something worth reading if your gearbox synchros are starting to go.

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Schammo88

Member
Posts
24
Location
Brisbane Australia
In reference is a td5 110 with r380.

When I bought my car (second hand) I knew that gear changes into 2nd and 3rd were a little crunchy and you had to rev match to get a smooth change. I assumed a box with 220km fair enough that synchros would be getting a little old.

I looked into rebuilding or buying an Ashcroft gearbox and decided to do one of those two things - when either it got so bad I had to or the clutch went. So I started saving.

Unfortunately the clutch began slipping and I didn't have enough money for a rebuild (or more the time the car would be off the road) or a replacement box. So decided to change the clutch and live with the poor synchro.

Took out transmission got out clutch. Interestingly lots of clutch left however some weird burn marks on flywheel and pressure plate. Maybe more interesting was the throwout bearing had worn through a large amount of metal on the diaphragm spring contact point. Put in back of mind as maybe a poor clutch kit previously installed. Put in new flywheel and clutch (an absolute pain to get box in with transfer still attached btw).

Upon going for test drive all gears hard to select when car running, especially reverse. When car off the gears could be selected with ease.

Decided to bleed clutch fluid. No result.

Then looked at master cylinder pushrod. Adjustment nuts looked loose but I adjusted to give rod near maximum thrust into the cylinder. No more hard shifting and guess what, that 2nd and 3rd gear bad synchro has disappeared. My guess is that clutch couldn't be disengaged sufficiently from engines power with obviously made gear changes hard.I assume it only affected 2nd and 3rd because of the torque of those gears?

Anyway lesson is check the easy free things first if you notice a problem.

As a side note for anyone doing a transmission out job I would recommend resealing the sump gasket as you need the sump lowered slightly at the rear to do the rear main. I also resealed the transmission shifters (normal shifter and low/high shifter) turrets - although this could be done without removing gearbox through the cabin. If I had to do again I would remove transfer from gearbox first.
 
Years ago when I had my first Landy, S3 109, clutch started to slip. Haynes manual said there was no adjustment so I replaced the whole clutch on my own to find it still slipped. That's when I investigated further and found the pushrod adjustment just needed doing.
You just need to make sure there is a little play at the pedal/pushrod .
 
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