing in and out on idle.

Attempt one was to remove the pulley in situ. I got everything to fit well and made a lever to apply pressure whilst turning, but the T50 rounded off the splined bit inside 😕

Figured I might as well take it off to look at on the bench. Removed the fuel filter (had one waiting on the shelf to replace it) - moved the power steering pump out of the way, undid the 2 bolts holding the alternator in. The alternator was still held tight and wouldn't budge - managed to lever it out but the casting snapped at the back, so the lower mount was now useless 😞

Not sure if it was cracked and damaged from the extra load of the seized pulley.

Looked online and found a Freelander being broken less than a mile away, got in touch and agreed to buy the alternator which just happened to be the exact same model number and the same 180A Bosch unit.

The clutch was ok on that one, I tried for a few seconds to undo it but could see that the reason the T50 rounded off the other one was because there were twice as many splines, so the T50 fits but only drives every other spline and it is then weaker. I didn't want to break this one so left it on and fitted it as it was.

The alternator went back in easy enough, idler pulley was easy, as was the tensioner and belt.

Primed up the fuel filter with a hand priming bulb fitted inline and it started straight up, switched off, removed priming pump and it still started fine.

All sounds great now, so back to everything working. Not had much luck recently so it has had about 2 weeks of working perfectly each time!


Not ideal with the original alternator breaking, but quite lucky to have one being broken so close, and now have the clutch pulley spare, should this one go.

In spite of the problems how lucky are you

Caught it in time with reports of Aux belts letting go and creating more problems

Yes, indeed - IIRC failed aux belts have been known cause the cambelt to slip by getting caught in it. Jules

I guess you're right,

It just seems to have been a constant run of issues recently. It has spent all of this year and some of last been driven carefully because it was making a noise.

I get everything sorted and something else goes a few weeks later.

It was lovely to drive it again with everything feeling perfect yesterday!

To be fair on it, it goes off road every day, nothing extreme, but enough that a regular car wouldn't make it (mainly ground clearance).

It is starting to feel a little like Trigger's broom now 🤣

Next on my list of things to fail. Front driver's side wheel bearing or rear passenger side wheel bearing (no noises or anything but I've just done the other 2 within a few weeks of each other). It is still on the original subframes - tempted to spray some Lanoguard under there in the hopes of preserving them longer. I've also been keeping on top of a growing patch of rust just in front of one of the rear wheels. I'm keeping my eye on a nasty looking power steering pipe (the common section to go). I get an intermittent error on the Autel about the haldex pump, and have a minor leak from around there, so need to service it again at some point.

All good fun. I've given up listing everything I've done, partially because the list is getting too long but also it is becoming confusing as some of the jobs are getting to the point of repeating them now!

3 years of ownership, 14 year old vehicle, 200k miles (30k done by us).


Fantastic to drive, perfect for the job it is used for.

And..... It is broken again

Worked perfectly since fitting, then yesterday the battery light came on.

Battery voltage with engine off is 12.0V.
Battery voltage with engine on is 11.8V.

Well that was fun after work. Alternator back out again, started to strip it down and found the lower brush had jammed/melted the plastic.

Replaced that part from the other alternator, decided to put the new pulley on whilst I was there. Back together and now charging again.

Happy days.......for now!

Recommend genuine power steering hoses when you do get stuck into that and order well in advance as some bits aren’t always in stock, I learnt the hard way with after markets (allmakes). Corrado VR6 Mystic Blue - Gone
Freelander 2 Orkney Grey

@nbuuifx having a similar problem this weekend and I can’t find the torque setting for the bolts that hold the bracket onto the engine block. What setting did you use?

(Mine was alternator pulley issue with the same t50 instead of a spline bit. Managed to realise before I totally rounded it but then a bolt sheared in the mount and needed to be drilled. So the mount is saved but need to put it all back together now)

As i work in the trade and have seen most problems on freelanders,plus all the mods mentioned on here,when we did my timing belt at 90000 ish,we replaced bottom pully alternator pulley, auxiliary belt and tensioner,because they will fail, its just when.