Just how worried should I be?

[geoffbeaumont]

The shards of steel weren't a surprise - I already knew the mainshaft was wearing (usual problem with a slight lack of oil galleries in the transfer box output gear of the early R380s) - but there was a bit of wire attached to the magnetic plug too, and I found a couple more bits in the gearbox sump. That seems to be all of it.

Any idea what the wire is, where it's supposed to be and just how worried I should be about it?

Mechanical implications aside I thought the plug was quite aesthetically pleasing

[Andy]

there are wire spring clips on the syncro rings, id guess one of them has broke & thats what you found in the bottom. they fit inside the sybcro hub & hold the dog teeth in place, i dont think anything can fall out without the spring but i'd keep any eye on the thing incase one gear gets hard to select.

[geoffbeaumont]

there are wire spring clips on the syncro rings, id guess one of them has broke & thats what you found in the bottom. they fit inside the sybcro hub & hold the dog teeth in place, i dont think anything can fall out without the spring but i'd keep any eye on the thing incase one gear gets hard to select.

That'd be third then...again, a problem I already knew about when I got the vehicle. Thought it might be the baulk rings problem mentioned on Ashcrofts' web site, but I guess not (unless the spring is something to do with the baulk rings...haven't got round to looking up what they are yet!).

[Andy]

if my memory for the names of the bits is correct then yes the spring could effect the bulkrings, if they are the brass bits in there. the springs fit just inside of the bulkrings within the syncro hub, so a broken spring could be effecting the movement of the bulkring.

ive rebuilt a LT77, but i did it by guess work & the occasional glance at a pdf file on here. so im not sure on the names of stuff etc

[SteveG]

That'd be third then...again, a problem I already knew about when I got the vehicle. Thought it might be the baulk rings problem mentioned on Ashcrofts' web site, but I guess not (unless the spring is something to do with the baulk rings...haven't got round to looking up what they are yet!).

You could get an oil test next time you change the oil. The oil tests have an excellent reputation with people maintaining heavy machinery.

Cheers

Steve

[western]

Nice Tree Geoff going into modern art are you I'd go with Andy's thoughts, looks like bulkring bits to me.

[geoffbeaumont]

You could get an oil test next time you change the oil. The oil tests have an excellent reputation with people maintaining heavy machinery.

Cheers

Steve

Possibly a bit OTT for a gearbox I already know is on the way out though...

[Fatboy]

Oil tests are very good for spotting a change of trend or problem developing in engines where the testers know what the various components are made off (ie main journal bearings etc) ..

Not very easy with a "one off" sample though as they have nothing to compare against.

[geoffbeaumont]

Oil tests are very good for spotting a change of trend or problem developing in engines where the testers know what the various components are made off (ie main journal bearings etc) ..

Not very easy with a "one off" sample though as they have nothing to compare against.

I suppose you could still get a relatively useful result if the lab doing the testing already knew what to expect from an R380 gearbox?

[bill van snorkle]

The broken wire spring would affect the performance of the synchro baulk ring that it belongs to, as there is no longer anything there to apply pressure on the baulk ring and relevant gear to adjust its speed before the dog ring tries to grab it.

Bill.