Gearbox replacement

[deaglesuk]

Hi,

Yesterday the gearbox in my V reg 1.6 V40 (which I've only owned 2 weeks and done 350 miles) decided to let go completely (with an interesting noise too) in the middle of a roundabout. A quick call to my boss and it's towed to the garage I use behind his new Discovery.

The garage recommend I used a website called 1stchoice.co.uk to source a replacement gearbox from a breakers yard.

On this site you put in your reg and the part you are looking for and the breakers all email you quotes if the have 1.

I've had 5 quotes back (in 24 hours) which range in price between £144 and £756. Obviously the £756 is well off the mark but the other 4 are all below £200. I don't just want to go for the cheapest but how do I decide which box to buy?

The 1 I'm leaning towards is £200 delivered with a 6 month warranty which has apparently come off a low mileage 2003 v40 which they say will be a straight swap.

Does anyone have any advice?

[gatos]

See if anyone here is breaking a car. You should be able to get a gearbox for under £100.

[deaglesuk]

Thanks Gatos. I'll keep looking.

Doe anyone know how long swapping a gearbox would take? I'm trying to work out a vague idea of fitting costs.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by deaglesuk

Hi,

Yesterday the gearbox in my V reg 1.6 V40 (which I've only owned 2 weeks and done 350 miles) decided to let go completely (with an interesting noise too) in the middle of a roundabout. A quick call to my boss and it's towed to the garage I use behind his new Discovery.

The garage recommend I used a website called 1stchoice.co.uk to source a replacement gearbox from a breakers yard.

On this site you put in your reg and the part you are looking for and the breakers all email you quotes if the have 1.

I've had 5 quotes back (in 24 hours) which range in price between £144 and £756. Obviously the £756 is well off the mark but the other 4 are all below £200. I don't just want to go for the cheapest but how do I decide which box to buy?

The 1 I'm leaning towards is £200 delivered with a 6 month warranty which has apparently come off a low mileage 2003 v40 which they say will be a straight swap.

Does anyone have any advice?

what were the symptoms ? You would have the renault gearbox , the nut can come loose on the end of the shaft inside the box , an easy fix after removing the metal end cover . Have you had any difficulties or noise before it failed ? I guess you have inherited someone elses problem they probabbly know something you don't !
You need to be very careful when sourcing a used gearbox , there are many types , renault , mitsubishi and volvo , petrol and diesel and each has ratios suitable for the particular engine it is fitted to . so idealy you would want the gearbox to come from a 1600 engined car of a similar year .. although a 2003 still uses the same gearbox , make 100% sure it comes from a 1600 engined car .( the 1800 and 2 litre which look identical have a volvo gearbox )

[deaglesuk]

Originally Posted by Clan

what were the symptoms ? You would have the renault gearbox , the nut can come loose on the end of the shaft inside the box , an easy fix after removing the metal end cover . Have you had any difficulties or noise before it failed ? I guess you have inherited someone elses problem they probabbly know something you don't !
You need to be very careful when sourcing a used gearbox , there are many types , renault , mitsubishi and volvo , petrol and diesel and each has ratios suitable for the particular engine it is fitted to . so idealy you would want the gearbox to come from a 1600 engined car of a similar year .. although a 2003 still uses the same gearbox , make 100% sure it comes from a 1600 engined car .( the 1800 and 2 litre which look identical have a volvo gearbox )

Thanks for the reply.

What symptoms didn't it have. Ran fine for the first few days I had it, then a loud rubbing noise and very jerky under acceleration. Took it to garage who didn't experience the fault.

Same thing happened again Wednesday night along with a very loud whining noise from under the car (stopped when either in neutral or clutch pressed)

Was booked in for thermostat following day anyway. Garage diagnosed gearbox bearings whining / failing. Said it might last quite a while or might fail tomorrow.

It lasted until 2pm Friday afternoon when I had a loud grinding noise, kind of a "BLEH" and no power at all. Engine runs fine in neutral.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by deaglesuk

Thanks for the reply.

What symptoms didn't it have. Ran fine for the first few days I had it, then a loud rubbing noise and very jerky under acceleration. Took it to garage who didn't experience the fault.

Same thing happened again Wednesday night along with a very loud whining noise from under the car (stopped when either in neutral or clutch pressed)

Was booked in for thermostat following day anyway. Garage diagnosed gearbox bearings whining / failing. Said it might last quite a while or might fail tomorrow.

It lasted until 2pm Friday afternoon when I had a loud grinding noise, kind of a "BLEH" and no power at all. Engine runs fine in neutral.

It sounds pretty bad ! if the nut comes loose you just have difficulty selecting 5th gear ..

[deaglesuk]

The only gear it had left was 2nd and that sounded like a bag of rocks in a washing machine. Managed to move it 10 feet in 2nd onto the grass verge

[deaglesuk]

Just to update this thread.

I bought a box from a breakers for £200 delivered with a 6 month warranty (I needed it asap). The garage have fitted it and it's like a new car! I understand how a V40 should drive now!

Now just some little niggles to sort and a full service to do

[Volvon]

Originally Posted by deaglesuk

Just to update this thread.

I bought a box from a breakers for £200 delivered with a 6 month warranty (I needed it asap). The garage have fitted it and it's like a new car! I understand how a V40 should drive now!

Now just some little niggles to sort and a full service to do

It is so refreshing to someone fixing a serious fault for once, good on you for repairing it when most people would scrap it in today's disposable Britain.

[Clan]

Brilliant , that is how it should be done , more use of secondhand parts rather than a £3000 job with a new gearbox ..
One way the govenment could make some money is to have a central depot where ALL the scrapped cars in the country go , and sell off the useful parts to body shops garages etc ..