Gear Box Advice

[thewelsho]

  fai 17 said:

so how often should i change gear oil in my spec of car?

Every 5 minutes That reminds me, I have done well over the 1000 miles with my new box and really should have gone in and got the oil changed. See, no wonder why things break on me!

[AlanG]

  fai 17 said:

so how often should i change gear oil in my spec of car?

Soz, should have explained better. I ran Redline in the Sti box but went on to Millers when i went to PPG. Initially 75/90, then 90/140 when i had slight crunch issues. I never changed gearbox oil in the time i had the gearboxes, though you could change it as per your service schedule if it says to do it, i can't remember.

Thinking about the Sti 'box, i can't remember if it gave up on the 525/560 spec or 630/540 spec. I think it was the latter cause i remember it cost ****loads to up the spec, then i ran out of money, so a 'box failure was the last thing i needed at the time, but you know how these things go, you've spent all your fun money and you've got a car sittin' no use to you, so you have to find the funds from somewhere.

Edited May 21, 2008 by AlanG

[AlanG]

Remembering bits as i go along cause it seems that long ago now, but i remember changing the gearbox oil in the Sti box 3 times in three weeks after it first went in, cause of an input shaft seal failure... Was my stupidity for not seeing a bearing missing in the flywheel....

Got quite adept at takin' the fecker out...

[thewelsho]

  AlanG said:

Soz, should have explained better. I ran Redline in the Sti box but went on to Millers when i went to PPG. Initially 75/90, then 90/140 when i had slight crunch issues. I never changed gearbox oil in the time i had the gearboxes, though you could change it as per your service schedule if it says to do it, i can't remember.

Thinking about the Sti 'box, i can't remember if it gave up on the 525/560 spec or 630/540 spec. I think it was the latter cause i remember it cost ****loads to up the spec, then i ran out of money, so a 'box failure was the last thing i needed at the time, but you know how these things go, you've spent all your fun money and you've got a car sittin' no use to you, so you have to find the funds from somewhere.

If an STi Box was handling that, then my measly, paltry 340/400 should easily be handled by the WRX box. Perhaps I was a bit unlucky, perhaps I am a bit ham-fisted or perhaps the gearing in the WRX derivative is actaully made of MDF after all. Oh how I WISH I knew this stuff!

Edited May 21, 2008 by TheWelsho

[AlanG]

In all instances of gearbox failures i've had John, none of them were under load, always with little or no load when they failed and no indication beforehand that anything was untoward.

I had failures when at your level with the UK spec 5 speed, but this was due to flatshifting and a paddle clutch which when changing gear like this can increase the torque load on the gear up to twice the rated output of the engine.

The Sti box, having lower gear ratios than the long legged UK ratios also helps in terms of "lastability". Bear in mind as well that when i used the Sti box with the 2.5, i had it rebuilt with new bearings etc, so it was "as new" and as best it could be, so was pleased enough that it lasted as long as it did before failing, though the plan was always to uprate the gearbox as that was the weakest link.

With the 2.5 easily making its' initial 500 target and feeling of it could take a good bit more, curiosity (and greed) got in the way before sorting out a box which could handle it.

[AlanG]

Is yours a 2.5 John?

[RA Dunk]

  AlanG said:

Is yours a 2.5 John?

yup it would be that

[Boydie.]

  TheWelsho said:

What do you mean? Like NOT using it on the track or using it a certain way? Please enlighten me!

I've found with the boxes i've used that being mechanically sympathetic on them (Matching revs on downshift, not dropping from 5th to say 3rd without matching the revs or ramming the synchros home) will help tenfold. Especially on track where you're going up/down the gears alot at high revs..

[AlanG]

  Ac!D said:

yup it would be that

Ta. Was just thinkin' that torque seemed awfy high if it was a 2.0 at the bhp level.

