Treacle in my gear box?

After a number of miles of fast (50mph+) driving in my 300tdi Disco changing gear becomes quite difficult - it's as though I'm selecting gears through treacle - much stiffer than usual and often clunking into first gear. I'm a noob when it comes to touching the gear box and had a referb one installed a couple of years ago. Is there anything I should be checking first or should I take it to a garage to look at?

there is a bush
Ashcroft Transmissions look at link
call them they can tell you if it applies to yours

Well spotted! Thanks fanatic

your welcome also check your oil level in the gear box

I had same problem, like treacle after a good run. Changed oil for Evolution 1 and completely different truck.

Is MTF the way to go and anyone got any suggestions of good cheap suppliers?

Now I am just getting around to sort this out as it's getting much worse, but I notice that the Ashcroft web site FAQ's has done a runner. Nothing much on the site now apart from fit an oil cooler for the gearbox.

Can anyone remember what the original recommendation was; has anyone fitted an oil cooler to 'fix' the problem; or is there another fix?

refer to previous answer and check your gearbox level. Also when was the oil changed last?
If not changed for a while i would try a change first.

cheers

Jim A.
1996 300Tdi auto(Jap reimport)

Had a recon gear box from Ashcroft two years back, it's only done about 6K miles from then, and oil levels are ok with good clear oil still. Will change just in case, but I'm sure the Ashcroft site used to talk about a washer that could fail causing these symptoms. Might just be imagination though

does gear stick movement actualy stiffen or do gears feel more tight to get a little more info

moving the gear stick is the problem, it goes in gear ok with no crunching but it does take a fair bit of muscle to move the leaver even left-right in neutral.

wot i want to know is why is my cat in your gearbox?

pmsl MHM!!! hahahaha

could it be just the linkage needing a bit of grease?

remove console and rubber cover and tin cover of gear stick housing and if necessary unbolt gear stick housing there a nylon socket gear stick pivots in ,a nylon bush in selector yoke that can sieze ,try selector shaft by hand or screw driver see if its stiff

So with my 'hoping its the selector cos it's easier to fix' hat on I stripped out the centre console, drilled out the rivets holding the rubber membrane and peered into the top of the gear box.....

Not quite sure what I was looking at I stuck a good ole finger down the hole, which came out covered in water, mud, and rust. A soup of nasties that should not be sat on in the gear stick housing. So off with the housing. It was full to the top with this stuff. Not good.



Time to dig a bit deeper. With the housing off a good slug of gross, muddy water came out leaving a sludge of rust, mud and small stones. After a good deal of cleaning it finally looked more like the gear selector.



I used up half a can of WD-40 just to loosen the compacted mud and rust. But at least it's all gone now. Last step was to pull the gear lever out and check the bush, ball and general yolk condition.



Thankfully it's not too bad. A lot of scratches from small stones, but after a bit of light sanding it looks as new. Nylon bush was in good condition. When reassembled there is perhaps too light a movement now - perhaps a sign a new bush/yolk is required.


Moral of the story - if you pay a shed load of cash to someone from a reputable garage to put a reconditioned box in for you - go check their work. All they did here was leave off a single metal gasket around the gear selector housing allowing mud and water to get in. Simple mistake, damn annoying to fix. Oh and no - they refused to offer compensation or an apology. Seriously bad form.


Bigger pictures are here: http://bit.ly/gJ7jnG

Well done Adrian, Good job you didn,t take it back to them. They would have charged you a load more and hidden the fact it was their fault in the first place.