my friend has a mk1 punto that is lowered, wewere in it on tuesday and collided with a raised manhole aftermath is as follows:
snapped gearbox mount (gearbox to subframe)
cv boot burst
dented sump
hairline crack on gearbox about 4 inches long

my question is, we are going to replace the mount and the cv boot, but he doesnt want to replace the gearbox, do you reccon it will last for a month or so as he finds a new car (looking for 3dr grande 1.4 sporting in dark grey) if we cover the crack in silicone? (just to keep the oil in) and how long will the car keep running with no gear oil? (the car is pure scrap and will never pass an mot, so not worth spending any money on it)

mzhussein said:

(the car is pure scrap and will never pass an mot, so not worth spending any money on it)

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If it will not pass an MOT, what the hell is your friend doing driving it on the road? Have you got a 24" breaker bar you can smack him round the back of the head with?

Gearbox mount will need replacing
Gearbox casing will need replacing. Without taking the case off, draining of oil and cleaning, silcone instant gasket simply will nto stick. And the answer to how long the gearbox will last without oil is 'not long'. A transmission rebuilder will not accept a damaged case in exchange. Your friend's best bet is to source a scrapyard gearbox.
Did the boot split from getting pinched by the manhole cover, or has the CV joint distorted causing it to tear. I would do a full rebuild of that CV joint to check for internal damage.
Dent in sump is probably not such an issue, just ensure the gasket has not been disturbed (sump bolts likely to have stretched).

If there were no signs advising of raised ironworks, take lots of photos of the site, and the damage, and then request a claim form from the council for being a bunch of incompetent twerps (pretty much a prerequisite for politics).

Were there warnings for the raised manholes
if not take pictures and log a complaint and claim
for the repair cost from the council or contractor

John

MikeSalt said:

Gearbox mount will need replacing
Gearbox casing will need replacing. Without taking the case off, draining of oil and cleaning, silcone instant gasket simply will nto stick. And the answer to how long the gearbox will last without oil is 'not long'. A transmission rebuilder will not accept a damaged case in exchange. Your friend's best bet is to source a scrapyard gearbox.
Did the boot split from getting pinched by the manhole cover, or has the CV joint distorted causing it to tear. I would do a full rebuild of that CV joint to check for internal damage.

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He didnt wanna spend any money on it...

Mr Jake said:

He didnt wanna spend any money on it...

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In that case, he does not deserve to drive it until he gets his next car then. There's more to cars than just buying the petrol.

An MOT is only the annual check for compliance.

Any vehicle used on the road must be capable of passing an MOT at any time.

Get the bus unil the new car is found.

Cheers

SPD

Driving it knowing that oil is dropping out is one of the worst offences. Oil slicks - very dangerous to cyclists and bikers and can kill someone.

The car needs a new gearbox and probably new suspension on that side. If owner wont spend its scrap.

thanks for the replies

i appreciate where the majority of views are coming from, please remember this isnt my car, i drive a stilo with its own set of problems...i have no say in what actually happens, im just trying to help a friend.

if you concider that he has decided to take the cheapest possible path, and he is not going to spend serious money on it, im trying to help him make it as safe as possible both to him and other road users, given that if i dont help (which isnt what im like, i always help friends in need) he will get a new mount, zip tie up the cv boot, cover it in silicone and forget about it till he gets a new car or it fails.

so without further debating the very valid point that it should either be scrapped or get a new box in it, i have had an idea.

if i were to drill two small holes in the box either side of the crack to stop it spreading. empty the box of oil, and dry it out to the best of my abilities, then fill the crack and the holes with quicksteel or something similar, do you think that would be capable of stopping it leaking oil?

There were no warnings of any kind, weve already been back there and taken plenty of pictures, does anyone know the correct procedure to raise the issue with the council?

mzhussein, we certainly weren't having a go at you. We were merely asking that you pass on our opinions to him. I wouldn't start any work until the council sort the problem.

If you are going to the trouble of removing the gearbox, may as well put a cheap secondhand unit in. Would be a lot of trouble to go to to find that the seal doesn't work.

Here in Stoke, they are that incompetent that they actually have a 'pot-hole' form. You just go to the civic offices and ask for a claim form. Of course, I was told this AFTER having repaired the strut myself.

yeh i can see that, ive also passed on similar messages

the box wont be coming out, the crack is on the bottom, in a very accessible place...

mzhussein said:

yeh i can see that, ive also passed on similar messages

the box wont be coming out, the crack is on the bottom, in a very accessible place...

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Your friend is misguided if he thinks a new car will be cost-free. I see what you mean about the gearbox now. I think your best bet is to drill before draining the gearbox. That way, any metal fragments will get pushed out by the leaking oil. I'm not sure how you would go about cleaning the inside of the crack, but draining and cleaning, then injecting sealant and then sealing with tape might work. Of course, there are no guarantees that the weakened case is holding the gears in proper mesh.

nah he doenst, he just doens want to spend anymore on this car.

the gears still work fine (luckily), the car drove untill the cv popped out....then we had to tow it.

Ahh, so it looks like CV rebuild time. Can he make-do with public transport for the month he needs to wait. In order to use it this month, it needs money spending.

lol, he wont do a cv rebuild...it just came out of the cv cup, because the gearbox/engine flexed on the two remaining mounts, its looks ok, and tbh, i dont think the CV is the worst of his worries....

In that case, tell him he cannot drive the car. A damaged CV joint is a safety-critical issue since it can dislodge and lock up that wheel, both its rotation and steering motion. You cannot just look at a CV joint from the outside and assume it is Ok without a strip-down and rebuild with inspection.

Take the keys off your mate, he sounds like a liability to the rest of us on the road.

A used gearbox and drive shaft from a breakers is the cheapest option.

If you are intent on fixing the crack it can be done with Lumiweld. Drill the end of the crack and then grind out the crack with a cutting disc. Lumiweld works like solder and can repair aluminium. I have see a VW van gearbox mount repaired with the stuff. It went on for many thousands of miles.

Lumiweld melts at around 350C so although seals nearby will melt, you can avoid stripping the gearbox. Just dont grind right through the casing. The stuff is like solder so you cant build it up like you can with weld. You will need a big gas burner to get lots of heat into the job, but you do not need oxyacetylene or fancy argon gas equipment.

But, as said before - a used gearbox and drive shaft from a breakers is the cheapest option.

nice input! didnt know that kind of thing existed....
thnaks

ok, update, we repaired the car, drilled two holes in box, ground out crack, filled with some epoxy resin filler stuff, and covered in instant gasket to be safe, replaced driveshaft from scrappies, the CV was mullered, one roller fell off and another was dislodged. sanded and sprayed the scraped sump. been reported to council, they asked for pictures and a quote, local garage quoted him £600 odd to do it.

repairs are holding, no leaks all is well

Hope it holds. Sounds like a rally bash plate would be a good idea.

That Lumiweld solder stuff is permanent, but it cant be done overhead and needs a BIG blowlamp - aluminium really sucks the heat away. By the time the box comes out it would be easier to get a new used box.

I have also used it on a motorbike shock absorber fork that was cracked. If the repair fails the shock cant move enough to fall off so not dangerous; though the bike would have to be RAC'd home. Its done about 3000 miles with no worries.