Ah thanks David, you’re a real prince! I’ll keep you supplied with bacon sarnies and tea whilst you’re doing it. What a true gent
Shifts like porridge.. things like buying an EMPI polyurethane gearbox nose coupler for new plastic blocks and then fitting them and the new fixing screw to the OG coupler cage. Up front the bushing on the shaft.. and check the bolts on the coupler and where the shaft joins by the handbrake are tight. Also the little plastic donut on the end of the hockey stick in the gearbox nose was worn out on my current gearbox and this led to sloppiness even when all else was good. Easy to swap with the gearbox out, and less than a fiver for a massive improvement. The slop corresponds to a lot of movement at the gearstick before anything happens... almost you have to flick it into gear... Left before, right new.. What it does if its worn is the shifter hockeystick chews on the shift transfer arm in the gearbox . I had to file off the burr at the bottom to get a new ball in. My gearbox was fitted about 9 years and 75000 miles ago. It whined when it was fitted, reverse has always just about gone in. It jams in 4th if you engine brake with it and then coast to a stop at lights. I think it whines more now but thats probably the effect of losing a lot of the engine noise with modern soundproofing, and a less off balance alternator and fan on a fresh engine. I do have an EMPI quuck shifter, it came with the bus, it was a pain to set up but changing gears currently is not a problem. I also changed the drive shaft stub oil seal one side where the preload on the taper roller bearing was a bit off, the shaft wobbled and chewed away the seal and then it sprayed oil. Also done on the driveway beside the bus. Eventually I suppose I will try and find a spare and try it then see whether its an improvement. So maybe dont worry about swapping the gearbox, until you are 100% sure the replacement is better than the one you have that still actually works.
sorry but techenders is all about owners enjoying maintenance and learning, I will give you orders and tea and you can do the fixing , it’s good for cardio and muscle tone so it’s a win win yoga mechanics , ( patent pending )
I may need to bring extra food and clean knickers if I’m likely to be stuck in Eddie’s field for a month or so.....
You got AA ain’t ya , it’s really only a few hrs , if you can borrow the ramp it’s even quicker , just turn your undies inside out on the 2nd week, works fir meeee
A woman of my age needs a bit of extra layering in the chillier months. A stiff breeze round one’s nether regions is bracing, but still to be avoided until the heady days of summer, don’t you think?
Stick the new one in, with fresh oil. If it's good, winner winner if not refurb you original whilst its out and swap em back. Flog the spare on. Done.
You're probably right.... it's just the labour costs that were holding me back from that path. Mind you, if techenders is an actual serious possibility (bearing in mind I only just about recognise a gearbox, let alone know how to remove and refit and potentially removed again and re-refit one) it could be the answer. And Kinda fun!
Can we do a gearbox change on axle stands on a driveway?? (...Not your driveway, it's waaaaay too sloping!) Are you serious? That would be unbelievably fab, but also a huge ask.