Technical 1.9td gearbox

[BessyGrandma]

Good morning. The gearbox has failed on our 1998 1.9td Ducato campervan. I know this is a major problem and parts impossible to find. So help please! Is it possible to adapt another gearbox to do the job? Or has someone found a way round this. The campervan is far too good to scrap. Any advice/ideas welcomed. Many thanks.

 

[bugsymike]

Good morning. The gearbox has failed on our 1998 1.9td Ducato campervan. I know this is a major problem and parts impossible to find. So help please! Is it possible to adapt another gearbox to do the job? Or has someone found a way round this. The campervan is far too good to scrap. Any advice/ideas welcomed. Many thanks.

You will need to check for sure but I believe Citroen and Peugeot have similar models "badge engineered" .
If you check on wikipedia you can see the similar models under the original Fiat Ducato search
A word with a good scrapyard manager may be a starting point for advise on similar models.

 

[BessyGrandma]

You will need to check for sure but I believe Citroen and Peugeot have similar models "badge engineered" .
If you check on wikipedia you can see the similar models under the original Fiat Ducato search
A word with a good scrapyard manager may be a starting point for advise on similar models.

Thanks. I’ll pursue that.

 

[cid]

Thanks. I’ll pursue that.

hi there, i have just had my 2nd and 5th gears repaired on a 1996 1.9td ducato. there are 2 types of gearbox fitted on that era of ducato. the parts for one type are unavailable but spares for the other are plentiful. you need a gearbox repair specialist to inspect and identify which type of box you have. unfortunately, the gearbox may have to come out for the identification to be made. if i were you, i would look for a replacement box but,before purchase, have yours identified and see if it can be repaired. also, get the clutch done at the same time. all the best, ian

 

[BessyGrandma]

hi there, i have just had my 2nd and 5th gears repaired on a 1996 1.9td ducato. there are 2 types of gearbox fitted on that era of ducato. the parts for one type are unavailable but spares for the other are plentiful. you need a gearbox repair specialist to inspect and identify which type of box you have. unfortunately, the gearbox may have to come out for the identification to be made. if i were you, i would look for a replacement box but,before purchase, have yours identified and see if it can be repaired. also, get the clutch done at the same time. all the best, ian

Thanks for replying. Sadly we had a reconditioned gearbox fitted 7 months ago following Storm Arwen water being diagnosed as the problem. Very concerned that it is water again in which case the guarantee won’t be valid. And I know the parts came from Spain for that. Worst case scenario reluctant to pay £2k again so desperately seeking an alternative solution that will last. Have recently read that water may be coming from scuttle drain so need to check that out……

 

[BessyGrandma]

hi there, i have just had my 2nd and 5th gears repaired on a 1996 1.9td ducato. there are 2 types of gearbox fitted on that era of ducato. the parts for one type are unavailable but spares for the other are plentiful. you need a gearbox repair specialist to inspect and identify which type of box you have. unfortunately, the gearbox may have to come out for the identification to be made. if i were you, i would look for a replacement box but,before purchase, have yours identified and see if it can be repaired. also, get the clutch done at the same time. all the best, ian

Actually had a recon done 7 months ago. Sadly suspect water is the issue so guarantee unlikely to be available. So was looking for an alternative. Ever the optimist

 

[jackwhoo]

Please give us the full story.
Did a garage remove your gearbox and send it away for reconditioning?
Did a gearbox specialist do the compete, gearbox removal / repair/ refit?
Or another sequence of events?

 

[BessyGrandma]

Please give us the full story.
Did a garage remove your gearbox and send it away for reconditioning?
Did a gearbox specialist do the compete, gearbox removal / repair/ refit?
Or another sequence of events?

Hi. A local garage removed the gearbox and we took it to a gearbox repair/reconditioning company. He sourced some parts from Spain as they were not available in UK. The local garage then fitted the gearbox and a new clutch. This was approximately 7 months ago. The gearbox has failed again and we are concerned that it is water again in which case the guarantee won’t cover it. Have since discovered this may be caused by scuttle drain but need to investigate. As this happened Christmas Eve we have been unable to get the box oil drained so we may be wrong. There was no warning of crunching of gears or noises of any sort. Just suddenly struggled to get gears. Luckily managed to get third and limped home. Hope this helps. Thanks for responding.

 

[BessyGrandma]

Hi. A local garage removed the gearbox and we took it to a gearbox repair/reconditioning company. He sourced some parts from Spain as they were not available in UK. The local garage then fitted the gearbox and a new clutch. This was approximately 7 months ago. The gearbox has failed again and we are concerned that it is water again in which case the guarantee won’t cover it. Have since discovered this may be caused by scuttle drain but need to investigate. As this happened Christmas Eve we have been unable to get the box oil drained so we may be wrong. There was no warning of crunching of gears or noises of any sort. Just suddenly struggled to get gears. Luckily managed to get third and limped home. Hope this helps. Thanks for responding.

I assume changing the gearbox oil won’t work magic?

 

[jackwhoo]

Go back to the garage that removed/refitted and installed new clutch.
To me symptoms strongly indicatate a clutch system problem(clutch not releasing fully) rather than a gearbox problem.

Also Sensible to check garage delt with cause of water entry when fitting gearbox.
Plus gearbox oil for water.

 

[jackwhoo]

Talk nicely to the garage that did the work.

