Gearbox or paranoid!

Gearbox or paranoid!

Author
Discussion

matthew69

Original Poster:

79 posts

260 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
Have had the beast a week now and love it but found that even after a hundred miles driving still struggle to engage 1st unless completely stopped and 2nd sometimes tough to engaged when decelerating.

Aware that the syncros are not great and that you need to go into 5th before reverse but this seems like too much hard work.

Also got a tendancy to crunch the odd gear unless the clutch is totally, ie in the carpet, depressed.

Maybe its just me getting used to it OR its my crap driving but has anyone any tips.

Also have adjustable pedals and wondered if this helps.

There seems to be lots still left in the clutch car only has 24,000 miles. ? Dont really fancy forking out for new one after only 120 miles ownership.

Please put my mind at rest!

gazzab

21,232 posts

289 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
why do you think it isnt the clutch?

matthew69

Original Poster:

79 posts

260 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
It just seems to be inconsistent.

On accelaration its fine!

ie When you role up to a junction it wont go into 1st unless stationary.

Same with second if declerating hard, it will do down from 5th to 4th to 3rd then only 2nd it hard to engaged.

Thought maybe it was some form of limiter stopping you changing down at too higher speed. ?

Do you think its worth taking into to get looked at or is gear changing sometimes harder at times

gazzab

21,232 posts

289 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
Never had anything like that happen. suggests something is broken to me.
If ever anything doesnt feel right then get it to a garage asap - the longer you leave it then more expensive it can get.

beej

258 posts

275 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
I'm with Gazzab on this one - sounds like the clutch. 24,000 is pretty good out of one clutch. Strange that it is inconsistent and possibly heat related? Is there any chance that the heat shielding has come away from the clutch fluid pipe, giving you a slight vapour lock - this would amplify any deficiencies in the clutch release. Still, 24,000 is really not bad.

madasahatter

374 posts

274 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
It is possible to adjust the clutch travel slightly in order to make 1st gear (and others) more accessable. Dangerous to do it on your own unless you know what you are doing, since over-adjustment can put a lot of strain on other parts of the clutch.

I am with Gazzab on this one - get down the garage with the car to be sure.

Steve

B19TOY

539 posts

291 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
Clutch slave cylinder? Are these early failure symptoms?

In terms of clutch life I got 37800 miles from my clutch friction materials - it was still servicable too and only replaced along with an engine rebuild and new gearbox. Perhaps I am not driving it hard enough!

olly

2,174 posts

291 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
I'm with B19TOY on this - sounds like slave/master cylinder failiure.... Might be worth checking the clutch fluid level....

(After you've spent 30 mins looking for the resevoir, get a stanley knife & remove the black pannel in the drivers side inner wheel arch.... - took me AGES to find the 81oody thing !)

BornWild

20 posts

260 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all

Had a similar problem with mine......but it was actually only the carpet sliding under the clutch too much....and hence stopping it from fully depressing.

Might be one easy thing to rule out!?!

ianfirmstone

172 posts

261 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
had a similar problem on my Chimeara you must check the fluid level.. also how does the pedal feel? stiff or a bit spongy then stiffens up?. turned out the slave cylnder was loosing fluid and it made gears gard to engage.. adding fluid fixed it untill it drained away again

JAK

121 posts

275 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
This is exactly the symptoms I had before my clutch went altogether.
Some of the fingers had snapped off the clutch plate, until it weakened so much that they all went.
I agree, check your fluids first, because it sounds either hydraulic or mechanical, so it is quite easy to rule the hydraulic in or out.

cinman

182 posts

260 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
Interesting, 'cos I noticed over the weekend, following some "fair" hard driving, that the central isle down the middle of the Cerbera got quite warm (making my left leg get hot!) - could it be oil cooler not working as well as it should? Maybe its normal?

gazzab

21,232 posts

289 months

Monday 14th April 2003
quotequote all
There is a lot of heat soak. That is the gear box and prop - didnt you hear some funny noises anyway?