Help!!! Gearbox Problems.

[Xul]

Hi all,

As of this morning I have had trouble chucking my Td5 in second gear. It was very cold here this morning and I let the car warm up for a bit, but as soon as I went for second it went crunch. I'm sure you know that you can't put it back in 1st unless you are practically stopped, so it was a painful drive to work, mostly going 1st to 3rd and dropping the clutch as needed.

By the time I got to work I could get into second gear, so it seemed it is a temperature issue.

After work - still wouldn't go into second gear. After a short drive it was fine. The thing I noticed after that - I parked the car for about 5 minutes then jumped back in and it wouldn't go into second again.

I didn't check it again until I got home as it doesn't 'resist' me putting it in second, it just grinds.

From the above I'm thinking instead of a temperature thing it may be more of an oil thing. i.e. the gearbox oil has to have flown around a bit.

Goes into second fine when the car is off, also goes in fine when idling at rest ( I think anyway).

I'm going with a synchro issue. I hope to hell it's not this as it will most likely be expensive.

Any input?

[Blknight.aus]

could be the bias plate, there seems to be a spate of them this year....

[Declan]

What year is your Defender, my Defender started doing this with second gear but it seems to be OK once i get going and then starts to go in to 2 gear no problem. My Defender is a 2006 110

Declan

[Xul]

It's also a 2006 110. I'm swinging her past Triumph Rover Spares tomorrow (was going anyway) so will see what they say. I'll check properly tomorrow how long it takes before it can go into second. I tried to avoid it as much as possible today.

[Declan]

Let us know of the outcome Xul, because i am heading to Port Lincoln next week and i hope i don't have major problems.
Thanks Declan

[justinc]

Is there possibly a problem with the clutch hydraulics? I have found 2nd and reverse difficult when there is air in the system, even a little. Try bleeding the clutch and see if that helps.

Another bit of advice, try changing the trans oil to 75w85, a full synthetic like castrol Syntrans will be worth a try, at $25 to $30 a litre it is expensive but worthwhile. You will need 2.6litres approx.

JC

[Declan]

Thanks justinc i will give that a go when i come back, I have no problems going into reverse gear only 2 gear.

Thanks Declan

[Xul]

Declan - Did yours only start doing it recently as well? Possibly the cold weather we have been having down here lately? I'd say you should be ok going to Lincoln. Perfectly drivable without second gear, just a bit annoying. Will post up my results though.

JustinC - I don't think it's clutch hydraulics as it isn't hard to get in, it doesn't get in. I've had this problem on old car (grand vitara) and it doesn't feel like that to me.

Cheers for the advice on the transmission oil, I was planning on dropping it along with pretty much everything else on Sunday anyway (only had the car for a month, just haven't got around to doing this yet). I'll try out the Syntrans, I don't mind paying a fair bit of money for that kind of stuff as I reckon it pays itself off in the long run.

[justinc]

Yes, just thought I'd mention clutch bleeding to check, if reverse is OK then most likely incorrect grade of oil, old oil, or synchro wear. unfortunately a not uncommon problem with R380's, it seems to be a lottery as to the quality of gearshifts with these unfortunately:(.

JC

[Declan]

Xul started doing it about a month ago, but i had a master cylinder leak and i put it down to that but i have changed the master cylinder and there is no air in the system as the clutch sits at the require height 140mm from Defender floor so i am hoping it just need a good transmission oil ( hopefully ) as i said keep us informed how you get on with .
Declan

[Xul]

*double post* delete

[Bush65]

Syncros are poor at best of times in rover gearboxes.

Do not use gear oil in any of LT95, LT85, LT77, R380 - best to use a low viscosity manual transmission fluid. Castrol Syntrans is a good, fully synthetic manual transmission fluid for rover manual gearboxes.