3rd Gear Issue

[dunky83]

Looking for some advice here..... I had a bit of a spin at Knockhill yesterday (not enough heat in the tyres). The back end came out going into Scotsman's (40-50mph, 3rd gear) and I ended up backwards into the gravel slightly. I drove the car out no problem but it developed a noise in 3rd gear (as if it wasn't selected properly, the rest were fine though.

Has anyone had this issue after a spin?

[LCM]

Did you manage to get the clutch out/all four locked before it went round or could it have forced the engine to turn backwards?

[dunky83]

I got the clutch pressed and the engine didn't stall but I never got the wheels locked up so the transmission would have went backwards for a bit.

Would that have caused damage?

The car still drives fine, but theres just the noise in 3rd gear when accelerating gently but goes away higher up the rev range.

[Sigmamark7]

If the engine didn't stall, even if you were going backwards I can't believe that the gearbox could suffer any real ill effects from going backwards. The gears are straight cut so should be meshed properly, forwards or backwards.
I need earplugs in my Radical - largely due to the wind noise in my Arai, but they also serve to cut out all the mechanical clattering going on behind me, so maybe a pair of ear plugs will make your problems go away!!!

[dunky83]

Sigmamark7 said:

so maybe a pair of ear plugs will make your problems go away!!!

Haha, they might go away for a while, but I doubt a set of ear plugs would sort the problem if something started/continued to break up inside and eventually fail.

Im uploading a video on youtube but its taking ages. it's clear to hear the noise from 3rd gear in the videos (along with some gravel falling out the car).

[dunky83]

Link to the you tube video: http://youtu.be/6DKFVBSg7Bk

[Sigmamark7]

dunky83 said:

Haha, they might go away for a while, but I doubt a set of ear plugs would sort the problem if something started/continued to break up inside and eventually fail.

Im uploading a video on youtube but its taking ages. it's clear to hear the noise from 3rd gear in the videos (along with some gravel falling out the car).

Fair point. I've recently had a gearbox main shaft bearing failure, which resulted in having to replace the engine, so pulling the unit out and checking it over could well save you a bundle of cash.

[Simon T]

If it wasn't making a noise, and now it is you've got two choices

1. You hope the noise means the gearbox got better than it was before the noise and you ignore it
2. You believe the noise may mean the gearbox has got worse than before the noise so you strip it to investigate.

Your call, but then you knew that before you asked.....

Simon

[dunky83]

Simon T said:

If it wasn't making a noise, and now it is you've got two choices

1. You hope the noise means the gearbox got better than it was before the noise and you ignore it
2. You believe the noise may mean the gearbox has got worse than before the noise so you strip it to investigate.

Your call, but then you knew that before you asked.....

Simon

Yip, I always knew I was going to have to strip it, I was just wondering if anyone has had similar issues in the past.

[baja1969]

I lost fourth gear at zandervort early in July it was making the same noise.

Not good news for you but it resulted in a complete gearbox rebuild from radical.

The spin could have just made a weak part let go.

My bill including the engine build was £7200 ouch

[dunky83]

baja1969 said:

My bill including the engine build was £7200 ouch

Hopefully It'll not be that much. I'll be doing the work myself so I wont have any labor costs.

[MindBend]

Once you spun/went agricultural, why didn't you go in to check you car over?
Seems prudent to go in and check it over prior to getting to speed again.

[dunky83]

MindBend said:

Once you spun/went agricultural, why didn't you go in to check you car over?
Seems prudent to go in and check it over prior to getting to speed again.

Maybe I should have, but since it was only making a noise in 3rd gear, I knew I wouldn't be able to see anything obviously wrong without opening it up to inspect the gears.

Dunky