1975, 124 (classic)
I'm trying to replace the steering gearbox. I previously read, and now seem to find out, that I have to remove the starter. It has 3 bolts. I removed two and located the third which is barely in sight!
1. How do I get the gearbox out?
2. If I have to remove the starter, how do i do it?
I worked at a Lada Dealership in the mid 70s, Lada 1200/Fiat 124 under license, these were RHD so it would have been the exhaust front pipe in the way of a steering box job.
However re starter and gearbox removal, once wiring disconnected, car on ramp we had two special tools which was basically a long bar with a 13mm socket on a universal joint from underneath for all the starter bolts, so a decent 1/2 inch socket set, universal joint and long extensions should sort that out. Incidentally if removing gearbox all these bolts are easier with gearbox hanging down.
Re the gearbox a similar tool but with a 19mm socket end did the bell housing. I don't know which engine you have, but on the Lada single overhead cam 1200s the book time to do a clutch job was around 5 hours depending on trim levels and we could do it in 1.5 hours ( no bonus sadly), we removed exhaust front pipe and cam/rocker cover, trim around gear lever including 8mm bolts around plastic cover, then below bulbous part of gear lever prise out the plastic crown without damaging it to remove top of gear lever (can be a bit of a fiddle pushing plastic crown back on return, though I seem to recall clamping a pair of mole grips just below and an open ended 13mm spanner between to push upwards with a small screwdriver to help the fingers of the plastic crown back into place), leaving a short part of the gear lever in the box, then from underneath, remove reverse light wiring connections, three of the rubber donut six propshaft bolts (one side is easier to refit I can't remember which, though some use a large jubilee type clamp to pull them together for refiiting, though I never needed too.) undo the centre propshaft bearing support and leave axle end on , just push prop to one side, then gearbox mounting bracket (usually left on gearbox I think) drop gearbox down to remove the ten mm tin shield and rest of bell housing bolts and gearbox should be in your hands.
If only doing the clutch we used to slide the gearbox back to rest on the exhaust as not very heavy.
Let me know if this helps.
