I haven't had the gear box oil out yet so I'll try that tomorrow. I'm also going to check the diff oils as some people on landyforum have suggested that diff noises can very much sound like they are coming from the mid section of the car.

Having done lots of u turns etc I can safely say that there are no noises when I turn full lock on high grip surfaces (other than the power steering pumps working a bit harder than usual due to r16/285's!).

I've got oils with me but want to convserve them wherever I can, if I'm going to reuse oils I've drained do you think I need to filter these? If i do what would you suggest as a make shift filter? A rag and a funnel?

Also thank you so much for your replies, as a lone traveler with no one else to bounce ideas of it's very reassuring...I really appreciate it!

Again a bit like the TFB if there's no sharp noises or banging under the load of sharp turns on high grip surfaces I would exclude the diffs and CV's at this time.

I guess a sock and a funnel may work, a Cotten t shirt may be a bit fine I could see it taking all day.... Might pay to run it over a Manet too. An old radio speaker would work well to remove the metal particles.
Try a decent fuel station, I've been surprised repeatedly at the selection of oils available. The LR recommendation is MTF a 75/80 grade semi synthetic (SS)from memory, it has a lot of additives to help with gear chatter and easier shifts but at a push you could run any SS of FS 75/80, 80 or even 75/90. You could also run a Dextron D11 or D 111. I did 4000 miles in my 5.2l V8 R380 Defender with FS 75/90 when I couldn't get the correct grade abroad. Shifts were stiff cold but ran fine @ 80 mph on the motorway home..... Don't over think the oil.

Your welcome.
Hope this helps.
Nick

My Disco is fairly modern, so can't help there, but I'd second the suggestion of Mohamed Gordito. If he's busy the workshop of his cousin, Ali Nassir, is just a few metres down the road. Very well regarded: 4x4-mag Bons Plans Mecanos Zagora

Zagora is about 500km, eight hours drive, from Agadir. I wouldn't worry about getting parts to Zagora, anything not too heavy can be transported using the parcel service of the CTM bus network.

I've used Ali several times over the years and would recommend him and team for good work at good prices

How are you getting on and developments over the last couple od days

Thanks for all the replies, I'm currently in Taghazout. I've decided to take a few days out and surf, the place I'm staying has an English guy who's put me in touch with a decent mechanic who I'm seeing in an hour hopefully I'll get somewhere. It's annoying that I won't really be able to make it anywhere close to as far South as I wanted but that's part of the fun. I'm chilled about it now....all part of the rich tapestry of traveling in an old landy! I won't let it put me off overlanding (but I might buy a Landcruiser 80 24v!!!!!)

Good to hear

The breakdowns, problem solving and changed plans are all part if the fun even if they don't seem it at the time

Hmm, 1998 hardly counts as old. My first trip to Morocco was in a 1949 Series I Landy that used almost as much oil as petrol.

http://www.morocco-knowledgebase.net...-goulamine.jpg

When I had hair.

.

Sorry the reply is probably too late - only just seen the thread, but if you are still trying to sort the problem...

I've had various old Landys and have had a few gearboxes and transfer boxes fall apart over the years - it's not a big thing... usually they start making the nasty noises you describe, then if it's the gearbox after a few hundred miles one of the gears will stop working... When I've lost a couple of gears I usually get round to crawling underneath and replacing the unit... If it's the transfer box it is a very quick job - you should be able to replace it as a unit without much drama - just get hold of a decent transfer box form a Disco, or if you can't find a Disco one, you can use a standard Defender one but the gearing will be lower - the Discovery ratio is 1:1.4 and the standard Defender ratio is 1:1.22 if I recall correctly (but a Defender will run happily with the 1:1.4 ratio box - it's just higher geared which is great for economy and quiet cruising)

If it is the gearbox you should be able to replace it with an R380 box from a 300TDi Defender but you will have to swap over the gear change linkage at the top of the box - it will be fairly clear what has to be swapped when you have the two gearboxes next to each other.

Try to find a crash damaged donor in the scrapyards since then it's more likely that it wasn't an existing transmission fault that put the car into the scrap-yard int he first place. Once you have swapped a gearbox once you will find it's not such a nightmare job after all - it's almost certainly cheaper and faster to fit a box from a breakers and if it turns out to be faulty swap it for another rather than try to buy and have shipped out a new one... once you have a decent gearbox or transfer box fitted you will not only be able to carry on with the trip, but you will know how to replace the bits which most frequently break on a Landy, so no fears for the future! Think of it as part of the joy of owning a car which is basically a big Lego kit!

If it is the gearbox which is faulty remember to replace the clutch and clutch fork at the same time - once the gearbox is off you might as well, and in future you will know how to change the clutch since this is what has to be done for a clutch swap anyway.

However, the thing to remember with a Landy is that even if you don't do anything, you could probably still drive back through Europe with funny noises from the gearbox all the way home - they are pretty tough and put up with an awful lot of abuse!

Good Luck and enjoy the trip!

Tony

Hopefully too late...
I can recommend a special garage in Casablanca, i call them
The land rover family garage; just imagine the father about 78 years old and his five yes 5 sons working together! and only Land Rovers allowed on the premises!
And for spare parts you have the choice between new and second hand (bonne occasion):palm: