Gearbox removal info needed

[lee M4RSH]

As many will know, my clutch gave up at Anglesey the weekend at CSF after just a few pushing laps bla bla bla.

I’m obviously now in need to get the clutch changed but while doing so, I want to get the gearbox over to Mark to get a refurb on it and also fit a diff.

The part I am going to be struggling with is getting the gearbox out of the car and back in again.
As I’m limited on tools and space it’s not going to be practical for me to do it myself and have the car sitting uncovered for a period of time while the gearbox is out.

What are my options here in either getting it to a garage who will be able to remove, wait and refit or somebody on here I can get the car to who is happy to do the work for some beer tokens.

I want to ge this done asap as Anglesey was my first track day of the year and with the little track time I had I’m itching to get back out there.

For reference, it is a 172 non cup, presuming a 129 gearbox with speedo drive?
Unsure if gearbox has been out before so subframe may or may not be easy.

Let me know your thoughts and if you can help as I’m stumped at the minute on how to go about it.

 

[Mr Underhill]

I can get the car to who is happy to do the work for some beer tokens.
Unsure if gearbox has been out before so subframe may or may not be easy.

It'll cost you more than a few beer tokens. I can hear the screaming and shouting already 🤣

It's one of those situations where learning to work on your own car is essential. A garage won't really want your car sitting on their premises while you send your gearbox off to Mark.

If you can store the car at your place, then I'd suggest having a go yourself. Plenty of folks on here have tackled it — myself included — so I'm sure you'd get a virtual hand.

Alternatively, buy a second-hand gearbox, send that off to Mark, and once he's refurbed it, approach a garage.

 

[lee M4RSH]

By beer tokens I meant cash lol.

I could have a go myself but time is against me with work commitments and while I do have the car in a garage, it’s not an ideal workspace.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to do it myself as I do with most of the work on the car but I think this will be a task to much for me.

I am speaking with Mark so can hopefully get a plan in place.

I “think” I have a 129 box as it’s a 2002 non cup 172 so presume it has the speedo drive.
I’d like to keep the clocks working.
I have seen 130 boxes for sale which I also believe are slightly better? But then I would lose the clocks.

 

[NorthloopCup]

One way of doing it and keeping it relatively simple is remove the engine and box straight out the top.

It’s literally just a case of dropping the coolant out of it, disconnecting the exhaust, unplugging the loom unbolting the gear linkage at the box.

So regards the boxes, in my experience a 130 casing isn’t as strong as the earlier 089 and 129 boxes due to the bearing arrangement. Late 129 boxes had the same bearing arrangement as the 130. The only ‘strength’ the 130 box has, comes from the bolted plate on the diff. Which you lose when you fit a LSD.

 

[Cub.]

If funds allow, buy another box and send that to Mark to have the work done.

Then take that box when done, to a garage and get them swapped over.

Then you either can;

- keep a spare second box (not a bad idea if the track car is going to be a long termer)

- sell the spare box broken

- pay to have the spare box fixed then sell it

 

[Flob]

One way of doing it and keeping it relatively simple is remove the engine and box straight out the top.

It’s literally just a case of dropping the coolant out of it, disconnecting the exhaust, unplugging the loom unbolting the gear linkage at the box.

So regards the boxes, in my experience a 130 casing isn’t as strong as the earlier 089 and 129 boxes due to the bearing arrangement. Late 129 boxes had the same bearing arrangement as the 130. The only ‘strength’ the 130 box has, comes from the bolted plate on the diff. Which you lose when you fit a LSD.

I can get the engine and box out the top faster than I can remove just the gearbox. But you obvs need an engine crane etc.

If you are tight on space and time I would buy another gearbox and get that to Mark, @Krarl might be able to help here. I would then have a garage do the switcharoo, you could send your old box to Mark for rebuild and either keep it as a spare or sell it as a fully rebuilt box.

 

[Krarl]

Have a look down the back of the engine underneath where the coolant bottle is and see if your box is a 129

If it's not a 129 and it's actually a 130 (quite rare, 02 plate would be a 129 box usually) then I have a Quiafe 130 box with an 089 final drive I'd do a deal on

 

[NorthloopCup]

I think we’ve got a plan of attack formed now tbh.

I’ve got a box I can build up and a mate of mine can do the swap over. It only takes him around and hour to get a box out of a mk2 clio. Pervert. 😂

 

[Krarl]

I think we’ve got a plan of attack formed now tbh.

I’ve got a box I can build up and a mate of mine can do the swap over. It only takes him around and hour to get a box out of a mk2 clio. Pervert. 😂

Rookie time that

Whats he doing for the remaining 45 mins? 😂

 

[lee M4RSH]

Rookie time that

Whats he doing for the remaining 45 mins? 😂

Mopping up my tears

 

[NorthloopCup]

Rookie time that

Whats he doing for the remaining 45 mins? 😂

I’ve just asked him. He said climbing off your mum 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

 

[Krarl]

I’ve just asked him. He said climbing off your mum 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

We all know she's a 2 man job

Ask him if he wants a hand

 

[Flob]

I’ve just asked him. He said climbing off your mum 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

Climbing off or out?

 

[NorthloopCup]

We all know she's a 2 man job

Ask him if he wants a hand

He’s called Big Nev for a reason 😂

Climbing off or out?

😂😂