Ordered this fella first thing yesterday morning, off a Polo that had done 69k apparently. Just arrived.

Gonna swap in a new lever and release bearing (also just arrived), will transfer the slave cylinder across from the old box, as it was new at the time of the clutch job.

 

Fingers crossed for me folks, please.

 

 

Did you run the engine without the auxiliary belt on when you lubed its tensioner? Just that the video reminded me of an alternator squeek I once had from a dry bearing. Just sounds too lightweight to be the box or release bearing.

No I haven't done anything with aux belt off.  If it was engine side, I can't see how flooring the clutch could make it stop?

 

Within the SSP that Ricardo kindly linked, there's description of the bearing cartridge that supports the two shafts at the outboard end of the gearbox (page 11).  It suggests that these are sealed bearings, not lubed by gearbox oil (to prevent wear products in the latter getting into them). I have a feeling that this is how they manage to make a dry cheepy noise, even though they're inside the gearbox cavity.

 

I might just do the aux belt off test tomorrow evening though, before I start swapping boxes, 'cos it would unbelievably upsetting to put another gearbox in there and still have the noise; so thanks!

 

 

 

It just sounds like a fairly lightweight dry bearing noise to me. But agreed, I can't see why pressing the clutch would silence it.

4 hours ago, Wino said:

Within the SSP that Ricardo kindly linked, there's description of the bearing cartridge that supports the two shafts at the outboard end of the gearbox (page 11).  It suggests that these are sealed bearings, not lubed by gearbox oil (to prevent wear products in the latter getting into them). I have a feeling that this is how they manage to make a dry cheepy noise, even though they're inside the gearbox cavity.

 

I was really surprised when I saw that. I've never seen bearings like that in a gearbox that are sealed and not lubricated by the box oil. Reading that whole SSP was really interesting. Hope the new box is OK, Pete.

 

 

 

It doesn't clearly state that the gearbox oil doesn't pass these seals, just that debris in it doesn't/can't.  I've asssssssumed that these bearings are greased when manufactured and then sealed, but I could be completely wrong.  However it's done, it appears that these bearings might be a bit of a weak point; or maybe I'm being greedy expecting a 'cooking' gearbox to last longer than 165k miles? 

 

Yeah, it would be interesting to know if they just run in grease or whether oil is meant to get into them.

I happened to be outside last night with the dog when the missus came home in the Fabia.  Heard the 'cheep' from the corner, about 200 yards away!

 

Funny story from a workmate on the same subject this morning. Had a nasty noise that he thought was gearbox so he took it into his local indy and asked the boss to come out for a listen on a test drive.

Hadn't gone more than a hundred yards down the road when the fella announced "oh yeah, that's fecked".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My workmate replied " but it hasn't made the noise yet?!" 

16 hours ago, TMB said:

Yeah, it would be interesting to know if they just run in grease or whether oil is meant to get into them.

 

All bearings in gearboxes are left open internally so that splash lubrication can occur, it's possible that some bearings are masked due to internal design constraints and don't get as much as they need, therefore failing early.

 

The most common mode of gearbox failure is undiagnosed oil leaks leading to low oil levels at elevated mileages, simply topping up the oil at major services would prevent this.

On ‎15‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 17:58, SuperbTWM said:

@Wino does the clutch have to be fully disengaged to stop the noise or does gentle pressure on the pedal make it go away. If you apply enough pressure to load up the thrust bearing but not fully disengage the clutch we can probably rule out the thrust bearing at least

 

I tested this just now, in tandem with checking the noise remained with aux belt absent.

The noise remains.

It actually doesn't take much of a push on the pedal (a few cm?) for the noise to change, it sort of modulates with pedal pressure, and there doesn't have to be much movement before it changes.  I made another vid with me playing about with clutch pressure as well as revs. Not sure how clear it's come out:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vnhondqwzzs6rq9/20190418_182827.mp4?dl=0

 

(Very unclear to my old ears)

 

Edited 18 April, 20197 yr by Wino

Clutch release bearing or an outside chance of it being the crankshaft thrust bearings, but its been decades since I experienced that, it was the preserve of older not so well designed engines like the VW Beetle or Ford X/flow.

 

Neither would make the loud cheeping that you can hear from so far off, that does sound like gearbox bearings.

 

I had a rear diff problem on a Suzuki jeep, it would make a tear inducing screeching noise whilst juddering and grinding to a halt turning heads 200m away, then would pull away and drive off silently with no hint of any problem till the next time.

 

I engaged 4wd and removed the rear diff to rebuild it, drove the car for a week as a FWD everything was perfect in the diff, the oil was clean like new, the only discrepancy was that maybe the pinion bearings lacked a little preload and could have been chattering but there were no wear marks or any damage, I just rebuilt it doing the preload by feel (I was regularly doing Ford diffs at the time) and replaced it, it never made a squak after that but I never found the cause of the most agony inducing mechanical noise that I have ever heard.

 

Maybe just maybe a change of oil viscosity might do the same thing for your gearbox.

3 hours ago, Wino said:

 

I tested this just now, in tandem with checking the noise remained with aux belt absent.

The noise remains.

It actually doesn't take much of a push on the pedal (a few cm?) for the noise to change, it sort of modulates with pedal pressure, and there doesn't have to be much movement before it changes.  I made another vid with me playing about with clutch pressure as well as revs. Not sure how clear it's come out:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vnhondqwzzs6rq9/20190418_182827.mp4?dl=0

 

(Very unclear to my old ears)

 

 

I guess it looks like the gearbox is the favourite despite it sounding a bit too 'dry' 

 

Are you going to strip down the old box? would be nice to see the arrangement of the offending item in the actual gearbox?

Out with the old:

 

Wow, quick work! When's the replacement going on?

Thanks; for me that was very quick.

Tomorrow is the plan for fitting the replacement.

Working conditions are considerably more pleasant than for the clutch job in late  December 2016!

 

Another good day. New release lever/bearing fitted to the 'new' box and then a couple of litres of new oil went into it. 

More of a battle than expected getting the thing back up into position but it was bolted on in time for a late lunch.

Most of the work's now done, but didn't fancy pushing through to complete it today, I make mistakes when I'm tired, and there's no real rush.

 

Nice one. Was gonna suggest a new release bearing, so glad you fitted one. I see you had some liquid refreshment on hand

The lady owner of the car went out specially to buy me beer in time for lunch! 

 

 

It's all good.

 

 

 

^ Great stuff! Mrs. Wino must be dead chuffed

 

Does it change through the gears OK and everything?

Will you be doing a bit of a post-mortem on the old one?

Too drubk to reply meaningfully, but thanks Lee. 

 

Drubk. That was appropriate! 

 

Yes Mrs W was happy. 

All gears are smooth and quiet; my gamble on a £160 2nd hand box paid off, luckily.

 

I guess I probably will tear down the old box at some point. Won't be soon though, knowing me.

 

 

7 hours ago, Wino said:

Drubk. That was appropriate! 

 

Yes, that made me chuckle last night  

 

Quote

 

Yes Mrs W was happy. 

All gears are smooth and quiet; my gamble on a £160 2nd hand box paid off, luckily.

 

 

Yeah, always a gamble. Glad it's a gud'un

 

Quote

I guess I probably will tear down the old box at some point. Won't be soon though, knowing me.

 

 

 

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