Help! Advice needed. Gearbox syncro failure!

[Peter255]

Advice needed.

My gearbox makes a crunching noise when I change from 4th or 5th into 6th. Double de-clutching removes the noise. Down changes are un-affected. When in-gear the box is silent as normal. All of this points to a shagged syncro on 6th gear to me.

The issue is thus: The car is nearly 3 years old and has done 34Kmiles. But it has had a new clutch installed out of warranty and during the repair the clutch casting (which is one unit with the gearbox) had to be welded due to damage. This was done as the clutch would not have been covered by the warranty. BUT as this was not done by Renault I think this may invalidate my warranty.

My concern is that I will return the car to Renault and get hit by a bill to remove the gearbox then they will refuse to pay for a new gearbox. So I will be stuck with the car in bits and be forced into spending thousands on a new box from Renault. Plus I have to pay Renault “Main Stealer” labour rates. And they will not know how to work on the car properly. And with Renault they will not entertain rebuilding the box. It will just be replaced or nothing.

So I could go to a specialist and stomach the un-attractive proposition of paying for a repair that should be covered by the warranty. This will have cheaper labour and less chance of collateral damage / delays from in-experienced workers. Also they can get the gearbox rebuilt rather than demanding it be replaced.

Very approximate guesstimate (pre-VAT) costings as follows:

Renault
FREE upto £3k :cry: (inc new box price & labour)

Specialist
£1k (inc rebuild & labour)

IMO Renault is a BIG risk but I could save myself £1k! :shock:

Help! I an unsure which way to go.

Thanks
Peter

 

[John V6]

You should be able to get an exchange gear box.

I think but may be wrong 1K. It is a standard box nothing special.

Would not trust a Renault garage to re - build.

You may be able to get an exchange or re - built gear box from a specialist.

When I used to repair them could get an exchange box with 12 months warranty for less than I could get the parts and those were at trade prices.

You shuld not ragg the car till all is warmed up.

Just looked vyup the price £2074.10

 

[Karlosfandango]

Surely if the problem is internal then what ever state the outside casing is should make no difference?

I would have a chat with your chosen dealership, and see if you can get something in writing so they can't hit you later on.

 

[John V6]

Karlos,

You must be joking, how can you do a repair on a casing without distortion.

Put yourself as the manufacturer and see if you would replace.

Car nearly three years old, 34k, already has had new clutch, casing would seem to have a repair, all this goes to show the car has had a hard life.

 

[Peter255]

There is no technical reason why the weld on the clutch housing has affected the gearbox. The problem is they are all one large connected unit. And I am guessing they will use any excuse to wriggle out of paying. Then I am truely screwed as I am stuck with the car in bits at Renault faced buying a full new grearbox @ £2K. :shock:

BUT if fecks me off no end as I still have the feckin warranty and the bloody syncros have only lasted 34K miles. A gearbox should last over 100K miles +. :roll:

Peter

 

[John V6]

Welding up an aluminium casting requires a lot of skill, weld proceedures and no way would I weld up with gears etc in place.

You have to watch the temps extremly carefully otherwise distortion, change of properties of material can happen etc etc.

I have been involved in welding up exortic materials over the years.

In one case due to incorrect proceedures cost the manufacturer about 5 million pounds, all this by a simple error and not taking note of people.

 

[John V6]

Has Scott got a box ?

 

[Peter255]

Has Scott got a box ?

Scott arranged for the welding to be done. I HOPE there is no need to worry about the quality. :shock:

Anyay I don't need a whole new box. Scotts suggestion is a rebuild with new syncros, bearings etc. That should be much cheaper (maybe £500)

I wonder if Clarkie will pop up to make a suggestion. :?

Peter

 

[John V6]

Peter,

Did not know that the car was with Renault, I think you have a number of options :-

1 New gear box, you might not be able to do an exchange as casting has been welded.

2 See if the garage can get replacement parts and rebuild but have a feeling they will not warranty the work.

3 See have they can send it to a specialist gear box people, a number in your area, as it is more ore less a standard gear box they might be able to repair just the 6th. speed syncros but from what you have said they are all more or less gone.

4 See if Scott has a gear box.

One of the problems is that a number of people read these articles including the police and you may not beleive it MI5.

Have had a look on google and cannot find a spare box at the moment.

 

[John V6]

As I have said before I could buy an exchange box cheaper than I could get the parts.

That was a few years back but I doudt if things have changed.

 

[Peter255]

Peter,

Did not know that the car was with Renault, I think you have a number of options :-

1 New gear box, you might not be able to do an exchange as casting has been welded.

2 See if the garage can get replacement parts and rebuild but have a feeling they will not warranty the work.

3 See have they can send it to a specialist gear box people, a number in your area, as it is more ore less a standard gear box they might be able to repair just the 6th. speed syncros but from what you have said they are all more or less gone.

4 See if Scott has a gear box.

One of the problems is that a number of people read these articles including the police and you may not beleive it MI5.

Have had a look on google and cannot find a spare box at the moment.

Sorry for any confusion, the car is sat on my drive. No work has started yet.

I hope the police will not worry about this :shock: as i'm not suggesting anything illegal.

My current plan is to get Scott / Clarkie on the case. They can then get the box out and then rebuilt. I just need to get some quotes. I will speak to Renault but they are feckin useless. They will just say "sure bring it in sir and we will have a look. "kerching" $$$$!:roll:

Peter

 

[Peter255]

Anyone? :cry:

Peter

 

[John V6]

Phone up Renaultsport in Wimbledon, they may be able to help.

They order parts direct from Dieppe.

I do not know if any of the gearbox parts are special, I would not think synco cones would be.

The other point is France closes down for holidays now so you could have problems with parts from France.

 

[Mike T]

just pull the box and get the syncro replaced - judging by the state of your exploded clutch I expect you may wish to check all parts in the box.

A bellhousing repair will not affect syncro - its just beating the syncro when pushing on that hurts

 

[ant]

Mine is in getting a new box at the moment and I've been told to expect a 3/4 week wait for the new one to be assembled in Dieppe and delivered.

It is not an uncommon failure according to City Renault.

 

[Peter255]

just pull the box and get the syncro replaced - judging by the state of your exploded clutch I expect you may wish to check all parts in the box.

A bellhousing repair will not affect syncro - its just beating the syncro when pushing on that hurts

Mike,
Thats my plan too! However assuming the rest of the box is OK. And we are looking at a set of synchro's, bearings, etc, plus labour at the gearbox specialist can you hazard a guess at a price? I can get a removal / fitting estimate but the gearbox bit is proving more tricky! :roll:

Cheers
Peter

 

[John V6]

Very difficult to get prices as the price is not listed in the information I have.

One set of synco's appear to be abot £140 and another set at about £260.

Bearings seem to be in the order of £20

I would assume that any prices not given are those parts supplied by Dieppe but not certain.

The problem is that untill the box stripped down you will not know for certain what parts are required.

Out of interest it would seem that a Renault Avantime has the same gear box.

 

[ant]

I reckon this is something that is going to effect most of the MK2 cars at some point. When I was looking for my one I came across two that were on their second box.

 

[Mike T]

i agree with John - until its stripped you wont know - I bet its a grand parts and labour

 

[Peter255]

i agree with John - until its stripped you wont know - I bet its a grand parts and labour

Question is then is it worth it?

Shall I buy a new box? I think someone posted they were £2K.

I could risk the main-stealers if i'm going down that route!

This is no an easy choice.

Its going to be a long call to the main-stealers on Monday!

Peter