Technical Changing a gearbox on mk1 turbo

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Technical Changing a gearbox on mk1 turbo

Bushboy said:
well the one i was buying was the box with the connections underneigh. mine has them on the back :confused: neither on top or on the bottom :confused: seller also says its the type for the earlier cars

it is a 1988 car with the turbo ie seats though so as you say, must be the tipo box!

I'm not sure exactly, but the easiest way to tell which 'box is used is by looking at the gearchange rods (from gear stick to gearbox) on your car. If they are external i.e. come out from the gear lever under the car, then it is the earlier 'box. If the gearchange rods run through the inside of the car and go through the bulkhead/ firewall before connecting to the 'top' of the gearbox, then it is the later type. There might even be a third gearbox (Anti-skid model?), but I can't find any info on this.

Bushboy said:
to be honest, i might not even need a new box. a mate told me the wiring noise might be the clutch release bearing.

If it only makes a noise at tickover, perhaps more so when the clutch is released, this suggests that yes, the release bearing is knackered.

Bushboy said:
thats the only noise i get but would the drop in idle speed when the clutch is up be to do with a worn release bearing? the car goes into gear perfect with no grinding so cant be that bad. seems a lot of work for what might not cure the problem heh.

any ideas?

If the 'box changes gear without any real problems and doesn't make any noise when under load, then it could well just be the release bearing.

My FIRE Uno used to drop its revs when the clutch was released in neutral. It did have some problems selecting gears, but it seems that the problem was down to a knackered clutch release arm rather than the 'box itself!

A transmission does create some drag on the engine even when in neutral and with the clutch released. However, the turbo I would have thought would have some form of electronic idle control to compensate? :confused: The older carburetor Uno's didn't have this, so a small drop in revs was fairly normal when the clutch was released at tickover and the gearbox in neutral.

What might be an idea first of all is to change the gearbox oil. It could be old or the wrong grade, and that could cause drag and possibly noise. That would be the quickest and easiest job you could do before attempting to change the 'box!

Also, check the release arm on the gearbox. I didn't realise how bad mine had got until the gearbox was removed. The shaft that operates the release bearing was seizing up, which explained the heavy clutch pedal and the clutch slipping. I had a spare cleaned up 'box that I wanted to fit anyway, so I took a chance and fitted that in place of the old 'box. Seems to work fine now - phew!

Lastly, if the release bearing has gone on your turbo, it is still a gearbox removal job to get it fixed. If you have to change it, you might as well change the clutch at the same time! But I'd suggest just changing the oil first as that might make a difference. It often gets overlooked and could well be ancient and like treacle!

Looking forward to seeing your new baby at the ACE next week (y)

Chas
 
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