Removing Gearbox & Overdrive

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

 the GB is out.

The exhaust and prop shaft stayed put.

Tomorrow I'll start on the gaskets and seals and the lip seals for the selector rods.

 

Roger

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

Have taken the GB out and have started to strip it down.

Got the selector rids out only to find that I had already fitted lip seals in place of the 'O' rings - oops!

When putting the taper lock screws into the forks I had a brain wave (more trouble on the horizon).

I have previously wire locked them in place - 3/32"  drill hole in the head and wrap the wire around the forks. This was never tidy and took a bit f effort to do.

So today I made some tab washers    One tab is against the taper screw head, the ther tab is folded down against the fork body.

It looks secure and quite neat - I'll do a pic for tomorrow.

Another issue is inside the bell housing. There is a ring a grease/oil around the bell housing. I assumed this came from the gearbox oil via the seal in the frint face extension.

Having taken the seal out I then thought could it be the grease in the release bearing spinning out.

The grease is attached to the bell housing   so what is dripping out of the bell housing. The crank rear seal is of the Land Rover type what the crank is ground down to fit.

I hope this is not leaking.

Tomorrow I will fit the GB  extension seal

Split the OD from the GB and sort the OD engage mechanism, fit new gasket and seal up.

Make a spanner to the hold the  prop flange and undo the big nut and then replace the seal at the back.

Then on Tuesday fit the GB back into the car.

 

Roger

[John Morrison]

On 7/17/2021 at 7:44 AM, Kiwi64 said:

Hi, I know this was an 'old' article but does anyone have a copy of the gearbox crane dimensions?  I am about to take out the gearbox out of my car as I found several bits of hardened steel (looked like bits of a cog) sitting in the bottom of the box when the oil was drained.................  Cheers  James

Hi James,

did you get sorted? otherwise PM Your email, I'll sort today.

John.

[Z320]

Hi John,

no critics at all but allow me to say here:

to lower a heavy item in the correct position with a hydraulic jack

has to be made with maximum care for fingers, hands, and surrounding surfaces.

I was a young boy helping my father when I had to realize his, and this was not funny…..

This is why I use a threaded bar on my crane,

this allows me to lower the gearbox millimeter by millimeter without danger.

I hope that helps all to keep all fingers uninjured.

Ciao, Marco

[Motorsport Mickey]

20 minutes ago, Z320 said:

Hi John,

no critics at all but allow me to say here:

to lower a heavy item in the correct position with a hydraulic jack

has to be made with maximum care for fingers, hands, and surrounding surfaces.

I was a young boy helping my father when I had to realize his, and this was not funny…..

This is why I use a threaded bar on my crane,

this allows me to lower the gearbox millimeter by millimeter without danger.

I hope that helps all to keep all fingers uninjured.

Ciao, Marco

+1 a Good point. A hydraulic control is sometimes very difficult to just ...ease the fluid flow through to give you that slow fall and then...stop precisely. On a gearbox realignment that's very often a number of times. I shall make mine with a screw thread.

Mick Richards

[RogerH]

Hi Marco & Micky,

 I am at present using John's crane. I find that best way to be precise is to lower a fraction past where you want to be and then raise it

The raising process can then be millimeter precise.

Another plus point is that the up/down process is very quick.

 

In removing the GB with this crane I was sorely tempted to remove the heater box.

That way there would be a great deal more room to raise the GB clutch arm over the floor and then backwards.

Roger

[Z320]

Hi Roger,

some more safety is what I want for me, more safety never should be a problem?

Lifting up and down "fast" is relative to the total time you need.

With my crane I do not have to put the heater box out because my crane arm with hook is very flat because I know there is limited space.

But again, no criticis on John's crane, just my ideas.

Ciao, Marco

Edited July 19, 2021 by Z320

[Ian Vincent]

John's crane worked fine for me - with a hydraulic jack.

Rgds Ian

[dingle]

For some reason, I have always removed the top cover assembly (covering the opening with cardboard) before removing the gearbox. It lightens the load a bit and makes filling just a  matter of dumping bottles of fluid into the opening.

Anyway, would removing the top cover, making a plate to fit the opening, and attaching the eye bolt to the plate be beneficial? it would save a few inches of height at the lifting point. 

Funny how we look for ways to something easier as we age. A factor that wouldn't have been considered a few years ago (77 here).

Thanks for a great idea.

Berry

[Kiwi64]

Hi John, Roger sent me a copy of the gearbox crane!  Thanks very much James 

[rvwp]

Hi Roger,

When you put the gearbox back in, normally always  frustrating trying to twist the gearbox to get it past the floor and line it up.

I found that by connecting a cargo strap from the strap under the glovebox, then under the gearbox and the other end around the steering column. This provide support to the front end of the gearbox under the dash and by adjusting the cargo strap it can be more easily aligned to the 3 studs to make the connection to the engine.

By this method there is no need to lay under the car trying to support the GB on your chest and trying to align it by using the cargo strap can be done single handed from inside the cab.

