Gearbox overhaul

Hi,

My '80 cabriolet has a whine in top gear and has recently developed a rumble which has not been solved with new drive shafts. I was lucky enough to pickup a complete '92 car for parts which has low miles and was running perfectly before a light front-end crash that bent the R/H chassis leg and wrote it off.

The 'new' gearbox is out, and I've cleaned it up. I was thinking new drive-shaft seals and input shaft seal, along with fresh oil, clutch and mounts, and maybe a linkage kit.

Is there anything else that I should do before I get stuck in and remove the old box to fit the new one?

I forgot, the car is a 1500GLS but with a later 1800 carb engine. The parts car is an 1800 GTI. Both have 5-speed boxes with 100mm cup driveshafts..

Thanks,
Robin
 

Assuming the different ratios work out OK, you seem to have covered most things.

The only other thing I can think of replace the green tin-lid cover thingy on the end of the box if it looks at all rusty.  You dont want it leaking oil after all your hard work.

Oh, and poss a new clutch cable if the existing ones worn/sticky

That's reassuring, thanks.

The green tin-lid-cover-thing you're referring to is plastic on this box (like on the other one) so corrosion shouldn't be a problem in the short term…

I'll get a new clutch cable too.

Thanks again,
Robin

The 80 transmission if still original has 90mm axles on the transmission end, the 90 tranny usually has 100mm axles on the tranny ends, and the front CV will not directly fit in to your spindles. you can use your 90mm axles in the car, for the new transmission but you will have to swap over the Differential Cups on the transmission from the old to new.

see www.brokevw.com

The 90mm Axles fit in to 100mm Spindles, but the 100mm axles will not fit into the 90mm spindles.

So just swap the cups over.

The green Cap means it is a 5spd gearbox, and that you have to swap over the linkages and bits if your OEM was a 4spd.

OK thanks - as I said, both are 5-speed boxes with 100mm cups. I guess the box and driveshafts were fitted before my ownership along with the 1800 engine.

Now I just have to find the time to work on it! There's an E30 BMW and a S123 Merc in the workshop at the moment

Robin

Also worth replacing the small seal that goes around the clutch push rod as if this leaks it's 'goodbye clutch plate'. When I had my box out I also replaced the brass bush that the push rod runs through, and the push rod - not expensive parts so worth doing.