Gearbox whines in 2nd gear. Don't notice any noise out of any other gears. Popped the drain plug and found the following

Click to view attachment

So I'm assuming that I need to pull the box at this point and fully inspect the thing to see how bad it is.

Is this time to ?

Perhaps the Evil one could render his opinion.

Regards,

Mike

How many miles on the gearbox ? When was the last time the gear oil was changed? I would think there would be " some " metal filings that would be considered normal just from the nature of a gearbox working. I will defer to Dr. Evil for a professional opinion.

You COULD try a fresh fill up of Swepco.......

It looks like the tranny fluid hadn't been changed for a while by the color. The metal filings are common wear and tear. Clean up the drain plug and refill with new gear oil and see how it shifts and sounds.

Don't know how many miles on the gearbox. Don't know when the last time the fluid was changed. I've put perhaps 300 miles on the car. When I pulled the fill plug to make sure that it would open before I drained the tranny, the fluid that seeped out was cleaner looking. Would assume that any crud would settle to the bottom..... fluid was much darker when draining. At least the fluid did appear to be full.

What concerns me is the whine in 2nd. Would assume that it should not be making this noise unless there is already some extent of damage. I don't want to make a more expensive problem, if it's something I can resolve now.

Mike

I have a similiar issue. Can the tranny be drained and filled in place? Sorry for the newby q?

Yes, the tranny can be drained and filled in place. It takes 3 quarts...

The color means NOTHING. Some gear oils are amber, some blue, some green, some kinda red, and old style Kendall, one of the best, is black. Replacing the gear oil won't fix a noisy bearing, but it MIGHT help to slightly quiet a noisy gear. It will NOT reverse any damage, but it may prolong the end. Gear oil doesn't wear out like motor oil, and it doesn't get loaded up with combustion byproducts, either. As long as the oil you use meets the straight GL5 standard, any brand is fine. Porsche style synchros operate on friction, so you should NEVER add any slippery stuff, such as moly or teflon bearing products. The fuzz shown in the picture is pretty typical of a tranny with some miles on it. The biggest killer of gearboxes, other than sudden component failure or driving with your hand on the shifter, is driving around with an insufficient quantity of gear oil. And, yes, you can drain and fill the tranny while it's installed in the car. The car needs to be pretty much level, though.

The Cap'n

Mike, what Krust said.

PM me, I may have an offer you cant refuse.....dont you remember that I owe you one?

Whining is most likely a bearing.
The ones in the intermediate plate break, yet still function while they disintegrate...at least for a while.

The gears dont really whine because they are cut at an angle.
If the box was never opened up, the ring and pinion are most likely set correctly by the factory..

With the bearing now moving back and forth...the ring and pinion is no longer setup with the proper clearance and that could be you whining issue...or its just the bearing that is failing.

Either way, yes...go to DR Evils link on his signature and start reading...he tells you how to pull the gear stack and ship it to him for repair.
OR
Search in the classics forum and take a look at DNHunts how to take apart a tranny thread to get an idea of how its done and if you have the tools to do it.

Overall, you will need at least an impact wrench.

Rich

One more thing, did you check to see how many quarts came out? Maybe it was really low on fluid. I doubt the noise will go away but refill it with fresh fluid and give it a try. As long as it doesn't pop out of any gear and you can live with a little whining for a few more miles.....

DNHunts article is linked on my page. Its a good resource

Wasn't low on fluid. When cracked the fill plug at the top, fluid started seeping out. Haven't measured the amount drained, but it was a pretty good amount.

Mike

Evil, you have a PM. When is that bus top going to make it onto the actual bus? I kind of miss the brief stay it had in my yard.

Click to view attachment

Mike

huh? causes problems?

sorry to hijack, I've never heard that, before, care to elaborate?

this was a habit of mine in other cars, so I'd like to know the risk before I start driving the car.

Puts a load on the synchro and the slider. I once owned a 36 HP VW with a chromed steel shift knob. Same thing. Wore out the 4th gear synchro.

The Cap'n

good to know... thx

Yup, the shift fork is constantly worn, and the slider wears on the synchro band when you rest your hand on the shifter. Bad form.

to remedy this problem is real easy ...just keep both hands on the wheel see just like this little guy

Fill it back up with gear oil and drive it like you stole it until it breaks.

Or,
pull the gear stack and send it to Dr Evil...its quick and simple.
He can probably turn it around in a few days and you are good to go for a long time.

Looks like he owes you something anyhow for the roof storage....lol

Rich