Blyton casualty... calling gearbox experts

[DamperMan]

Blyton track day went well.   DS3000 front pads kept braking where the old Mintex M1144’s would have given up.   Car was nicely ballenced with only one spin.

 

Last night I drove it on familiar roads and noticed a lot more whine.   It’s Hard to work out if it’s diff or Gearbox, but i think it’s GB   It’s sounding quite ‘straight cut’ at  low speeds.  

 

This morning I’ve realised I have a whine when stopped out of gear and the clutch out.  Depressing the clutch stops it.   The clutch thrust bearing  is definitely not dragging or even touching.  Pressing the gearstick so the synchros are working a little  makes the whine worse.

 

I’m assuming it’s the input shaft bearing, or lay shaft as there’s a whine when it’s not even moving.    Any other suggestions?   If I get time later I’ll get some oil out for a look. 

[aeg]

Hi Tony, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news😫 but I had my gearbox from Mark Kinnell aswell, it lost the main layshaft bearing taking the shaft and 1st gear with it!! I’m working today but I’m off tomorrow so I can chat about it if you want , cheers Andy 

[DamperMan]

I'm hoping!!!!!!!   It's just bearings...    Sounds like I need to dig out the Standard, leaky worn but working box with standard ratios and get it in to have proper look!....        

[aeg]

I’ll post some photos when I get home tonight of ‘the bits’that we’re given back to me from guy at 3J driveline, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you aswell 😉

[aeg]

The pictures of destruction 😱what’s left of the bearing!!

The end of the layshaft

and the result of the bearing playing with 1st gear . It didn’t sound very good and those we’re swmbo words, mine weren’t printable.

[DamperMan]

Looking back at emails mine was supposed to have uprated bearings to suit a 2.0 zetec and track use.  I assume that was getting it up to 2.8 spec!!! . It was close ratio which changed first, second and 3rd and the gearing was spot on.    If i’m Entirely honest I don’t really want to look until after next weeks holiday.   I’ll change  in the old box, and slacken the throttle cable/ remove 2 injectors  to limit the abuse :).   

 

It will be interesting to see what’s going on in this box.     

 

 

 

 

[DamperMan]

So last week I threw in an old standard box after changing the prop shaft sliding bush and front and rear seals..   the old box was not very oil tight!

 

A few lunch hours and the Blyton ‘special’ box is apart.   Well yes the layshaft bearing has gone...   the box is full of metallic sludge.   Amazingly while in the car it all worked except of its extra whine.

 

The layshaft bearing does not look particularly standard.. I thought it was supposed to be long loose rollers.  This had some dumpy short rollers.   There’s no evidence of a cage..  mind you there’s not much evidence of the inner sleeve either! 

 

 

It will be a while until I attempt re-assembly.    It certainly will need some serious cleaning.  The magnet is like a Christmas tree.    I’m amazed it was as smooth as it was when in the car.  

[the stoat]

Much braver than me, I will do anything on the car other than the gearbox.  They seem to be constructed using witchcraft.  I have cheated and sent mine to BGH and hopefully get it back next week.  

 

Weirdly mine was attacked by its own gearbox oil, through hydraulic action it had worn a hole in gears 2 and 3 after penetrating the hardened layer.

[DamperMan]

This gearbox gave a good fight to not be taken apart. First time in years i’ve Entered gear box.     Rolepins, clips, combined with press fit bits.  I did a lot of wiggling and tapping before deciding it must be a press fit and got the pullers out.   It’s not hard,  although the bottom set of gears out was almost impossible.   I think the bearing outer of the offending bearing has moved outward so the whole set of gears would not just slot out.   In the end I used a large hammer and a block of brass to ease it out.    Putting  it back together I will be following a manual of some description.   Lots of cleaning first, new layshaft and looking at what bearing might work.   What ever was in it was useless.      I’m also wondering how I can draw some more oil through it.  

[the stoat]

11 hours ago, DamperMan said:

I’m also wondering how I can draw some more oil through it.  

 

BGH are making oiling mods in mine, they said you need to cut slots.  Obviously not very precise, and therefore not that helpful to you, as I am sure they consider what they do a trade secret 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

22 minutes ago, the stoat said:

 

BGH are making oiling mods in mine, they said you need to cut slots.  Obviously not very precise, and therefore not that helpful to you, as I am sure they consider what they do a trade secret 

 

If you search on-line, you can find quite a few of the details on most of the mods, though I'm not necessarily saying it's everything that BGH does, or done they way they do it, it's interesting reading to see what's changed though, but I'd still go back to BGH or someone similar!

[the stoat]

10 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary said:

 

but I'd still go back to BGH or someone similar!

 

You may change your mind on seeing my bill from BGH! 😭😊

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I know, I know; but as someone who has to submit similar bills, I have to tell myself what I tell clients who comment; You're not just paying for the time taken today, and the parts, you're paying for the thirty years of experience and knowledge that when into selecting, configuring and programming those parts!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

...That said, a gearbox rebuild is one of those mechanical bucket list jobs that I'd be curious to cross off one day!

[DamperMan]

I did find some info where a nice person had shown how they had cut with a die grinder groves leading up to the oiling holes.   Clearly he was dangerous and had a little knowledge but not quite enough.    The groves for what I could see where cut the wrong way.  He described how it would schoop up the oil... BUT a shaft rotating at high speed like that would never scoop anything.    If the grove was the corrrect way it would have  worked to draw oil out which in turn would pull it in from the ends which would have worked.       It's a bit like turning an impeller water pump water gets drawn in the middle and flung out the sides.   Changing the angle of the blades helps only if you change the blade angle the right way.