Hope this works for you and saves a hernia .

Regards

Rich

 

[John Morrison]

Hi all,

because of the degree of overlap in these two threads, and because hopefully, I can add something to both, I 've merged them here in General Technical.

Re using the crane I knocked up some time ago, It is a simple, safe one man operation to remove and replace our TR gearboxes.

I've never had a problem using the hydraulic jack, and whilst common sense is always useful when working on our cars, there is no time you should be in anyway vunerable.

As a guide, with the car a foot or so off the ground, and all the inside stripped out, undo everything you can reach from underneath first. Clutch slave, closing plate, bell housing bolts you can easily reach, propshaft at the gearbox end, and I always remove the diff end as well, I found it just gives masses of clearance for re-fitting at the gearbox output flange, where you are going to be manouvering the box.

I've never removed the exhaust nor had to think about removing the heater box.

Inside remove all the rest of the bell housing bolts and the starter, fit the crane to take the load, jack the engine under the sump, and remove the rear gearbox mount.

Pull the box back half an inch, and cable tie the clutch drop arm to a convenient vacant bell house bolt hole.

Pull the box with its weight on the crane, twisting slightly, without effort or the risk of a hernia, and remove.

I usually drop the box onto the passenger footwell, and from there on to  a workmate.

I'm NOT saying that this is the only way, or indeed the best way, but it is a tried and tested, safe without strain way.

Happy to answer anything else.

John.

 

[RogerH]

+1 for JM's information.

I didn't raise the car at all - perhaps that may have helped.

Pulling it back was quite difficult because the GB was firmly stuck to the engine somehow. One it split it came away as per usual.

Also the top right hand corner of the bell housing was fouling the body work.

Re - My comment about the heater box - if it wasn't there, then I'm sure the clutch drop arm would more easily have cleared floor.

In general it is a very good tool. 

Tomorrow I will do the reverse and see what happens.

 

Roger

[Ian Vincent]

I did have to raise the car but only by a couple of inches to allow the front arms of the crane to slide under the chassis rail on the near side. The castors I used were leftover from a previous project and on the large side.

Rgds Ian

[RogerH]

2 hours ago, Ian Vincent said:

I did have to raise the car but only by a couple of inches to allow the front arms of the crane to slide under the chassis rail on the near side. The castors I used were leftover from a previous project and on the large side.

Rgds Ian

Yes, I had to do the same on the TR4 with John's 'standard' wheels

Roger

[jogger321]

Probably being a bit cheeky here but thought worth asking

 

It looks looks like my gearbox with 0/d has got to come out of my TR6 and be rebuilt. I last did this on the same car 35 years ago with my brother and remember just how heavy it was..

Looks like i'm going to have to do it on my own.. It's beyond my skills to make a stand so I was wondering in anybody that has made one would be willing to lend theirs at all..Happy to pay all costs/hire charge etc

 

Many thanks

 

[Ian Vincent]

Where are you Jogger? I have one in Frome, Somerset.

Rgds Ian 

[jogger321]

Hi Ian..I'm in Stratford upon Avon..Its a bit of a distance ..I've sent you a PM

 

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by jogger321

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

Here is another approach

https://www.dr-doolin.com/index.php/tools/tl502

https://vimeo.com/392334424?fl=pl&fe=sh

 

[RogerH]

Fascinating but still hard work.

I prefer having the three long studs at the top and an electric scissor jack underneath.

 

Roger

[Chilliman]

4 hours ago, RogerH said:

I prefer having the three long studs at the top and an electric scissor jack underneath.

I don't use a scissor jack but completely agree with the benefit of using the long studs to help align the box, makes life a lot easier.

[Lebro]

+1

Bob

[Trumpy3]

Interesting thread. I made a very similar crane many years ago based on a photo of one made over there that I saw on some web site. Mine can be quickly dismantled and fit in a MX5 boot so it will fit in any TR boot. I also used an hydraulic jack. Since then I replaced the hydraulic jack with an electric jack with a remote control which meant I could stay in the car with one hand on the box and use the other to raise or lower the it.

The jack comes from an old treadmill my neighbour was throwing out. I pulled it apart to see if there was anything that was worth adding to my junk collection. The mechanism to raise and lower the platform (hills) was an electric jack. I temporally replaced the hydraulic jack with it to ensure it was up to it. It was, so it is now permanent. 

Unfortunately I can not take a photo as it is out on loan but due back next week so will post one when it comes back.

Brian

[Drewmotty]

I made a gearbox fitting frame by accident😂😂😂

A strap around the scuttle brace certainly makes gearbox fitting a lot less of a strain although it’s never easy.

[Waldi]

Hi John,
with your permission, your article about the gearbox crane has been published in the Dutch TRCH magazine. I had to compress it a bit due to size limitations.

This is a good example of the value of this forum!
Thanks again for your effort.

Waldi
(who is currently re-installing his gearbox after a lay gear needle bearing failure)

Edited June 23 by Waldi
pictures