v6 gearbox

[blue1]

My gearbox on my Mk1 has gone. I cannot change gear and when I start the engine it make a terrible noise like metal hitting metal.

Has any one got any suggestions what is the best way to go about fixing the problem as I have been quoted £600+vat to fix it.

Also do I need to take out the engine and gearbox together or just the gearbox?

[rocketman]

Sounds nasty! If you disconnect exhausts from manifolds, hoses from radiator etc. you can just unbolt the gearbox cross member and lower the tail end down enough to get the gearbox unit out, leaving the rear of the engine sat on blocks or axle stand. You will need to remove the gearbox from the bellhousing first and then remove the bellhousing. Do not forget the wiring to the overdrive/reverse light switch on top. If you are planning to do this lying on your back with the car on axle stands beware that the gearbox/overdrive weighs approx 60kg (F/heavy in english). I have never heard of anyone having such a failure with these boxes as they are so massively built, could it just be the clutch plate that has gone?
Best of luck, Stu.

[6sabre]

Sounds like clutch, you can do a few checks to try and narrow it down.

1.Remove one lead from the coil.
select 1st or reverse (depending on where there is the most room) and then turn the engine over on the starter.
2. If the car doesnt move and the engine turns over easily, its a blown clutch.
If the car moves the clutch is ok.

3. Third option is one of the gear slectors has either come off the top of the box or base of the lever (it might be a gear is just about to be selected).

Let us know how you get on.
Steve

[6sabre]

ooops.... it could of course be a collapsed thrust bearing and then selecting gear is almost, if not impossible, when running, but the car will move on the starter with a gear engaged .(but my tests should point you to clutch or box.)

[blue1]

I forgot to mention that this was sudden and I drove home in 4th. When I got home then I could not move the car. When I put my down on the clutch pedal then no noise.

[GGenie69]

I would agree with 6sabre, sounds like a collapsed thrust bearing, so gearbox out time anyway.

If you're doing this on your own take care, it's easy to pinch fingers etc. with the weights involved.

Richard

[blue1]

Just to give you an a update.

It was gearbox problem as everything except first gear needed replacing. The guy fixing it said that the input shaft was smashed along with everything else.

Also another surprise as he informed me that I have V4 gearbox and not V6.

[GGenie69]

Also another surprise as he informed me that I have V4 gearbox and not V6.

That's interesting, do you know how he spotted this? and what difference would it make?

Richard

[Admin]

Also another surprise as he informed me that I have V4 gearbox and not V6.

A V4 box with overdrive?

V4s were fitted to the Corsair (no O/D), the Transit and the IV Zephyr (thought that used the V6 box!).
I would like to know about this box, pictures would be nice.

Paul

[blue1]

I cannot take any photos but I do have some photos what caused the damage.

The difference between v4 & v6 gearbox is power as the v4 was designed for 2.0L engines for the transit & zepher. This means the car will fly at low end but will not have the top end speed. (Please correct me if I am wrong).

The weird thing is that my v4 gearbox has overdrive and it works.

I thought I had a v6 gearbox but the guy who looked at it is an old boy from Ilford who is a gearbox specialist for 30 years. He has reconditioned so many of these gearboxes that he got annoyed when I questioned him on it and he said it is v4 gearbox.

[Tony Hayward]

Stu

Acording to my (old) Haynes manual covering the Zephyr V4, V6 and Zodiac, the gearboxes internals are the same apart from gear ratios in first, second and third. Fourth gear is always 1:1 so top speed is the same. Also according to this manual, overdrive was available on the Zephyr V4, with slightly lower operating pressure.
Obviously numbers of teeth are slightly different, but all other internal dimensions are the same.

Tony