Gearboxes, again.

[Nigelw]

Crunchy 2nd is getting rihht on my t*#s now, weighing up my options, question is, what would everyone else do?

[alland]

nigel find yourself a good 98 or 97 disco breaking and put transfer box in aswell straight swap done it on mine the box and transfer cost me 100 quid and the later boxes have the cross drilled shaft and reverse is better glad i done mine

[reb78]

I know Dave reads these forums, but my Ashcroft box has always crunched into second and generally into third when changing down unless I wait an eternity with gentle pressure onto third. Oils changed regularly, tried mtf, ATF and evo1 but none are any different. It's fine when really warm, but annoying when cold and just warm. It could take 20mins for the gearbox temp to get to a point where the problem goes away.

Hence, my vote goes for recon yours with a local specialist. There is a thread in the tech archive on re conning them. Pretty sure it's not beyond you.

[Ruurd]

Start double clutching???

[miketomcat]

I voted recon yours because why bugger about shipping gearboxes back and forth or paying a surcharge when you can sort it locally.

Mike

[GW8IZR]

I had Ashcroft refurb my existing box cos I knew apart from the mainshaft splines it was perfect.

Its spot on now and I thought the service from Dave was good. Expensive maybe but good.

With all things YMMV

[Boydie]

I rebuilt my own, it occasionally crashes when going into second from first due to my inattention to the revs. It has never grated changing down, but it's a double syncro box (5th accepted) and changes have to be that bit slower to allow both syncro rings to meld.

[Maverik]

I had a second gear crunch for ages on my AW transmissions built shorty, I've now come up to 20k on the box and its pretty much sorted itself out, using mtf definitely helped it.

I'd say depends on your cash situation ultimately. it's obviously hacking you off so it needs to be fixed... so just depends on said monies. I'd only go a 2nd hand part if I was desperate or it was inanimate and could be refurbed easily by myself.

[need4speed]

They really are simple old agricultural gearboxes. Simple enough for a good local company to manage anything ashcrofts could. Besides ive heard plenty of people say they're ashcroft lt77/r380 is no better than standard.

This is no reflection on ashcroft as a company. I think they're transmission products are second to none.

[Nigelw]

Looking at exchange rates currently, it works out that an Ashcroft LT77 costs me €625 exclusive of double shipping an surcharges!

Local rebuild starts from €445 then depends on what needs done, looked at the master build kit and a new main shaft from Ashcrofts as a "just in case" and they would add €300 approx so probably not much in it depending on what the local firm include in the rebuild price?

[Snagger]

I would use Ashcroft in that case, Nige, simply because the parts and labour are with one company; any problems the other way and you'd have the workshop blaming Ashcroft's parts and Ashcroft blaming the workshop and would find it a nightmare to get a repair or replacement.

[HampshireHog]

I bought an Ashcroft exchange for my 90 , helpful people to deal with , reasonable price as well when you consider what's gone into the rebuilt unit , got a few thousand miles on it now with no problems whatsoever

[Boydie]

If you are thinking of rebuilding your own, start by building or having fabricated the gearbox holding frame as shown in RAVE, trust me, you will find it almost impossible to correctly assemble it without that frame.

I tried for three attempts before I saw the light, had the frame fabricated and it went together easily. If you have a couple of mates who have R380, persuade them to go shares with you in the frame to reduce costs, sooner or later they are going to need it.

[Nigelw]

As we are at 50/50 split I thought I ought to investigate shipping charges, looks like it is cheaper to pay the £150 surcharge ang keep my original!

prices stack up fast with the pound so strong!

[Nigelw]

Looks like I will be ordering an Ashcroft box after this afternoons chat, local firm will do a full recon with 12mnth warranty for €950 or the cheaper faulty bits renew for €600 with no warranty, sigh

Was never going to be cheap but so much tat second hand, I could end up worse than I started off!

[muddy]

You could always pull your box apart and just stick a new 2nd gear syncro in.

With an ashcroft box you know all the wearing parts are new and right as where as some 're conditioners' would just stick a new synchro in and rattle can it over.

Will.