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willclarke

Advice pls - 6th Gear synchro gone

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Looking for some advice please

 

My 86 has developed a 6th gear synchro issue. Recently its been jamming getting out of 6th gear while on the move. It goes in and out fine when stationary. Took it to garage this morning - and I've been sent to a gearbox place as they've said it's the synchro gone. (reputable garage).

 

The previous owner had 2nd gear synchro changed under warranty 2 years ago due to notchyness, and apparently the dealer whilst doing this dropped 6th gear on the workshop floor and therefore changed this at the same time....

 

Now I'm up for £1100+ bill to get this sorted without any 'event' of failure. I'm advised it's probably the dealer repairing 6th on the cheap (as I imagine they didn't get reimbursed for this one).

 

I could get a second hand box for about 600/700 from ebay, or I could order the parts (about £400) for 6th gear from Toyota and have this chap fix the existing box.

Labour for replacing box £480

Labour for fixing existing box £780

 

(+ gbox oil)

 

My current mileage is 50k

 

As you can see the prices are going to end up similar for either option.

 

Risk of replacing box - unknown history of it / any issues

 

Risk of repairing mine - open the box to find potential more issues

 

Which way would you recommend I go about this shitty situation please?

 

 

 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

 

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I would go for the rebuild of your existing box. Normally you get at least 6 months warranty on the rebuild. Even if you got a box out of a crash damaged low mileage car if it was in gear with the clutch not depressed the gearbox can be damaged from the impact

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Don't know. Which choice is best/cheapest, guess by a lot depends on luck. I know for certain that i wouldn't be able afford new gearbox, priced insanely expensive. Used gearboxes IIRC comes for about 600-1000gbp eg. at ebay. But if it will be lemon or no .. if you choose to replace synchros, possibly i'd order maybe these. For oil i had best feel with Redline MTL GL4 70W80 (2.2lr needed, thus 3x1qt bottles)+ perrin transmission mount and gearbox rear bushing. If gearbox is taken down, at same occasion i'd possibly install new throwout bearing (Toyota P/N SU003-07349 Subaru P/N: 30502AA150) and maybe forged fork & pivot at same installation time. Maybe also these springs (not hard to change even with gearbox mounted) for stronger lever centering feel.

BTW, prior doing anything else, i'd check 1) if there is no slight clutch drag (sometimes when misadjusted clutch pedal travel), that sometimes makes engaging into gear harder, and 2) maybe might help clutch shifter adjustment procedure. That is if it's not actually synchro's fault of couse, which also is possible.

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Thanks, after speaking to a few people I think I'm gna go for a used box as it opens a can of worms when it crack open these boxes so would rather replace the lot.
Found a jdm one from jap performance parts, can't imagine there is any difference but will a Japanese box fit a UK car no issues?

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AFAIK should be no difference. Rear diff FD ratio differed a bit in MY2017 MT in USDM vs EUDM, but gearbox IIRC should be same. But japanese .. sounds like shipping from afar. That + heavy weight of item .. sounds to me like potentially very expensive shipping. I'd try first to find something more local, eg. UK/DE and such ..

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8 minutes ago, Church said:

AFAIK should be no difference. Rear diff FD ratio differed a bit in MY2017 MT in USDM vs EUDM, but gearbox IIRC should be same. But japanese .. sounds like shipping from afar. That + heavy weight of item .. sounds to me like potentially very expensive shipping. I'd try first to find something more local, eg. UK/DE and such ..

Jap performance parts are in Crawley, i.e. near London Gatwick

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AFAIK should be no difference. Rear diff FD ratio differed a bit in MY2017 MT in USDM vs EUDM, but gearbox IIRC should be same. But japanese .. sounds like shipping from afar. That + heavy weight of item .. sounds to me like potentially very expensive shipping. I'd try first to find something more local, eg. UK/DE and such ..
Okay, this one's already imported and sat in London somewhere (where japaneseperformanceparts are based), so shopping is £60

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For anyone thats interested thought i'd update this,

Went to turbomonkeys  in Boston, Lincs (on will300's recommendation). They couldn't replicate the issue (always the way when you show someone isnt it!) - so i agreed they change the oil which came out a grey colour and replaced a gasket which was likely leaking. Box felt better after this running around back roads..

But then a week or so later after sitting on the motorway for about 30mins in 6th on the way to see Mike @ TD for a super-res install, coming off the slip road and crunch, same thing! Felt like it half came out of gear, stuck somewhere between neutral and 5th/6th, grinding/gear spinning noise to match. Struggled to get into neutral as was coasting up to the stop line. Once into neutral, it felt like there was no springs on the box so the lever would just sit wherever i left it! Fished around for 1st gear and pulled up to let Mike @ TD know i wasn't going to make it. After a few minutes regained some positive feel to the level and limped home on the backroads using gears 1-5.

So back at Turbo Monkeys, again couldn't replicate the issue (fenny single carriageway roads over there!) but thought it sounded like the gearbox was overheating when on longer trips in 6th. They had a replacement gearbox there (the reason i went to them in the first place), so they went ahead and swapped the box over from a 2016 car, including replacing the rear prop shaft seal too. 

Needless to say the replacement is absolutely fine, and whilst they were at it got rid of the hideous front numberplate brick so looks better now too!

Would definitely recommend turbomonkeys. Their first attempt to fix was under my instruction and basically didnt want to screw me over recommending a new box if i didnt need it right away (we still dont know what the issue was with my last box - they're going to strip it down eventually). They work on a lot of our cars and subarus. I'm sure you've seen their 1uz v8 swaps, very impressive!

If i get an update from them on what the issue was  i'll post it up on here

Cheers for all your inputs

 

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