Hi guys, having some major issues with my mini's spare engine that i put in last month. Yesterday the gearbox decided to pretty much go on me. Making a very loud ratchet like noise, in first, second and third. First the gears became hard to use, then came the sound in first, then it proceeded to second and now third. Fourth is still ok thankfully. 1st and reverse i can't even get into anymore, and when I do it just makes a huge crunchy noise, and the car goes nowhere. Like the gears are not contacting with each other. I have my idea's as to what it most likely is, but would like other more knowledgeable advice. It sounds like the box is running on no oil. I flushed the oil, etc etc, checked the selectors, everything i can think of to help minimize the problem, but made no difference. When i do change gears I have to double shuffle or there's no way you can get into any gear. and even then it was hard, (as you can see from the video, lol ) Oh and if you miss the gears, once double shuffling, there's no way you can force it into gear, unless you come to a complete stop, (as you can see in the video ) and then you have no choice but to start in second. Obviously I am going to have to pull the engine out, and find out, but if someone could help me out to identifying the issue that would be great. Thing is I have to sort it out very fast, because I need the car for this weekend to drive to Byron, and there's no way around it. Most likely I am going to have to swap to another one of my spare engines I guess? and do another over nighter engine swap

My lovely Cassie, got a video of it for all to see, so you can have a better idea as to what the sound is? It sounds a lot worse when your in the car, everyone on the side of the road looks at you you can hear it from miles away, (well so mum's tells me, as I didn't get home till 3am this morning, and she heard the noise from miles away, and knew it mustive been me with my mini The video doesn't pick it up all that good, but its still there, as you can hear. Sorry about the language in the video, was a bit annoyed as I had impatient people behind me,

Here's the video.

http://s453.photobucket.com/albums/qq25 ... nie005.flv

Any idea's what people think, aside from it being screwed.

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Bluey-1973 Clubby - 1330, high lift, big cam, 7 port madness in progress..

Gumby-1978 Minivan, British Racing Green - 1310, high lift, mild cam, enlarged porting and chamber shape with big valve head, supercharged build in ever slow progress!

Quite obviously something has let go in the gearbox and one or more of the gears now have missing teeth.

Is it a rod change or a remote change.

If you have spare powerplants then a quick change is your best short term option. You are not going to fix that gearbox without a strip down and find out what has gone wrong. It actually sounds like the cluster gear or the cluster layshaft which is why its affecting several gears.

If it was a primary gear it would make a similar noise but you would be able to change gears.

Mike

I assume that you have a good clutch with pressure in the pedal and a good throw at the arm. I also assume that the knuckles on the selectors havn't stripped and not selecting properly.

Mike

The box is a remote change, which I converted to a magic wand, because Bluey (My mini) has the hole in the floor for the magic wand. Why do you ask? Will that help to identifying stuff?

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Bluey-1973 Clubby - 1330, high lift, big cam, 7 port madness in progress..

Gumby-1978 Minivan, British Racing Green - 1310, high lift, mild cam, enlarged porting and chamber shape with big valve head, supercharged build in ever slow progress!

Well the clutch is ok, not the best though. It has a bent arm on it, to give more movement if you know what I mean. Pressure wise, well my other good engine, not the spares, had much more pressure, the clutch on this one was pretty soft compared to it, but still ok to use. The knuckles on the selectors are all fine, working fine. So that can be rulled out.

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Bluey-1973 Clubby - 1330, high lift, big cam, 7 port madness in progress..

Gumby-1978 Minivan, British Racing Green - 1310, high lift, mild cam, enlarged porting and chamber shape with big valve head, supercharged build in ever slow progress!

Okay

Regardless the noise is in the gearbox and sooner rather than later it will let go completely. The whine is gears not meshing together properly (either misaligned or teeth missing) and that also means bit of metal floating around and being pushed through the engine.

The oil filter filters after the oil passes through the engine not before it does.

Doing a power plant change is only six or seven hours work including the prepping of the other engine.

Mike

Dam mate.

sounds sick

swap a box over if you can.

Yeah I agree. Wouldn't it be easier to just change the engine over for another, than do the boxes tho?

Oh and I should have mentioned it only makes the ratchet like noise, when under load. If I take my foot off the accelerator, or just have it slightly on the accelerator, it won't make that noise. Only when under load.

Does this help, identify anything?

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Bluey-1973 Clubby - 1330, high lift, big cam, 7 port madness in progress..

Gumby-1978 Minivan, British Racing Green - 1310, high lift, mild cam, enlarged porting and chamber shape with big valve head, supercharged build in ever slow progress!

Hey Lockie - as we talked about in MSN - its more than likely your idler bearing mate.
When you have no load on the motor - no noise at all...

I wouldnt drive it - tow it or get it on a trailer. If you can - rip out the motor, rip off the box and just take it to the mechanic - he should be able to sort it.

Check the box everywhere for cracks, check all the teeth, etc.

Cheers,
Pete

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Click here for the Turbo Conversion Thread!

I'd say you have probably stripped the cluster gear and maybe 1st or 2nd gear.
Can't be the idler gear, as 4th gear is still OK. In 4th, the cluster doesn't transmit any power- the drive is direct from the lower drop gear to the mainshaft.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Hey Kev,

But it doesnt make the sound when there is no load either. When he backs off its quiet as a mouse.

What do you think?

Regardless - start ripping the motor out and the box off mate. Sorry.

Pete

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Click here for the Turbo Conversion Thread!

My bets, as I told him on PM- either the diff planet gears/pin are shot, the cluster gear stripped, or maybe a driveshaft/CV problem- I agree, pull it out and do a post mortem.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Wouldn't the idler gear be quite under load but noisy with no load? So if you take the front wheels off the ground, with the car in gear, you will hear the idler gear rumbling around?

That was my understanding anyway

Yeah true. I first said planet gear to lockie but he can select gears fine with motor off so i thought otherwise. Called a couple guys and they thought idler too. Dunno but something is rooted.

Pete

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Click here for the Turbo Conversion Thread!

sounds like no matter what the problem is you going to have to remove the engine?!....

if you dont have to money to fix... swap the box for the one of the old engine or if u have another engine setup chuck that in... not to difficult and if you need the car.... it has to be done.