2nd gear crunch??! HELP!!

[Iddzyy]

Hi guys new to this apologies if I've posted in the wrong place.

I have got a 1.6 VVT-I 5 speed manual Auris, I've got a crunch changing to second gear. I've had a clutch kit put in consisting of Clutch, Pressure plate and bearing.

I've had gear linkages put in too.

My next step is to get the gearbox selector changed but according to my luck, no one is selling one but are as a whole gearbox. 

A couple of mechanics are saying gearbox, but I'd rather go for a more cost efficient before replacing the box, as the car only has 94k miles.

 

What would you guys suggest? Thanks in advance, 

Iddzyy

[Cyker]

It may just be the gear selector cables need adjusting/calibrating, esp. if they were changed, as they might not be moving fully into the right positions and causing the gear selector forks to not move cleanly.

May also be the clutch isn't disengaging properly (Release bearing/fork not on properly or slave cylinder is worn and needs replacing or bleeding) but usually that'd affect all the gears.

I guess it could be the gearbox syncros but usually it's 1st that goes first!

 

[furtula]

Have you tried replacing oil?  Lubricate everything, try to adjust the gearbox if there's some adjuster on one of the gearbox cable sides.

Mechanics always say replace whole box, as they don't fix them, and usually customer gets one, so they have no risk on their side.

I'd try with some oil first, there are specialized ones for worned out synchros. But if the crunch is really bad and always there, then i would not bother.

[Konrad C]

13 hours ago, Cyker said:

It may just be the gear selector cables need adjusting/calibrating, esp. if they were changed, as they might not be moving fully into the right positions and causing the gear selector forks to not move cleanly.

May also be the clutch isn't disengaging properly (Release bearing/fork not on properly or slave cylinder is worn and needs replacing or bleeding) but usually that'd affect all the gears.

I guess it could be the gearbox synchro's but usually it's 1st that goes first!

 

I think is correct about the synchro or the clutch not releasing enough. The point about 1st gear synchro going first could be true, because the car is not moving, giving time for the driver to select gear. Now if the first gear does not crunch while stationary and second gear does while also stationary, then second gear synchro is at fault. Also pump the clutch pedal to find out if the gear change improves. Another factor is how the driver adapts to the new clutch after it has been replaced. The pedal will need to be press fully down, where as the clutch had a high biting point previously. Hopefully the gearbox oil was replaced during the clutch replacement. All things point to the gearbox if the clutch side of things are okay. 

[Iddzyy]

15 hours ago, Cyker said:

It may just be the gear selector cables need adjusting/calibrating, esp. if they were changed, as they might not be moving fully into the right positions and causing the gear selector forks to not move cleanly.

May also be the clutch isn't disengaging properly (Release bearing/fork not on properly or slave cylinder is worn and needs replacing or bleeding) but usually that'd affect all the gears.

I guess it could be the gearbox syncros but usually it's 1st that goes first!

 

Thanks for the reply, how would I do the calibration of the cables? I spoke to a mechanic yesterday who said they can't be adjusted?

[Iddzyy]

1 hour ago, Konrad C said:

I think is correct about the synchro or the clutch not releasing enough. The point about 1st gear synchro going first could be true, because the car is not moving, giving time for the driver to select gear. Now if the first gear does not crunch while stationary and second gear does while also stationary, then second gear synchro is at fault. Also pump the clutch pedal to find out if the gear change improves. Another factor is how the driver adapts to the new clutch after it has been replaced. The pedal will need to be press fully down, where as the clutch had a high biting point previously. Hopefully the gearbox oil was replaced during the clutch replacement. All things point to the gearbox if the clutch side of things are okay. 

Thanks for the reply

It doesn't improve pumping the clutch, but it does improve when changing from 1st to 2nd at around 10mph and letting revs drop to idle while holding the clutch. I am already quite able to drive the car smooth with the new clutch, I have been avoiding 2nd gear alot but it's getting infuriating now especially when need to pick up speed quickly whilst joining a mway/ dual carriageway as I do a lot of motorway journeys.

[Iddzyy]

Just now, Iddzyy said:

Thanks for the reply

It doesn't improve pumping the clutch, but it does improve when changing from 1st to 2nd at around 10mph and letting revs drop to idle while holding the clutch. I am already quite able to drive the car smooth with the new clutch, I have been avoiding 2nd gear alot but it's getting infuriating now especially when need to pick up speed quickly whilst joining a mway/ dual carriageway as I do a lot of motorway journeys. Yes the gearbox oil was done in February just gone aswell as when the clutch was changed too. 

 

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Iddzyy said:

Thanks for the reply

It doesn't improve pumping the clutch, but it does improve when changing from 1st to 2nd at around 10mph and letting revs drop to idle while holding the clutch. I am already quite able to drive the car smooth with the new clutch, I have been avoiding 2nd gear alot but it's getting infuriating now especially when need to pick up speed quickly whilst joining a mway/ dual carriageway as I do a lot of motorway journeys.

Second gear synchro worn out. +1 👍

[just_jon]

Yeah, try double de-clutching, so instead of any 'pumping' of the clutch, merely clutch in from first, go to neutral, clutch out, then clutch in and go for 2nd, let out.  You can do this pretty quickly with practice, and might mean you get a few more years from it to recoup the costs you have already incurred.

[Iddzyy]

15 minutes ago, just_jon said:

Yeah, try double de-clutching, so instead of any 'pumping' of the clutch, merely clutch in from first, go to neutral, clutch out, then clutch in and go for 2nd, let out.  You can do this pretty quickly with practice, and might mean you get a few more years from it to recoup the costs you have already incurred.

Might just bite the bullet and get the box reconditioned tbh it's really ticking me off. My daily commute will be 15 miles all local hopefully after few more weel and not 35+ one way lol, so ideally having a fully operational gearbox would be ideal. I'll try double clutching see if works thought idk why I didn't think of that. Thanks for your response!

[Cyker]

If you do, prepare yourself - I was getting some stupidly high quotes plus a 2 week turnaround and I'd have to pay to have it shipped to them!

It might be better where you are as it seems like most of the competent mechanics are up north whereas down here everything seems to be more of a throwaway culture!

 

 

[Iddzyy]

1 minute ago, Cyker said:

If you do, prepare yourself - I was getting some stupidly high quotes plus a 2 week turnaround and I'd have to pay to have it shipped to them!

It might be better where you are as it seems like most of the competent mechanics are up north whereas down here everything seems to be more of a throwaway culture!

 

 

Haha I'm from Dewsbury and found a couple of reconditioning guys, charging around £300 all in 2 day turnaround time. Found a 2nd hand box for £440. Got a mechanic who's willing to take a look and try adjusting cables and selector for me this coming Sunday, if still persists then will have to get it reconditioned because it's driving me insane😂

[Cyker]

Wow that's so much better than what I had!

My quotes were over £700 plus shipping with a turnaround of 2 weeks!

I did find a second-hand gearbox from a welsh breakers for IIRC £200 tho (Yay for Wales!). The breakers round here wanted £6-700 for one - again, crazy money for an old gearbox!

 

[Iddzyy]

1 minute ago, Cyker said:

Wow that's so much better than what I had!

My quotes were over £700 plus shipping with a turnaround of 2 weeks!

I did find a second-hand gearbox from a welsh breakers for IIRC £200 tho (Yay for Wales!). The breakers round here wanted £6-700 for one - again, crazy money for an old gearbox!

 

I'd rather get it recon'd then buy a 2nd hand because of the pure fact you don't know what you're buying and worst case it's knackered breakers aren't usually interested

[Cyker]

Yes, absolutely!