Gearbox rebuild.

[keithmac]

I think the key is plenty of pictures (took a lot longer but less chance of going wrong!).

I bought some small ziplock bags, numbered each piston housing on the valve body and each bag as I went along.

Knew there was no margin for error so took my time and tried not to rush any part of it.

Way I see it the car was already broken and my time is "free" so it was worth a try!.

 

[I like Skol]

Way I see it the car was already broken and my time is "free" so it was worth a try!.

The trouble with jobs like this is although your time is free, with modern cars you can end up spending a couple of hundred quid just on seals, filters and the magic manufacturers application specific snake oil! If it doesn't work you have then lost days of your time (which is too valuable to waste, even if it is free), a chunk of money and possibly made things worse
That doesn't mean we shouldn't try occasionally. It is very satisfying to beat 'the system' every now and again

 

[DaveReading]

Very impressive !

After you had put it all back together, did you have any bits left over ?

 

[gbb]

Could have been as simple as sticky pistons etc then ?
Hydraulic tappets on an old Opel I once had were noisy, stripped them all down, they're really simple, like a piston placed inside another. Cleaned them up in petrol, cleaned some tarnishing off them with wire wool, put them back together....bingo.
Trouble is nowadays, things are a bit more complicated and harder to access.

 

[Drago]

You should try owning a Smart - the entire drivetrain can be removed in 20 minutes, yet to change a headlight bulb takes 2 hours because the front of the car has to come off. I'd love to know what they were smoking when they designed it.

Anyway KM, keep up the good work. People moan li,e the proverbial about garage costs yet aren't able to do the repair themselves- nice to see someone else who puts their spanners where there mouth is.

 

[keithmac]

The trouble with jobs like this is although your time is free, with modern cars you can end up spending a couple of hundred quid just on seals, filters and the magic manufacturers application specific snake oil! If it doesn't work you have then lost days of your time (which is too valuable to waste, even if it is free), a chunk of money and possibly made things worse
That doesn't mean we shouldn't try occasionally. It is very satisfying to beat 'the system' every now and again

I can see your point and I'd not had attempted it unless I was confident it couldn't be any worse than when I started!.

Paid £15,000 for the car 3 years ago and couldn't raise the £3000 unless I'd used a credit card with daft apr (20%), been down that road in the past and don't want to repeat it.

I had fresh oil and filter as I bought a bulk load a while back (do my own servicing etc).

So it's cost me approx £15 to repair.

I'm not tight by any means but 3k was a step too far without trying myself first!.

I see motorcycles where people or their "mates" have fixed them and it's cost more to repair due to damage etc. Try not to do the same myself if possibe.

 

[keithmac]

Could have been as simple as sticky pistons etc then ?
Hydraulic tappets on an old Opel I once had were noisy, stripped them all down, they're really simple, like a piston placed inside another. Cleaned them up in petrol, cleaned some tarnishing off them with wire wool, put them back together....bingo.
Trouble is nowadays, things are a bit more complicated and harder to access.

The piston to bore clearance is that low it could possibly have been a sticky control piston, or a sticky solenoid.

 

[Markymark]

You drive a Land Rover? I bet it isn't a proper one.....

Yes it is. Cost me a fortune.

 

[Drago]

I gave up with Land Rovers. I don't have time to list all the reasons, but there were many.

 

[MichaelW2]

If you get lost, you can always put a cockroach into that maze to find the correct way out.

 

[Profpointy]

I made one good gearbox out of two ropey ones once. 1968 Cortina Mk 2 - a tad easier to work on than a modern car

 

[Nibor]

Hope you changed the head light bulbs while you had the front of the car off It feels like you have to virtually do that on mine to replace them.

 

[Moodyman]

I thought I was handy when I replaced the radiator on my Skoda two weekends ago. Me feeling somewhat humbled after seeing this.

 

[Dirk]

I wish I'd taken photos of all the numerous motorcycle race engines I'd rebuilt/reworked over the years.

 

[roadrash]

You sir are a spannering leg end