Gearbox Change - How Long Does It Take Roughly?

[EnglishRob 0]

Hi folks,

 

After my gearbox going bang at the weekend I'm hoping to get another gearbox tomorrow. Now I've been told it is about a 4 hour job to get the gearbox off the car and another 4 hours to get a replacement on there but I'm certain when my mate did it for me last time he didn't take that long (around 4 hours to replace the gearbox on my old 205 from a BE1 to a BE3).

 

Does 8 hours sound reasonable, and does the engine have to be dropped down to change the gearbox?

 

Ta,

 

Rob

[cybernck 403 1 Cars]

maybe this will help you:

 

http://www.205gtidrivers.com/articles.php?data=s-gearboxswap

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

I'd say a couple of hour's top's but I;ve done loads, But as soon as you find a rusted up bolt of the D/S has locked into the rear engine mount then it can take longer and again if you;ve never done one of course it will take a while, I'd say a novice with all the correct tools should be around 6 hours start to finish

[EnglishRob 0]

That's interesting, I'm starting to think my mate is trying to take me for a ride then saying it's 8 hours. I don't mind paying him for the work but I think I'm going to ring around for some quotes before going to him.

 

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

Rob

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

It's only a 4 hour job with Autodata from memory which is easy if you have the tool's and experance of them, As said I;ve done them in about a 1 1/2 at a push but on Race car's which are slightly easier as there's no rubbish normally on top of the box

[timb1046 1]

me and my mate did mine to change the clutch last weekend. we're both novices when it comes to boxes. it took us about 6ish hours to get the box off and back in. (including tea breaks)

[M@tt 77]

definitely see if you can get a mate to lend a hand (especially with the lifting off and putting back on of the actual gearbox) as wrestling with one on your own under a car on axel stands is not a great deal of fun!

[Rom 0]

If its being done on the floor, its gonna take a fair bit longer just due to awkwardness.

 

I had to take mine out on the floor recently as i couldnt get it to work. Took me about 4hrs total, but im a mechanic so have lots of experiance and tools. Plus my car has been apart before, so nothing was too hard.

 

8 hrs isnt quick, but on the floor, and inexperianced, and taking into account possibly siezed bits and pieces. Its not totally un realistic. Depnds how the job goes, and on thier skill level.

 

The rear engine mount and gearbox mount need to come off. Easiest way i find is have the car on stands, one jack supporting the engine, allowing it to move up and down to ease the job. Another under the box to take the weight while you position it.

[M@tt 77]

i'm seriously considering gettign one of them draper floor transmission jacks as i'm always destined to have to do boxes on the floor. Makes the job 10 times quicker and easier if you have to do it on your own (which 9/10 i am) so its well worth £75 for the time saving and no more scraped, banged, bruised knuckles/arms/chest etc from trying to lever the buggers up into position

 

http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/150kg-Floor-T...5-Draper-TJ200T

[Tom Fenton 1,548]

I must admit that I have considered a few times making a cradle that a BE box will sit into, to fit onto my trolley jack. However I think the main obstacle to this (and the jack you linked to) is the subframe sticking out and getting in the way.

 

The way I usually do it is to get the box sat on the trolley jack, and then reach in over the wing to lift the box up into position. I find 205's easier to do than 306's, somehow there is more space!

[jonnie205 1]

on a ramp i can have the box on the floor in 40 mins, 10 mins to fit clutch and new seals, 1 hour to put it all back but i have done many

[pug_ham 245 3 Cars]

The rear engine mount and gearbox mount need to come off. Easiest way i find is have the car on stands, one jack supporting the engine, allowing it to move up and down to ease the job. Another under the box to take the weight while you position it.

The rear engine mount only needs one of the botls removing, the whole thing doesn't need to come off.

 

Last one I did including a flywheel change took me a little over 3 hours on a pug on the garage floor.

 

Graham.

[28CRAIG 2]

I done a clutch change on mine in about four hours the other week in a dark car port they really are a easy job when you know what your doing just they can be a pain to get back on some times.

[easypug 0]

I done a clutch change on mine in about four hours the other week in a dark car port they really are a easy job when you know what your doing just they can be a pain to get back on some times.

 

Yeah if you've got some one to help you get it back it will make things a whole lot easier. Best bet is as someone mentioned earlier using the jack as support. Turn that jack into a person with the other leaning over the wing and holding from the top and it goes on no drama's.

[jackherer 543]

I've changed the box on my Mi16 205 in less than two hours on a driveway on axle stands. It had eaten its clutch after a few thousand miles so everything was new and came apart easily, most pugs are going to throw up at least one issue with a rusty nut or something that will take a disproportionate amount of time to sort out.

 

Something that I found made a huge difference was taking the subframe off, it doesn't take long to remove and refit if you tie the steering rack and gear rods in place and it makes it so much easier to get the box in and out.

[guffe 2]

You can get the box out easily without removing subframe, just rotate the box about 90° counter clockwise and and drop it off...

 

edit: Oh, you should first remove the gearbox mount pin to be able to rotate the box. But after that it's "quite" easy

Edited August 12, 2008 by guffe

[evojay71 0]

I've managed to get the box out within an hour and around another 2 hours to change the diff and refit on my own on axle stands,it's not that bad once you've done it a couple times. First time doing this is always the worst so I'd say 5-6 hours??? Take your time over it and make sure it's done right cause an extra hour is better than another 3 or 4 taking all back out again. Second time around you should do it a lot faster. O yeah and keep the plasters handy

[M@tt 77]

oh also another tip if you got a halfords pro kit use a long 11mm 3/8th socket with a bit of electrical tape round the outside as a perfect clutch alignment tool

[marksorrento205 80]

On the floor 3 - 4 hours. I can do it quicker but done loads. 9 out of 10 times the box slides straight back on. the last one i did took me 30 mins just to slide it on - why? dont know all was lined up, just the way it goes.