Hi all.
My 3500S has been haunted with gearbox problems during my entire ownership. I started with a gearbox that was extremely noisy- and this was replaced with a gearbox that jumped out of reverse. Last winter this was replaces with gearbox number 3 - that turned out to have a high clonk-clonk sound as soon as the clutch is released - even in neutral.
Now I am fed up with used "worked perfectly when car was parked"-gearboxes. So I disassembled the noisy gearbox I started with - as this shifted as it should and the noise sounded like bearing noise. So the plan was to change the bearings (even the costly special rear bearing) if no other problems found.
But unexpected surprises was found. The internals seems in very good shape as far as I can judge - even the syncro rings looks very good. But the surprise is approx a tea spoon quantity of very small magnetic steel balls of approx 0.2 mm in diameter found inside the roller bearings and especially in the drive entrance for the oil pump.
First question is where do these small balls come from? My theory is that the box has been overhauled but the balls is from blasting and not cleaning the housing afterwards. They have certainly entered the gearbox from "outside".
The needle bearings have no signs of damage or wear but I will naturally clean it all and replace if in doubt. But the oil pump is not feeling like it is spinning smoothly as I would expect it. But it is a riveted unit. Any one having experience with with taking these oil pumps apart (and back together again) ? In theory most of these strange steel balls will have ended inside the pump so I need to take it apart or to replace it.
Thanks in advance
Frank, Denmark
My 3500S has been haunted with gearbox problems during my entire ownership. I started with a gearbox that was extremely noisy- and this was replaced with a gearbox that jumped out of reverse. Last winter this was replaces with gearbox number 3 - that turned out to have a high clonk-clonk sound as soon as the clutch is released - even in neutral.
Now I am fed up with used "worked perfectly when car was parked"-gearboxes. So I disassembled the noisy gearbox I started with - as this shifted as it should and the noise sounded like bearing noise. So the plan was to change the bearings (even the costly special rear bearing) if no other problems found.
But unexpected surprises was found. The internals seems in very good shape as far as I can judge - even the syncro rings looks very good. But the surprise is approx a tea spoon quantity of very small magnetic steel balls of approx 0.2 mm in diameter found inside the roller bearings and especially in the drive entrance for the oil pump.
First question is where do these small balls come from? My theory is that the box has been overhauled but the balls is from blasting and not cleaning the housing afterwards. They have certainly entered the gearbox from "outside".
The needle bearings have no signs of damage or wear but I will naturally clean it all and replace if in doubt. But the oil pump is not feeling like it is spinning smoothly as I would expect it. But it is a riveted unit. Any one having experience with with taking these oil pumps apart (and back together again) ? In theory most of these strange steel balls will have ended inside the pump so I need to take it apart or to replace it.
Thanks in advance
Frank, Denmark