I learned this the hard way engaging the CDL for the very first time 2 months ago.
I crawled under the Disco, turned the nipple with a 10mm wrench a 1/4 turn, started up the engine, reversed out of my driveway at moderate speed and CLANK!!! Mechanism engaged and CDL light came on.
Scared the crap out of me thinking I ran over something.

 

clearly I'm doing something wrong. New driveshaft showed up yesterday. Moved CDL nipple to the passenger side position..installed driveshaft drove around for 10 miles. Came back and uninstalled pinion side of front driveshaft...and it spins freely. I'm stumped.

 

@stereophile33 Ok I may have this wrong - would not be the 1st time.

The CDL does not Connect /Disconnect the the output to the drive shafts, the output is always there. It simply acts like a locking diff, when engaged equal power goes to both drive shafts. If you disconnect the a drive shaft from the transfer case you can still spin the the transfer case driveshaft flange no matter what state the CDL is in Locked or unlocked.

If the CDL is unlocked and you remove a drive shaft you go no where as the output is going to the empty flange, lock the CDL and off you go as the power is "split".

Sound to me like you are not getting locked up. I have an 04 I just moved the lever when I removed my front drive shaft.

Video of operation

And a good description of engaging it

https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...age-cdl-24688/

 

great video, thanks for sharing.

respectfully, if the rover cdl can be engaged and still have an output flange turn freely...then it’s not truly a cdl.

that’s like saying “I installed a ARB diff lock, engaged it but when on jack stands I can turn one axle shaft freely while the other one sits still”

that’s what we call a stuck/broken/non-working diff lock

it doesn’t “split” the power, it literally locks the shafts together and you physically cannot turn one output flange without turning the other.

 

@stereophile33 I always get that stuff backwards and sideway, sorry about that. But if that end always spins it has to open, so either the fork is shot or you are not getting far enough to lock it in place. I know when I did my drive shaft I had the CDL unlocked and front end up so I could spin the drive shaft to make tightening all the bolts easy and I just used my foot to move the tire.

 

Frankly, it's probably time to drop the transfer case and take a look at the innards. Like the video posted shows, you should be able to see the operation of the CDL if it's working properly.