Brad,
On the subject of paying someone else to fix the gearbox...
I had some similar symptoms a few months ago. Turned out to be the selector
fork (I'm not suggesting that's what's wrong with yours - but it's certainly a
possibility). Didn't bother me all that much - until it broke completely and
wouldn't shift out of 2nd!
Like you, I didn't feel I could dismantle and reassemble a gearbox, so I spoke
to my local gearbox shop. They quoted me £150+parts to fix it - once the
gearbox was out of the car (an extra £100 if I wanted them to remove&replace the
gearbox). Since I could get a recon. gearbox from John Kipping for £150, I
decided this was the best option! I don't know how gearbox prices (and gearbox
shop prices) compare in the US, but it's something to bear in mind.
Good luck!
Dean
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Date: Thu, 02 Sep 1999 11:18:42 -0700
From: "Bradley D. Richardson" <brichard@us.oracle.com>
Subject: tranny help
I need some help with my tranny. On my 79 spitfire, which is really a
78, I've lost 2nd and 3rd gear syncros, or perhaps a fork. It simply
won't go into those gears without trouble. I had a mechanic look at it,
and without taking it out and apart, they think the gears themselves are
fine. 1st and 4th and reverse work fine, so we think we've ruled out
clutch adjustment. I can start out in 2nd, and it works fine. Can
shift into any gear fine when I'm not moving.
Now, I'm a neophyte in this area. Backyard mechanic, nothing extremely
involved. I figure taking the tranny apart myself could even be done,
but getting it back together (and working) is beyond me, so I'd best not
do this.
However, I am thinking about removing and replacing the tranny, and
getting someone else to repair it. Hell, that's a lot of the work, and
would save me a chunk of change. But again, I've never done this.
So, before I start looking at my Haynes, are there specific areas I
should read about before possibly tackling this, to see if it's
something I should even think about doing? I wondering if there are
specific things that have to be correctly aligned again when
re-installing the tranny, clutch adjustments (which I again have never
done), etc.
Brad Richardson
Portland, Oregon
79 Spitfire (FM90541U, really a 78 as made June 78)
79 Spitfire (TFZDW29T001453, really a 80 as made Nov 79)
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