F20 gearbox?

[L33 LEG]

as some of you know i got my engine running last night and took it up the road to test. drove for a minute or two and the gears where fine. i got out to let me mate test it and it wouldnt go into gear. thought it was just the connector but thats fine, when you move the stick it sounds like it is going into gear, but when you lift the clutch nothing happens.

before i rip it out and swap it, does it sound like its the box that has broke?

[novaguy08]

is the clutch working?? try adjusting the clutch first

[let_nova]

try adjusting the linkage again. is the bold on the rod tight?

[L33 LEG]

we adjusted it again. its working cos when you put it into reverse you can hear it clicking in, but then when you lift the clutch it doesnt move.

i thought it may of been the clutch at first cos when i drove it it had a very high biting point. maybe itl be worth me just adjusting the cable to see if it makes a difference

[let_nova]

yeah try that. i would of thought if it was the box it would gring etc. funny your not getting any gears.

[L33 LEG]

the gears seem to go in fine when moving the gearstick, but it just doesnt move Lol.

will having low gearbox oil effect anything? because surely that would just sieze it up completely wouldnt it?

[let_nova]

i ran with no gearbox oil for about 2 months as the oil seals were goosed. shouldnt affect it as sharply as that.

with engine off try selecting a gear by adjusting the selector on the top of the box. then try start the car. if its in gear then we know its a selector side of things. if not.......cross that bridge shortly

[novaguy08]

ok if you can hear it going into gear yet there is no drive then your clutch is fuggered, simples :D
the only other way you would get that is if your diff was missing..... and i REALLY think you would have noticed that when putting drive shafts in!
Go through all the gears with the selector and you will be able to feel if its going into gear, then start the engine do it again, if you can still feel it going into gear then 110% clutch either needs adjusting or changing!

[L33 LEG]

just had a quick mess and i think its the clutch.

i took the clutch cable off completely and when i pushed the car the gear didnt hold it. put it back on and turned the engine on and when i put the clutch in it whines like fcuk. as im releasing it you can hear the engine slow down sort of thing but then when i get to the end of the cable and release it fully it still hasnt stalled.

when we fitted the clutch to the box though it looked fine, however i bought it all in bits from a guy off here and aswell as the used clutch he also had a brand new one for sale but said this one was fine. so maybe it was on its way out when he had it running. eitherway though, the gearbox has still got to come off, is there anyway when the box is off of checking if its fcuked or not?

[dougie_boi]

check your shafts mate incase one of them not been seated in right and popped out slightly which would cause it not to have drive but would select gears ok

[novaguy08]

not sure on the F20 but iirc then there is a clutch inspection cover on the bottom, just 4 bolts holding it on, so you can take that off get a torch and have a look, need a mate to push the clutch and what-not.

Am i reading right, did you buy a used clutch?!?!

[L33 LEG]

didnt buy it Lol, it came with the engine. but i chose not to buy a new clutch. money was tight lol

itl be worth checking the shafts i suppose as at the moment they dont have split pins in and were loose ish, so that would make them come away from the box wouldnt it?

[L33 LEG]

checked a few more things.

firstly, the shafts are fine.

a local mechanic told me that inside the box theres a clip that sometimes falls out and means it looses all drive. so with a bit fo struggle with the gearbox still on the car i took off the side bit to have a look, but it was all still there.

i am 99% sure the gearbox is fine. nothing rattles, it goes into gear fine and whilst changing gear with that cover off you can see all the cogs working and stopping fine.

so if its not the shafts and not the gearbox then surely its the clutch, yes?

as said, when i put the clutch in it whines loudly. no matter what gear i put it in the wheels still spin one by hand. but what i dont understand is that when we built the car up i was parked in gear for weeks and it always held. i then got the engine running and test drove it up the road, gears worked fine, even though the clutch pedal had to be all the way up to move. and then once coming down the road and stopping something has failed. has something come loose?

wheres the cheapest place to buy a clutch and how much? anybody got a new one for sale Lol?

[DAFTJOHN]

checked a few more things.

firstly, the shafts are fine.

a local mechanic told me that inside the box theres a clip that sometimes falls out and means it looses all drive. so with a bit fo struggle with the gearbox still on the car i took off the side bit to have a look, but it was all still there.

i am 99% sure the gearbox is fine. nothing rattles, it goes into gear fine and whilst changing gear with that cover off you can see all the cogs working and stopping fine.

so if its not the shafts and not the gearbox then surely its the clutch, yes?

as said, when i put the clutch in it whines loudly. no matter what gear i put it in the wheels still spin one by hand. but what i dont understand is that when we built the car up i was parked in gear for weeks and it always held. i then got the engine running and test drove it up the road, gears worked fine, even though the clutch pedal had to be all the way up to move. and then once coming down the road and stopping something has failed. has something come loose?

wheres the cheapest place to buy a clutch and how much? anybody got a new one for sale Lol?

When you have it in gear and rev does the speedo go up?

[novaguy08]

im not sure where abouts exactly but call around, i saved £10 from the first on i found ended up paying £40 for mine

[L33 LEG]

im not sure about the speedo. i havnt had the chance to look at the dials really

my mates just told me that i wont need a full clutch, itl just be the clutch plate apparantly so should only cost £30ish, better than the £80 i was expecting to pay for one

im going to get the box out the car this week and have a look at whats broke. what i dont understand though is how come it worked and then all of a sudden doesnt, its as if something has come loose whilst i was coming down the road

[novaxe235]

do the clutch through the inspection plate you dont have to take the box out

[novaguy08]

mate, do the full clutch, its going to save you time and money.
The clutch bearing should be done at the same time
Clutches can go all of a sudden, they are a right pain!

[L33 LEG]

i started to take the box off this morning, whilst under the car i noticed that the driver side shaft wasnt all the way in, you could see the shiney bit of it?(sorry dont know the technical names lol) theres a plate around it with 4 bolt holes in and its meant to line up and bolt into the box, but its abouts an inch away from it and no bolts in.

im guessing this is my problem lol

so im trying to get it in but no matter how much i tap it in it wont get close enough to put some bolts in. im hoping after i take the shaft out on the hub side i should be able to push it all the way in and then bolt it

hopefully thats the problem and its not the clutch. cheers for the advice, il let you know how i get on :)

[novaxe235]

you obviously dont listen to advice so why ask for it .WHY WERE YOU TAKING THE BOX OUT TO DO THE CLUTCH

[novaguy08]

taking the box out is the easiest way to do the clutch vs the inspection plate......... imo anyways.

[novaxe235]

taking the box out is the easiest way to do the clutch vs the inspection plate......... imo anyways.you find it easier to take the box out of a nova to do a clutch than through the inspection plate. its not just that the guy was also told in a previous post to check both shafts were fitted correctly as this could cause the problem.

[L33 LEG]

i thought the shafts were in at first because both wheels turned together. im sorry for not being a mechanic and not knowing that it could still do that if theyre not fully in.

and secondly, i thought you meant i could inspect the clutch through something, not actually take it off with the gearbox staying on. so you saying you can change a clutch with keeping the gearbox on?

again sorry for not being a mechanic :roll: cheers for the help anyway. i eventually got that plate bolted on and with a bit of a struggle got the shaft fully in. in the morning il get the car back on its wheels and hopefully it has solved the problem.

[novaguy08]

it is possible to change the clutch without taking the box out, there is an inspection plate on the bottom of it, its all detailed in the Haynes manual, personaly as said i would take the box out, as the replacement proceedure raises the question of centering the clutch back in. its possible that the clutch has been the problem as if the wheels have been spinning at the same rate its possible that one of the shafts popped out in between you checking last and checking again