 

[BessyGrandma]

Talk nicely to the garage that did the work.

Thanks. We’ll get started next week. And yes, I am always tactful was just sussing out possible alternatives as we love the van and want to stay with it if we can find a satisfactory solution.

 

[jackwhoo]

99.99 % Clutch not releasing fully
Garage should identify if this is the case very quickly.
I don't know off top of my head if clutch cable operated or hydraulic, if cable then possibly just an adjustment required or a new cable.

 

[cid]

Thanks for replying. Sadly we had a reconditioned gearbox fitted 7 months ago following Storm Arwen water being diagnosed as the problem. Very concerned that it is water again in which case the guarantee won’t be valid. And I know the parts came from Spain for that. Worst case scenario reluctant to pay £2k again so desperately seeking an alternative solution that will last. Have recently read that water may be coming from scuttle drain so need to check that out……

hi again, apparently, fiat gearboxes have an inherent fault with 2nd and 5th. have all your gears gone? as for the cost, my breakdown was caused, partly, by a cracked gearbox casing causing a gradual loss of oil. so, to have the gearbox removed by one garage, transport to a specialist gearbox repairer, 2nd and 5th replaced and casing repaired, return to 1st garage for new clutch and refitting £1200. you say that the box is a reconditioned job and only 7 months old. i don't think water ingress is the problem in such a short time. more likely a rubbish recon. also, if it was reconditioned in the last 12 months, say, there is a good chance it is the type that spares are available for, as spares for the other type have not been available for a couple of years. all this speculation is building up to the suggestion that repair may be a less expensive option to replacement provided it is done by a competent repairer.

 

[cid]

hi again, apparently, fiat gearboxes have an inherent fault with 2nd and 5th. have all your gears gone? as for the cost, my breakdown was caused, partly, by a cracked gearbox casing causing a gradual loss of oil. so, to have the gearbox removed by one garage, transport to a specialist gearbox repairer, 2nd and 5th replaced and casing repaired, return to 1st garage for new clutch and refitting £1200. you say that the box is a reconditioned job and only 7 months old. i don't think water ingress is the problem in such a short time. more likely a rubbish recon. also, if it was reconditioned in the last 12 months, say, there is a good chance it is the type that spares are available for, as spares for the other type have not been available for a couple of years. all this speculation is building up to the suggestion that repair may be a less expensive option to replacement provided it is done by a competent repairer.

sorry, had a visit from family mid reply so had to break off. my last reply now seems out of sequence. i do, however, think you should get the clutch checked out. good look, ian.

 

[BessyGrandma]

99.99 % Clutch not releasing fully
Garage should identify if this is the case very quickly.
I don't know off top of my head if clutch cable operated or hydraulic, if cable then possibly just an adjustment required or a new cable.

Thanks. I do so hope you are right

sorry, had a visit from family mid reply so had to break off. my last reply now seems out of sequence. i do, however, think you should get the clutch checked out. good look, ian.

Thanks. Jackwhoo is saying the same thing. I do so hope you are right. Can’t wait for next week to start getting it checked. Really bad timing!

 

[BessyGrandma]

99.99 % Clutch not releasing fully
Garage should identify if this is the case very quickly.
I don't know off top of my head if clutch cable operated or hydraulic, if cable then possibly just an adjustment required or a new cable.

John says he can put in gear when engine is switched off but not once the engine is running

 

[BessyGrandma]

Thanks. I do so hope you are right

Thanks. Jackwhoo is saying the same thing. I do so hope you are right. Can’t wait for next week to start getting it checked. Really bad timing!

John says he can put it in gear when engine off but when the engine is running can’t get them. Haven’t had any crunching or warning. Just happened suddenly.

 

[Communicator]

99.99 % Clutch not releasing fully
Garage should identify if this is the case very quickly.
I don't know off top of my head if clutch cable operated or hydraulic, if cable then possibly just an adjustment required or a new cable.

I think that hydraulic operation of the clutch was introduced with the x244 model in 2002. OP's vehicle dates from 1998.

John says he can put it in gear when engine off but when the engine is running can’t get them. Haven’t had any crunching or warning. Just happened suddenly.

The fact that the problem occured without warning suggests the possibility of the failure of clutch cable or other component.

If the clutch cable has failed, it should be possible to floor the clutch pedal with relatively light pedal pressure.

My own experience with failure of both mechanical, and hydraulic components in the clutch operating system of other vehicles is that gear changing becomes difficult, and it was noisiest with partial hydraulic failure, Almost impossible to change into non synchromesh gears when hydraulic system failed completely at a remote location in the Scottish Highlands.

 

[BessyGrandma]

I think that hydraulic operation of the clutch was introduced with the x244 model in 2002. OP's vehicle dates from 1998.

The fact that the problem occured without warning suggests the possibility of the failure of clutch cable or other component.

If the clutch cable has failed, it should be possible to floor the clutch pedal with relatively light pedal pressure.

My own experience with failure of both mechanical, and hydraulic components in the clutch operating system of other vehicles is that gear changing becomes difficult, and it was noisiest with partial hydraulic failure, Almost impossible to change into non synchromesh gears when hydraulic system failed completely at a remote location in the Scottish Highlands.

The clutch pedal pressure seems normal. Clutch was only fitted late November so is there another part that might produce this problem? Thanks for responding and I will certainly update the post when we eventually find the solution.