Is it the diff or 5th gear Syncro???

CHESH740R · Post by **CHESH740R** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:51 pm

Hi guys long time since i've posted here since getting out of 480's for a long time.

You guys seem to be the only ones with enough experience of the 400's gearbox foibles.

I was driving a recently aqquired (half way through 1st tank of fuel) 460 TD. I kinda missed the change from 4th to 5th, It crunched but then popped into 5th. However i was then greated with a whap whap whap noise as the wheels rotated.

Got home that night and didnt have chance to look at it. On the way to work the next day, all things are fine, apart from when i went to go for 5th once i'd got on the bypass. The gear grawnched and the linkage stuck and wouldnt let me select anygear

Towed it home and jacked it up. By pushing the linkage at the gearbox end i was then able to freely select all gears again. However spinning either wheel does not result in the opposite wheel spinning, leading me to believe its the diff thats gone. Or does the diff in a FWD gearbox not work this way??? Only really have knowledge of Diffs in RWD cars.

Any experience of diffs failing ???
I read about the 5th gear syncro wearing and the Nut coming loose, which i might check but i doubt that would effect the diff not working.

As for history of car, i've serviced it from 30k to 195k its now on. My brother gave it to me after getting a company car. I put a new clutch in 30k with fresh gearbox fluid, before that the box fluid had been changed every 60kish.

JohnTurbo · Post by **JohnTurbo** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:33 pm

With the car in gear...the other wheel should go the opposite way.

lee · Post by **lee** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:09 pm

i have the experience of 2 diffs failing on me. The circlip holding the diff in place has failed on both occasions. The groove where the circle sits has worn out so that the circlip can only hold limited power (very).

My advice is to just change the box

CHESH740R · Post by **CHESH740R** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:26 am

Cheers Lee thought this was the case. arrrrgggggggg

These 400's love to kick you when your down, just 2 weeks ago I disposed of a donor car with perfect box. I couldnt be bothered with the hassle of removing the box and storing it somewhere.

That'll teach me!!!!