[thewelsho]

  Boydie. said:

I've found with the boxes i've used that being mechanically sympathetic on them (Matching revs on downshift, not dropping from 5th to say 3rd without matching the revs or ramming the synchros home) will help tenfold. Especially on track where you're going up/down the gears alot at high revs..

Yeah, I thought about that. I do tend to overly use the gears to slow the car into the first corner and the hairpin at knockers. And while I do not flat-shift like AlanG, I do shock-shift a bit. Maybe I should use the brakes a bit harder and match the gear to the speed a bit more, and be more gently on up-shifts.

[Joe1989]

  TheWelsho said:

Yeah, I thought about that. I do tend to overly use the gears to slow the car into the first corner and the hairpin at knockers. And while I do not flat-shift like AlanG, I do shock-shift a bit. Maybe I should use the brakes a bit harder and match the gear to the speed a bit more, and be more gently on up-shifts.

Learn to heal and toe!

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/art...92/article.html

Edited May 21, 2008 by Joe1989

[st3ph3n]

I learned to h+t in a Vectra. It's complete second nature to me now.

Which is occasionally problematic when driving automatics.

[thewelsho]

  st3ph3n said:

I learned to h+t in a Vectra. It's complete second nature to me now.

Which is occasionally problematic when driving automatics.

Your feet are big enough to H+T from the back seat big guy!

[RA Dunk]

ive tried it a few times but my feet seem to struggle with it lol

[mctwistuk]

did you put an uprated clutch in your monster when you got it fixed John?

[thewelsho]

  mctwistuk said:

did you put an uprated clutch in your monster when you got it fixed John?

Nope, still standard and still lasting. No doubt that will be the next thing to go, haha!

[jimser]

  TheWelsho said:

Nope, still standard and still lasting. No doubt that will be the next thing to go, haha!

unfortunately it will john

[RA Dunk]

hope your banging in the over time and saving those pennies up john

[thewelsho]

  jimser said:

unfortunately it will john

Yeah, at least I got two years out of it and its still going. Besides, the clutch is a consumable part and doesn't cost nearly as much to fix as the other stuff that has gone on the car. It's just a shame that my car is my daily runner as well as everything else. So when something breaks I can't afford to wait around on 2nd-hand bits and I can't afford the time to have a go at sorting it myself (besides being a ignorant phud around cars). That said, I love the car, its a fantastic experience and an honour to own such a thing. And I have absolutely no regrets about anything even though I moan about stuff breaking from time to time. I know that when I am old and in a home dribbling my food down my chin and peeing myself, I will be able to look into the distant past and say, "Ah, I remember the time when I had a Scooby..."

Edited May 23, 2008 by TheWelsho

[RA Dunk]

  TheWelsho said:

Besides, the clutch is a consumable part and doesn't cost nearly as much to fix as the other stuff

till you come to buy a twin plate one rather than the OE one with the amount of torque your running, there not cheap either

[thewelsho]

  Ac!D said:

till you come to buy a twin plate one rather than the OE one with the amount of torque your running, there not cheap either

Yeah. I need to sort out the gear box first though but I'm afraid that its going to cost more than any pennies I can save at the moment, but it will happen eventaully, I'm sure. I just sent JohnS a PM to book my track day for June 31... to hell with it! LOL!

[colin_ross]

Amen brother.

I could have bought a new gearbox, rear diff and driveshafts for less.

[thewelsho]

  Playsatan2 said:

Amen brother.

I could have bought a new gearbox, rear diff and driveshafts for less.

Seen all that on ScoobyNet for 2k with dccd from a MY05. The guy called his car a "Dropeye" I'm sure he meant a Blobeye unless there is some other limited design that I have never heard of!

Less than the price of a twin plate clutch?

[colin_ross]

  TheWelsho said:

Less than the price of a twin plate clutch?

Not quite, but all of that for a five speed would be. Think 4 figures and then some. And then the vat. Ouch.

[cullenmin]

  TheWelsho said:

I just sent JohnS a PM to book my track day for June 31... to hell with it! LOL!

Is it not the 28th June?

Rich