OT: Gearbox/clutch problems

[Andy Dingley]

It's economics - gearboxes just don't get rebuilt these days, and they're hard to re-assemble at the best of times. Even though you have probably just smashed or blunted one cheap baulk ring, you still have to pull most of the box apart to get to it, then re-assemble with an appropriate stack of shims, pre-loads and general hands-on experience with that specific box. As Type Rs are also noted for their tree-climbing skills, there's a good supply of bent ones - and that might just work out cheaper.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Oh you can replace a ring allright...after getting the box out and stripping it down...probably a days labour in all..8 hours at 30 quid and hour...and a recon box is probably only a couple of hundred...

[The Natural Philosopher]

I think you will probably find that they still are...by specialist gearbox reconditioners. Equipped with all the tools necessary to do it in a very short time.

Esenntally all components known to wear out are removed, checked, and if more or less in tolerance, re-used, and new parts added otherwise.

Even though you have

Yes.

As Type Rs are also noted for their

In many cases it does.

However, to quote roughly one Hayens manual on landrover gearboxes 'all seriess III land rover gearboxes are to a greater or lesser extent noisy, how noisy your gearbox will be before you decide to undertake a complex rebuild is a personal decision'

[Andy Dingley]

A Landie is hardly a Type R though.

Landies have probably the worst designed gearboxes of any vehicle on the planet, and the build quality was even worse. Between the stress-riser on the mainshaft of the 2A box and the 5 speed to 4 speed conversion habits of the Rangie box, it's a wonder they ever sold any. Oh they didn't did they - they had to redesign the post-89 transfer box so that Yanks could still hear the radio over the whining.

[The Natural Philosopher]

;-0)

THE principle is the same though. If ists and old banger you don;t fix the gearbox ever. I used to drive one GF's mini with my left leg cocked round the gearstick to stop it jumping out of 4th...the engine did 60 miles to the pint of oil, we'd welded and plastic padded it to pass an MOT, and patched the rear floor around the subframe.and painted it as a fried eff, whirte ion the bottom and yellow on toop using PAINTBRUSHES,..the next MOT we sold it for 100 quid - had two people fighting over it.

'you do reaslies the engine and box are basically shot?' 'yeah, but me mate runs a yard, and we can nick a mill out of another one there and stick it in: It's for the wife to learn in'

Whatever. ;-)

[Bob Eager]

Had no trouble with my Series I...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Many cars - like the new BMW M5 - are only available with an auto. Although it's a servo controlled synchromesh box with a servo operated 'normal' clutch, rather than the power sapping torque convertor type. It allows near full manual control, but won't allow over-revving or starting off in the wrong gear, etc. They are said to change gear faster than you can yourself. They also have a full auto mode.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It can be replaced. But the gearbox has to come out and be stripped. The part is likely to be cheap, but the labour costs high.

[Andy Dingley]

The first "mass market" maker to do their small autos in this way was Honda.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - I remember driving a Rover 827 so equipped, and it was truly dreadful - like the rest of the car. ;-)

Audi uses a clever box similar to this but with twin output shafts and twin clutches, so on a sequential change - ie most, 3-4 etc - the two clutches give a seamless change just like a proper auto. ;-)

I've driven a BMW SMG - although not the latest - and the single clutch design gave hopeless changes in auto.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Most BMWs - and probably most other recent autos - allow easy manual control. My BMW does - you simply flick the lever to the left - then it acts like a motorbike gearchange, forward for up, back for down, spring loaded. But I rarely use it, so good is a modern auto. And the vast majority of this type of car are autos - and manuals don't sell as well on the used market.

Perhaps because they aren't used to an auto?

I've got a powerful manual for fun times at weekends. But for London driving an auto every time. ;-)

[Mike]

Never met a Yank then ?

[al]

Thus my later statement about American bumper cars! They're dangerous enough on the road as it is ... imagine giving them a gearstick to distract themselves with!!! ;o)

a

[al]

FYI, just had Honda look at the car. They reckon it's something probably quite minor on the synch that would require a gearbox stripdown to identify and correct. Estimated price about £500 for that vs. £3000-4000 for a new gearbox!

However, he did say that if it didn't get worse, it might be something I want to live with ...!

s

[s--p--o--n--i--x]

It certainly sounds as though you have stripped the teeth off a few gears.

sponix

[s--p--o--n--i--x]

Auto boxes=higher fuel consumption.

I find it weird that you are advocating using uneconomical auto boxes when you also say that people should be using high efficiency condensing boilers.

sponix

[The Natural Philosopher]

Absolutely.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Not these days. Used to be that the torque converter sapped power, (they had to absorb fiull power between gears) and only having three gearas meant not effective gears at most speeds efdficiency wise.

5 speeders with well designed changers that couole into te engine to control the pedal...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Torque convertor ones do around town, but some are more economical at cruise due to higher gearing and a TC lockup.

Some types without a TC - like the BMW SMG - have no fuel consumption penalty.

Not sure about CVTs.

[Huge]

Not always true.