mk 1.6 rsi - gearbox woes [help!]

[shirt]

hi guys.

new here but a long time poster on other non marque specific forums. here due to a specific problem i hope someone can help me with.

leaving work last night i pulled off in first, moved to second and noticed a lack of power almost like the clutch was slipping. realised i left my mobile in the office so turned around, but noticed a loudish whine coming from the front as i pulled back into the car park. i'd actually noticed a low rumble on a few days preceding but had no time to adequately investigate.

anyway, when i got back into the car i couldn't select any gears. clutch felt as though it was operating normally and the linkeage was tight. with slight revs it was possible to force 1st or 3rd gear but this took some effort.

RAC man reckons it's a gearbox issue as you can't run through the gears with the engine off. does this sound right?


basically, i'm looking for advice on the following:

- what other gearbox options are open to me other than the specific 1.6 rsi box? i.e. will any other 1.6 16v clio or megane / scenic box fit? this gives me much more options to source one easily. local mechanic has quoted £150 to fit if i can get the car to him.

- how much is an x plate 100k mile rsi worth? i need to balance the hassle/cost against how worthwhile it will be as i emigrate in 5 weeks time so only need a car until then.

all replies greatfully received! if needed, reg plate is X37 BLC.

cheers,
shirt.

 

[Josh@Renparts]

You can get a gearbox for £180, its just the cost of fitting to take into account.

 

[shirt]

yeah i've seen the one you've got listed on ebay and am in doncaster [i've bought a fuel rail off you in the past]. just hoping to find something as cheapy cheap as possible.

reason being i also need a new screen, fog light and ball joint fitting which i was putting off doing until i finish work in a fortnight. all up i'm looking at circa £450ish to sort everything for a car that's worth, what £800? which i only need for 4 more weeks until i emigrate.

don't want to breach advertising rules etc. but if it comes to it, what would you guys give me for it to break? pm me if neccesary.

 

[shirt]

hmmm.

finally got the car recovered to the mechanic last night who stripped it this morning to confirm the box was dead. it is, but in a great bit of timing your spare was sold before i rang.

so, does anyone know of an rsi box for sale? JB3-958/167

i can't quite believe non of the other 1.6 16v units will fit, why is this?

 

[shirt]

actually scrap that, just located one down the road from my house [car is at work, 60miles from home!].

only problem is i have to remove it myself and the haynes is in the back of the clio!

 

[shirt]

hello again.

sorry to turn this into a saga, but halfords nr work didn't have a haynes for the mk2 so if the one at home is out I'm fairly stuffed.

I've replaced the driveshafts before so am ok removing that part of the job, and am expecting the box to be self explanatory. I've also just found a thread here explaining how to remove the steering rack.

my 2 questions are thus:

do I need to fully drop the subframe and how do I do this?

will an 8-18mm socket set cover me for all the bolts? I'm also taking a jack, axle stands, stilsons, a balljoint separator and nuts splitter. anything else?

thanks in advance.