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A few transmission questions

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desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#692870
Hi

Can anyone please advise on what sort of costs are involved in a Beetle transmission rebuild? Or replacement with a reconditioned unit from somewhere that sells them?

Is it a $1,000 job? $5,000 job?

I am guessing with a transmission it is not worth replacing with another 2nd hand unit.



Just curious on what roughly something like that is to do from somewhere.



Would just be interested in hearing what sort of figures people have paid to have this sort of work done.


thanks.
--------------------------
Kind Regards
Des

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#692895
Hi Des,
Less than $1000 I should think...
Make sure You go to a VW gearbox specialist..
there are a few about on here...
not sure about Tasmania though...

Many people do use 2nd hand gearboxes...
especially if you install it yourself...

but You wouldn't want to pay someone to install a used box... in case it wasn't any good...
sometimes You can find an early gearbox that was going fine before someone replaced it with a later box...

What is wrong with your gearbox Des??

LEE

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#692917
68AutoBug wrote:What is wrong with your gearbox Des??

well it may just be an adjustment to the clutch but may also be a worn syncro.....

if you want to change back from 3rd into 2nd, you have to be doing 20kph or less, otherwise it will crunch, if you want to go from 2nd to 1st you have to be stopped, not even walking pace otherwise it will crunch, changing up is fine,
3rd to 4th is fine, coming back from 4th to 3rd is fine at about 50k's etc...

also when you are at the lights, stopped and trying to get it into 1st it is like fishing for a gear, sometimes hard to get into "there"

but other times it is fine,


i can drive it so it doesn't crunch, but just annoying,

not that i am going to be using it that much,
maybe 20 or 30 miles a month


just thinking about my options etc...



thoughts?

I thought it was ether a clutch adjustment or the 2nd syncro is worn, so if it is, it would be a good time to do the bearings etc... etc..
--------------------------
Kind Regards
Des

slippy Casual Dubber

49 posts · joined Oct 2008 ·

#693337
Not beetle, but I did a recent gearbox exchange for a type 3. I was given a choice: ~ $500 for an average reconditioned one with 30 day warranty or ~ $700 for a good one with 3 or 6 month warranty (I forget). I went for the good one and never looked back.
71 fastback daily driver

desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#693339
slippy wrote:Not beetle, but I did a recent gearbox exchange for a type 3. I was given a choice: ~ $500 for an average reconditioned one with 30 day warranty or ~ $700 for a good one with 3 or 6 month warranty (I forget). I went for the good one and never looked back.
What was wrong with your old one if I can ask?

thanks
--------------------------
Kind Regards
Des

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#693356
it should be mandatory for vw drivers to learn how to double clutch

nearly every gearbox around has a rooted 2nd gear syncro
the old 36hp bugs used to have a sticker on the dash saying do not shift into 1st gear whilst vehicle is in motion

all those faults are just common old age vw quirks
my last rebuild cost me $500 but that was 10 years ago and i had a perfect 2nd syncro just very noisy bearings and a reverse gear with a missing tooth that used to pop out on hills 😂
was good for scarering passengers

desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#693358
Thanks Joel, sounds like very common issues then?

thanks for your help.
--------------------------
Kind Regards
Des

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#693367
yea old age get us all unfortunatley

if you can find someone who is willing to rebuild it i'd go for it if price is decent
makes them so much more pleasent to drive

ive never understood so many ppl are happy to rebuild engines for 1000s but when it comes to the gearbox most are happy to just learn to drive with the little idiosyncrises (sp?) instead of a rebuild that would be less than $1k
same with changing gearbox oil, they hold the same quanity as the engine and should be done every 2 or so years, but ppl go for 10 or even more years without changing it....swing axels are really prone to containimation when the axle boots split

a 2nd hand box may have the same problems or if it doesnt could in the near future

sorry rant over

desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#693369
Joel wrote:a 2nd hand box may have the same problems or if it doesnt could in the near future

sorry rant over
No that is a good point, not much point spending half the cost of a rebuild when it "may" only last 6 months, 1 year etc..

rebuild should last the rest of the cars life,
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Kind Regards
Des

matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 ·

#693392
desh wrote:[
rebuild should last the rest of the cars life,
Thats what the last owner to reco the box said.😂
Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#693394
matberry wrote:
desh wrote:[
rebuild should last the rest of the cars life,
Thats what the last owner to reco the box said.😂
hah well my Beetle will hardly do 200-300 miles a year so I think it will outlive me.

😊
--------------------------
Kind Regards
Des

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#693459
Des
Have you checked whether there is enough oil in the gearbox...?
a lot of the bearings etc are splash fed...
so if its low on oil that wouldn't help...

also the oil should be hypoid oil
so it should smell terrible,,, lol

LEE
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

dangerous 23 Windows of Awesome

5,901 posts · joined Jan 2005 ·

#693474
The last quality swingaxle rebuild I did used $800 worth of parts and 20 hours of labour.
Swingaxles take more time than IRS though.
Most boxes need a lot of stock used parts as well as new bearings synchros and re-bushing housings.

A reconditioned box is not a mainshaft bearing($78) and gasket kit($13).
westi wrote:That's mad Alan.

desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#693475
Thanks guys, haven't checked the oil actually, didn't think of that.

😊

Going into see Bocchino Motors tomorrow with her, to see what's what and get a service and report.
--------------------------
Kind Regards
Des

desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#693477
vw54 wrote:What year model is the gearbox ??

Car is registered as a 1965, 1200, but the build is August 1964
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Kind Regards
Des

donn Wolfsburg Elder

3,515 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#693482
Oil will make all the difference, wife had a reno 12 once that was giving big probs changing gears and sounded like the box was about to drop out of the car, checked the oil nill.. none.. zero came out, filled it up and all probs fixed, went on for 10 years with no probs b4 we sold it still going strong, oh yeah, we swaped mechanics after that too.
I dream of a day when a chicken can cross a road without being asked for it's motive!