Oh dear, gearbox trouble.

[Tornado]

Short version:
2002, 75K miles.
Clutch fine, linkage and spring good, gear oil good.
Gearbox loud, sometimes hard to select gears, worse when hot, 1st+2nd especially.

So my recently acquired K11 2002 may have a gearbox issue. A local mechanic had it but as an NCT (MOT) failure for corrosion. I test drove it a few times and liked it but noticed difficulty engaging gears sometimes. It would not grind but as if it could not fine the right slot to go into. He sorted the rust, greased the famous gear linkage and fixed the spring. It passed the test, I bought the car and gear change is better but still not perfect. The other day another mechanic I know checked it , says the clutch is perfect but the gearbox is very loud and ought to be replaced, though unlikely to go bang and leave me stranded. He could replacement it for €400, eek! The gearbox oil is fine and probably recently replaced, (maybe the original mechanic did that in an attempt to fix the gear change?). He said I could try flushing the gearbox with diesel. I feel the chap I bought the car from would not be inclined to fix the problem for free, even though it is a "pre-existing condition". I like the car, maybe I should just live with the way it is, I'll not be doing huge milage it it.
Cheers, thanks for any suggestions.

 

[John_D]

A problem with the clutch release would also give you the symptoms you describe, if like my K12, a broken pressure plate leaf spring has occurred. While the clutch was not slipping the broken spring cause the pressure plate diaphragm to be misshapen, offset to one side causing very difficult disengagement of the clutch and uneven pressure on the release bearing, causing noise......I fitted a new clutch complete with new release bearing. Alternatively has the wrong grade of gearbox oil been put in? You should have SAE 80 grade in it, which is quite thick, the wrong, thinner oil, would give all the symptoms...........

 

[Tornado]

Interesting, the seller said maybe the spring had gotten stiff with age making the clutch a bit heavy, which it is. The latest guy said the oil was like honey, so that's probably not the issue.

 

[MaxWheeler]

No matter what happens in your instances, if it's within an affordable budget at the time of the repair and you intend to keep the car it's generally thought to be wise to swap out the clutch with a new kit as a service item... getting the gearbox off in future would only be the preparation in replacing a clutch.

There are also gearbox additives that can repair minor gearbox damage such as stuck dirt and metal shavings wedged in gears and such like but obviously if the gears are badly worn there is no magic quick fix liquid that will magically restore chipped or otherwise damaged gears. These symptoms can also be that of a bad Constant Velocity Joint and the difficult in first and second gear could be an altogether different and common issue in the release bearing.

Hope you get it sorted nonetheless

 

[Tornado]

Thanks, the left side CV joint does click a bit on a hard right lock, but nothing major. How might that affect the gear change, do you think? I know it's good practice to change the clutch when changing the gearbox, be better if I'd get away with changing the clutch only. Or call it a feature and learn to live with it.

 

[MaxWheeler]

Outer cv joints tend to click when turning when they go bad or there is dirt in the joint or the grease and rubber have deteriorated. The inner cv joint doesn't really click but it may be possible to identify from excessive engine vibration especially at idle and sometimes a grumble noise similar to that of a gearbox. I have heard inner cv problems been diagnosed as gearbox trouble or bad wheel bearings etc.

If you've taken it to a mechanic and he suspects the gearbox is bad I'd be inclined to trust his opinion if you trust his honesty.

In my experience it wouldn't affect your gearchanges and most perceived gearbox issues tend to be an issue with either linkage or clutch bearings. Gearboxes are very hard to destroy, would have to have been abused in the past.