Just wondering if anyone on here's actually done this themselves, as mine has been grumbling for some time now. Have done gearbox/clutch changes on various cars in the past so not adverse to spannering, but I've been told you need to drop the front sub frame to do it! Now as I'll be on the drive on car ramps this sounds like a ball ache.

Any help/advice/pictures would be gratefully received

Cheers

Jacko

Just wondering if anyone on here's actually done this themselves, as mine has been grumbling for some time now. Have done gearbox/clutch changes on various cars in the past so not adverse to spannering, but I've been told you need to drop the front sub frame to do it! Now as I'll be on the drive on car ramps this sounds like a ball ache.

Any help/advice/pictures would be gratefully received

Cheers

Jacko

my box is needing some work and I was planning on at least taking it out myself but it does look like a PITA without a ramp and when I started to get quotes the place that is doing it only wanted £120+VAT to remove and refit the box so I figured it just wasnt worth the hassle.

I have ended up getting the box refurbished by a specialist as it looks like for my problems I will be about £200 for the repair which compared to the cost of a 2nd had box of unknown condition is good value.

if on inspection the gearbox needs more than a few parts then the worst case is £525 for a fully reconditioned and warrantied gearbox.

mine has done 140K miles so if I get the same again I figured it was worth the expense but its a lot of cash

not quite what you were asking but hope it helps

Yes done it only 2 weeks ago in the snow!! Yes its a ballache and yes undo rear subframe leave steering rack on tho as it moves enough, its seriously heavy and tight tho so be careful,

I used a engine brace to enable me to lower and raise the engine, as this is needed to remove and fit box good luck

Cheers folks, if I could find a place to do it for £120+vat then I think I'd go that route, it's done 83000 so some people(quite rightly) say I should also replace the clutch/dmf/etc.... But, that'll add another 400+ to the bill which I quite simply don't have!!!

Cheers folks, if I could find a place to do it for £120+vat then I think I'd go that route, it's done 83000 so some people(quite rightly) say I should also replace the clutch/dmf/etc.... But, that'll add another 400+ to the bill which I quite simply don't have!!!

I am interested to see the state of my clutch as its 140K on the original and DMF and its been mapped for 40K of that.

unless it is worn beyond the service limits then I have no intention of replacing it

the clutch and DMF are more a case of how you drive. if you treat it well then it can last.

where about are you? someone may be able to recommend a specialist, I got lucky when speaking to a friendly mechanic at a local SEAT dealer who told me who they used for gearboxes.

it is a specialist area and few garages will do it in house. the key is cutting out the middle men. 5 min on the phone with them and it was obvious that I was talking to someone who knew the gearbox internals.

none of the other "gearbox specialists" I had spoken to prior had given any confidence that they had any idea other than a very high price range

I am interested to see the state of my clutch as its 140K on the original and DMF and its been mapped for 40K of that.

unless it is worn beyond the service limits then I have no intention of replacing it

the clutch and DMF are more a case of how you drive. if you treat it well then it can last.

where about are you? someone may be able to recommend a specialist, I got lucky when speaking to a friendly mechanic at a local SEAT dealer who told me who they used for gearboxes.

it is a specialist area and few garages will do it in house. the key is cutting out the middle men. 5 min on the phone with them and it was obvious that I was talking to someone who knew the gearbox internals.

none of the other "gearbox specialists" I had spoken to prior had given any confidence that they had any idea other than a very high price range

Luckily I have a replacement gearbox that I've been assured is good, it's just the actual swapping over that I'm considering doing, I have 6 month old twin girls so don't seem to have much spare time these days for some bizarre reason!!! So, for the previous reason I also don't seemt o have any spare cash either! haha.

Never mind, hopefully it'll soldier on until the brighter weather gets here then I'll have a crack at it, don't like paying someone to do a job I know I can do myself when I'm just being lazy!!!

Will let you know how I get on when I crack on with it!

Luckily I have a replacement gearbox that I've been assured is good, it's just the actual swapping over that I'm considering doing, I have 6 month old twin girls so don't seem to have much spare time these days for some bizarre reason!!! So, for the previous reason I also don't seemt o have any spare cash either! haha.

Never mind, hopefully it'll soldier on until the brighter weather gets here then I'll have a crack at it, don't like paying someone to do a job I know I can do myself when I'm just being lazy!!!

Will let you know how I get on when I crack on with it!

I know what you mean, I just got the news that mine is at the low end of the quote (that came as a surprise!) had I gone down the route of swapping boxes then I would have done it myself but I didnt fancy stripping the actual box.

another bit of good news is that even after 140K and a remap the OEM clutch is still good and has plenty of life in it so no need to worry about that for some time either.

just goes to show that despite the slating that the std clutch gets on here its more than up to the job if not abused. I may be hard on the engine but if you dont spend all your time practicing standing starts its good enough

good luck with the spanners. I think as someone mentioned earlier an engine hoist will be needed but if you have that then its just time

Your welcome to borrow my engine support bar if ur local bud im yeovil, are u gonna be removing or clutch/flywheel? If so make sure uv got the correct size spline, and multi socket, also a few lever bars is a must

Sorry, not been on for a while, thanks for the advice folks, it's still soldiering on. Might pluck up courage to get it on the ramps and take a look later if the sun stays out a bit longer. Cheers for the offer of your engine support bar, but I'm in Northamptonshire so a bit of a trek! :-) Luckily my brother has just bought an engine host (to move a safe, don't ask) so I can hopefully nab that when he's done with it! :-)

Sorry, mean't to say, will probably take a look at the clutch while the box is off, hopefully it'll be OK though!!!

Edited 5 March, 201214 yr by jacko2111

Right, back to this old thread.... Gearbox lasted this long but was making a serious noise so I knew it was only a matter of time till recovery bought me home! :-) Anyway, as luck would have it a friends brother is in need of cash after getting the news of impending doom(sorry I mean his partner is pregnant), and he's got the time and ability, so I bunged him some cash and he swapped it at the weekend..... now all is quiet and wonderful, although I think I have to adjusted the linkage a little as sometimes coming down from 5th to 4th is tricky. Clutch, Slave and DMF were all deemed fine, so they are still as they were. Cheers folks

What kind of noises did you have?

Ours went on our Seat Cordoba big time. Resulted in very loud clattery noises from the gearbox.

Bearings had gone, some of the gears damaged and the box casing damaged.

They originally replaced the internals of the box but used petrol gearing I think. 70mph in 6th was at 3500rpm (1.9 PD130)! Acceleration was immense but it ran out of revs at about 100. Lol.

Phil

Started off whining, then turned into a horrible grating/rumbling noise earlier this year. You could hear the gearbox noise when the car was just sitting there on tickover, so I assume it was the layshaft bearings(although my knowledge of gearboxes is pretty non existent). not sure whether to strip the old box and have a nosey inside, or try flogging it on ebay as a recon exchange core unit.

Started off whining, then turned into a horrible grating/rumbling noise earlier this year. You could hear the gearbox noise when the car was just sitting there on tickover, so I assume it was the layshaft bearings(although my knowledge of gearboxes is pretty non existent). not sure whether to strip the old box and have a nosey inside, or try flogging it on ebay as a recon exchange core unit.

Ah yes ours started to whine before it failed too. I think they made these gearboxes out of cheese and chocolate.

I would try and sell as it is. Someone will buy it to have reconditioned. If the casing is good then that's the main thing. Worst case for someone- a whole near gearset isn't actually that expensive.

Ebay it is then! :-) Cheers