Technical Car/Motor Issues > Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone.
Thread Author: adamf Replies: 12

 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - adamf
I had been having a slight problem where the Van would "slightly" crunch into 2nd gear. Yesterday the van started to crunch into 2nd very badly no matter at what speed the revs were at. Anyway today it got even worse and within 2 minutes of me driving i pulled over and the gearbox was making a terrible noise - it felt like i was sitting on top of a washing machine on its spin cycle. I turned the van off and have parked it up in a side street.

Do you think the Vans box has finally gone?

Would it be worth just selling it as getting it fixed would surley outweigh the value of the van?



 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - Bellboy
i would consider a s/h box from a breaker if reasonable (depends where you live)
or an ebay seller with trusted feedback not to sell you a pig in a poke
then get a local independent to fit it for you
consider a new clutch while its out

(assuming it is the gearbox doing the spin sound)

shouldnt cost a ransom to do all this
 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - adamf
Thanks for the reply Bellboy. I got a quote from 247 spares and the boxes are approx £130 inc P&P. I believe a new clutch would be approx £70 and then labour on top of that. I wouldn't imagine I would get much change from £500/600?
 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - Bellboy
i was thinking £35 for a box
£70 for the clutch
and about £100 for the labour
 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - adamf
well had a couple of quotes and so far and the cheapest one is £620 for clutch, gearbox, labour and VAT and that is with Mr Clutch. Still waiting on some to come back to me.
 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - The Nut
Keep looking, I had the clutch changed on a petrol escort for £150 by an independent, half what Mr. Clutch quoted.
 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - adamf
I have booked the car in tomorrow wuith a local Indy. He is going to look at it and has said that if it is the Gearbox then he can do it for £500. Thats including a new clutch, Recon box, labour and VAT. Ill keep you updated with the outcome
 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - Bellboy
to do a clutch ion this van you take the gearbox off
so while gearbox on floor its just as easy to substitute for one that works
3 hours to remove and refit gearbox and replace 3 piece clutch
cost of gearbox (i would buy as i said from my local breaker for £35 maybe £50 if hes had a quiet day,or theres plenty on ebay if you are willing to travel withing 50 miles and sold at less than £50
a reconn box will be a waddle of the driveshafts to confirm the diff hasnt dropped then a quick steam clean
a quality clutch is £70
i could get a 3 piece recon from the factory direct for less than £30 if i wanted to without the fancy box that says a new quality item on it
 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - adamf
I have had it done,

Had a new clutch and second hand box put in. The clutch and box are spot on but the gear stick is not as "tight" as before (i.e when in neutral and pushed from side to side it feels very sloppy)

I just wondered if anyone new what this could be and is it an easy fix? If its simple i'll do it myself as i dont really want to lose the van for another day by putting it back into the garage.

Any help much appreciated.
 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - adamf
Ok driven the van for a bit now and the following is happening:

There is a horrendous grinding/droning sound now coming from the van. It is only doing it when accelerating.It was not doing this before it went in with the old box and clutch and also when i put it in reverse it "thuds" in and the the van jerks back.

Think i will call the garage back tomorrow and get them to sort it. They sourced the gearbox so hopefully i should not have to pay anymore money to them as it wasn't doing this before it went in.

Do you think the box is at fault hear? Any ideas?
 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - DP
The thud in reverse sounds like a clutch problem. Some of these Ford boxes had a synchromesh on reverse, so you won't get the traditional grind that would have warned you of clutch drag on a traditional box. Are the gears engaging properly? Is the change stiff at all? Is there any perceptible difference selecting gears with the engine running, and without?

Regardless, the garage who did the work need to have a look at the van, and be given the opportunity to put it right. I would get it back to them without any further delay.

Good luck. Hope you get it sorted.
 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - adamf
All has now been sorted - but what a palavar and experience it was.

I originally rang round several garages to get a quote to replace the clutch and gearbox.
I went with a garage local to me that has a good reputation and they have been around for years so i went with them.

New clutch, Second hand box (supplied by garage) oil and labour £500

Took the Van to them and they had it finished by the end of th day. Drove it home and i didnt like the feel of it. Took it back the next day for them to inspect and they rang me back to tell me that the box they had put in was "kaput" and they would put my old box back in and give me a refund to the sum of £188 (price of s/h box and VAT) they said they would source another one for me.

I went and picked the van up with my now original box in it and drove it home and parked it up on the drive.

Went out there on Saturday morning to give the van a wash and noticed a rather large puddle gearbox oil on my driveway. Had a peek underneath and to my horror and suprise i noticed that the idiots had forgot to screw back in the oil drain plug - it was literally hanging out and and only held in there by one thread of the bolt!!!!

I bought a recon box off eBay for a tidy sum of £110 (inc Delivery) from a gearbox place in Birmingham and i booked it in at a different local garage who fitted it for me today.

The owner called me to say "what a mess the previous garage had made of the box" wrong bolts etc.. used and also that one of the gearbox mounts needed replacing. (he showed me the mount when i got there and the mount had completley split in half)

I drove the van home this afternoon and it drove lovely so i am very happy (touch wood!)

In total it has cost me the best part of £650. I wish now i had just purchased the box and clutch myself and took it to this lovely chap to do in the first place but hindsight is a wonderful thing!! would have been a lot cheaper too.
 Ford Escort - 99 1.8D I think the gearbox has gone. - Dog
Well, you got there in the end, that's the main thing, leaving that drain plug loose is unforgivable,
I'd knock them on the head in future, not literally of course, give em the elbow, like.

:)
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