We just purchased a 1996 Discovery for a winter ride to spare our Mini from the indignities of winter. There is one thing in particular that has me stumped: I can't get the transfer case lever to move to the side in engage the diff lock no matter what I do. I have tried in low, high, running, etc. following the instructions in the owner's manual. Is there some sort of lock-out that keeps it from working that may be the issue? Everything else works as it should. 117k on the odo.

Thanks in advance!

 

very common problem, the linkage siezes up from lack of use. Usally you need to to remove the boot and get in there with some wd-40 or something similar and break it loose.

 

Thanks for the info. Looks like the center console will have to be removed to get at the linkage?

 

You should be able to unsnap the outer bezel under/in the boot. That will expose a foam barrier. You can try and shoot WD 40 via the red straw just past the shifter between the lever and the foam. If I remember correctly the linkage is on the right side of the shift lever.

Also you could get underneath and get a shot at it that way.

Good luck.

 

Whwen I did mine I took the whole linkage/ shifer mechinism out so I could put it in vise to break it loose, so it depends on how stuck it is. If you do a search on here you will find threads detailing your same problem with more detailed descriptions of repair

 

So, there is first a foam barrier, then a rubber boot. See attached pics, also of the linkage.

 

Yes, the foam was so in the way I couldn't get to the linkage. I'm going to take a look at it this weekend and see if I can get it broken free (along with an oil change, fixing the cruise, troubleshooting the fog lights, put a window back on its track, etc.). Thanks for the help!

 

So I pulled the console and the lower tcase lever boot to get at the linkage. No matter what, I couldn't get it to move even after lubing it liberally with WD40. So I pulled the pin that connects the linkage to the lever, and it's actually the lever that won't move to the side to select/deselect the center diff lock, the linkage is free to move. So, the question is, which way does the tcase lever move to select the diff lock? I know the lever gets pulled towards the driver (left), but does the shaft work opposite the lever (pull left to select the diff lock and the shaft pushes towards the right - where the shaft's pivot would be in the middle) or does pulling the lever left pull the shaft left? Right now I need to know so I can leave the diff unlocked (I'm getting some binding on semi-tight turns which feels like the diff may be locked, the indicator on the dash is not on, but it doesn't light up when you first turn the key on like all the other dash lights either). I hope my questions make sense.

 

One question figured out: I figured out which way the lever is supposed to work. It still won't move to the side at all, but I made sure the CDL is in the unlocked position by moving the arm on the top of the diff as far counter clockwise as it would go, which should correspond to the lever being all the way to the right. I haven't jacked up a front wheel to test if it's spinning freely yet, but I do still get an awful "clunk" that can be heard and felt when making a sharp(ish) turn to the left. Doesn't do it when turning to the right. I thought this was the CDL, but now I'm inclined to believe it is something else.

 

I believe this is most likely to be a halfshaft/CV joint issue.