Fiesta ST Mk 7 Gearbox question...

[DanTilly]

Hi

Apologies if this is in the wrong place but I have a question

So, last week or so I've been having a weird rubbing noise. Only when moving and nothing terribly bad at all. Car drove fine apart from the odd noise.
Car was due its service in march but due to covid I've not been able to get it until June 17th.

Anyways, today, finished work and the noise seemed worse....I was in stop start traffic so couldn't tell but once moving the noise definitely seemed worse. Few hundred meters later and a clunk and now a new noise when on even the tiniest bit of throttle. Did not sound healthy at all.

I'm about 20miles from home and think just try and get it home but Joining the motorway and without going hard throttle or anything I saw white smoke in my rearview and a clunk again. So parked up on the hard shoulder and called AA.

AA came out and upon closer inspection a cap from the gearbox (cap can be seen from passenger side behind the left front wheel (Wheel needs to be on full lock left) has come off and thus spilling gearbox oil. There wasn't a trail of oil or anything. It's like the cap literally gave up as soon as I stopped moving.

My question basically is, do I need a new gearbox or is it salvageable? Or if anyone could explain what the hell happened? I fear it may need a new gearbox unfortunately. The car has been mapped and has an induction kit. Currently averaging over 40mpg so it's not exactly ragged all the time. I do fear the worse however, below are pics of said gearbox cap thing which looks as if it's had a right battering from the inside

Thanks in advance

[bungz]

Yeah something has failed and has forces the casing from within.

Maybe a good excuse to get a built box put on.....