rebuild or secondhand gearbox?

[al 350i]

well after a few trips up and down the road i'm thinking all is not well with the box......feels rough and crunchy going into 2nd and 4th (1st,3rd,5th ok) and whines in all gears.

is it best to rebuild, if so rough price guide and anywhere good in south east? or is second hand a viable option?

also if its coming out whats the thoughts on clutches?

[adam quantrill]

before that, try the flush and refill with mobil one + moly option, it will cost around 40 quid in fluids (you only need half of the mobil one so can save it for an oil change), plus you can do it yourself in a couple of hours.

[Convert]

It might also be worth checking the remote linkage bushes. Just had issues with mine on the down change 3rd to 2nd. New linkage bushes and it works much better.

Grab the gearstick and see if you have any up / down movement. IF you have then it might be worth changing the bushes first.

[al 350i]

adam quantrill said:

before that, try the flush and refill with mobil one + moly option, it will cost around 40 quid in fluids (you only need half of the mobil one so can save it for an oil change), plus you can do it yourself in a couple of hours.

when you say flush, do you mean empty or is there more i need to do and what is moly option? can i then leave the mobile one in?

[adam quantrill]

The precedure is described here, since the flush I have run a couple of thousand miles and it's been very smooth since:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

but yes do check the remote linkage too - try pulling up on the gearstick, if it moves more than a few mm then it needs new bushes.

[Mr Tank]

Hi

If all of the tips you have been given don't work, and you need a box rebuild, then you would not go far wrong than to use A1 Gearboxes. They are great do a quick turn round. A few of us have used them. The only propblem is they are in St Neots, Cambs! But with couriers today that is not suce a problem as a L77 gearbox is not that heavy, once you take off all the add on bits!

Andy

[hallsie]

If you do go the A1 rebuild way I can drop it off on the way to Norfolk for you.

Stu

[Solitude]

hallsie said:

If you do go the A1 rebuild way I can drop it off on the way to Norfolk for you.

Stu

Pick up some Sausages for me !!

[al 350i]

hallsie said:

If you do go the A1 rebuild way I can drop it off on the way to Norfolk for you.

Stu

Cheers stu
Looks like the brakes are ok now so shouldn't need the mc mate but thanks for the offer. Any joy with the electrical gremlins or have you got to wait for module

[simonwedge]

If it got to the point where the original LT77 gearbox wanted rebuilding I'd drop in an R380 gearbox instead ( http://www.v8engines.com/transmission.htm ) - same externally but much improved internally.

[simonwedge]

If it got to the point where the original LT77 gearbox wanted rebuilding I'd drop in an R380 gearbox instead ( http://www.v8engines.com/transmission.htm ) - same externally but much improved internally.

[hallsie]

al 350i said:

hallsie said:

If you do go the A1 rebuild way I can drop it off on the way to Norfolk for you.

Stu

Cheers stu
Looks like the brakes are ok now so shouldn't need the mc mate but thanks for the offer. Any joy with the electrical gremlins or have you got to wait for module

Ive got a couple of second hand modules en route, should be here waiting for me next friday.
Ill also be ordering a new coil, just so it looks shiny and pleases Zig!

Im now looking into the complete change of distributor/cap/rotor/ignition amp as advertised on fleabay.
Ill be posting up for reccomendations later today.

Give me a shout if you need anything else, ive got a garage full of stuff!

[Solitude]

hallsie said:

al 350i said:

hallsie said:

If you do go the A1 rebuild way I can drop it off on the way to Norfolk for you.

Stu

Cheers stu
Looks like the brakes are ok now so shouldn't need the mc mate but thanks for the offer. Any joy with the electrical gremlins or have you got to wait for module

Ive got a couple of second hand modules en route, should be here waiting for me next friday.
Ill also be ordering a new coil, just so it looks shiny and pleases Zig!

Im now looking into the complete change of distributor/cap/rotor/ignition amp as advertised on fleabay.
Ill be posting up for reccomendations later today.

Give me a shout if you need anything else, ive got a garage full of stuff!

Haven't got a fuel pressure regulator have you (me old cumberland buddy) ?

[hallsie]

thats one thing I dont have, in fact, along with the new ignition stuff Ill be ordering one of those too!

Sorry me old chimpolata lover.

Stu

[adam quantrill]

That's interesting about the R380. I had previously heard that the box was slightly longer so wouldn't fit the rear mount without adjustment. However as RPI seem to thing it's the same I won't disagree. It should certainly be a more reliable option long-term...

[al 350i]

adam quantrill said:

The precedure is described here, since the flush I have run a couple of thousand miles and it's been very smooth since:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

but yes do check the remote linkage too - try pulling up on the gearstick, if it moves more than a few mm then it needs new bushes.

thanks adam, was a good read and at least there is plenty of hope yet before i think about pulling the box out. i checked bushes today as steve suggested and yes they are knackered, lots of play and from underneath i can lift the craddle up and down a fair bit. where is best for bushes?

all i need now is some useful tips on how to make the cam and lifters stop ticking!! although i think the answer might be to replace with new. can hear slight tick from passenger rear of engine on tickover and was hoping it might be a noisey injector but once on the move and underload the tick gets really loud, engine was laid up for a while and i was hoping it might loosen up, any tips?

[Convert]

al 350i said:

adam quantrill said:

The precedure is described here, since the flush I have run a couple of thousand miles and it's been very smooth since:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

but yes do check the remote linkage too - try pulling up on the gearstick, if it moves more than a few mm then it needs new bushes.

thanks adam, was a good read and at least there is plenty of hope yet before i think about pulling the box out. i checked bushes today as steve suggested and yes they are knackered, lots of play and from underneath i can lift the craddle up and down a fair bit. where is best for bushes?

all i need now is some useful tips on how to make the cam and lifters stop ticking!! although i think the answer might be to replace with new. can hear slight tick from passenger rear of engine on tickover and was hoping it might be a noisey injector but once on the move and underload the tick gets really loud, engine was laid up for a while and i was hoping it might loosen up, any tips?

Al I got my bushes from the bay, £24 ish for the poly ones, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-TR7-TR8-LT77-GEA...

I did have a couple of extra rubber washers on the two upper mountings, but they were OK so I re-used them.

I did use to have a problem with a sticky lifter (after running a compression test with the ignition disabled but not the fuel Doh!). Ran a forte flush through the engine, which improved it a lot, changed oil (20/50) improved it more, changed oil again (20/50 again) and now it seems fine.

Use a good quality 20/50 such as Valvoline VR1, it makes a real difference.

PS as Adam says, flush the box and fill it with Castrol SMX-s (or equivalent).


PPS it might be worth checking the exhaust manifold bolts re the ticking.

[al 350i]

forgot about manifold, best check them! had similar prob on chimaera before.

[UKAuto]

Rebuild or secondhand... I have gone both routes.

Rebuild had to be redone multiple times, the third time in a very few months I decided to just put in a used box; it lasted for years and over 100,000 miles. The one I put in was not the highest spec, it was from a TR7.

Recently the bearing between the input and output shafts failed, so, I bought another good used box.

What a mistake - whine in 1/2/3 and 5, terrible down shift from third to second (in effect no synchro)

So, a rebuild is no guarantee, but, lots of labour to pull one out and replace it so if you go with used it may be worth having it checked - although that in effect is a strip down.

Good luck. I am fighting the same battle, do I get a rebuild this time (from another shop!!!)