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The definitive Gearbox thread


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Cheers sausage, I shall check it out. your bang on with the gear selector issue as the one in question has been chemical metalled together somehow, it leaks a little but seams to work all nice and smooth. The box is quite noisy but am hoping to change this eventually. Thanks for the info.

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If you can't read it in situ (and i'm pretty sure the numbers will be upside down compared to the pic above) you might be better off to take a photo in macro made of the number at a good resolution then you can rotate it and make it easier to read.

On the lupo box it was easily readable (out of the car) but the polo box was nigh on impossible until i photo'd it.

DSCN4575.jpg

It says 48DCE09117

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Question: do you fill these up until it comes out the filler plug hole, or just put a specific quantity in? i.e is that an oil level hole or just a filler hole?

Plenty of shiny (metal flakes) oil came out of that dead box btw... I didnt measure it but it easily filled the paint roller tray i drained it into. having just now refilled that paint tray with water to a similar level i can say it was at least 2.5l of oil that came out, not a dry box by any stretch of the imagination, but likely under the 3.1L spec.

The oil throw from the diff should oil that bearing and oil level wont affect that too much as the diff sits lower in the oil I'd have thought. So it's probably just not a man enough bearing as it's under double stresses from the diff and the input shaft.

if 3.1L doesnt get to the bottom of the filler hole, I'd be inclined to overfill it a touch.

I got told recently by someone who deals with the gearboxes is to actually overfill the gearbox with 1/2 a litre, apparently not enough oil gets to the 5th gear bearings?? By no means I am saying this is correct or anything :) Although I have a gearbox swap soon, and shall be filling up to the oil fill port then adding an extra 1/2 litre. Have to see how it goes...

Also what gearbox oil would people recommend? 75w/90 is the standard, has anyone used different such as 80w/90?

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I got told recently by someone who deals with the gearboxes is to actually overfill the gearbox with 1/2 a litre, apparently not enough oil gets to the 5th gear bearings?? By no means I am saying this is correct or anything :) Although I have a gearbox swap soon, and shall be filling up to the oil fill port then adding an extra 1/2 litre. Have to see how it goes...

Also what gearbox oil would people recommend? 75w/90 is the standard, has anyone used different such as 80w/90?

The overfilling is not really that possible. Basically, the rule of thumb is, fill until you can't physically fill anymore, because it's overflowing out the fill hole. You can't do anymore than that.

Yes, I use 80w90.

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The only real way to overfill it is while it's off the car before refitting it. I wouldnt go mad with the oil though, maybe 500ml over max.

The oil in my shagged 085 box was very runny, I'd bet skezza is right about the failures if there was a change to thinner oil and failures increased, i'd go for the slightly thicker stuff in those boxes.

http://forums.clublupo.co.uk/index.php?/topic/101627-tdi-clutch/

Edited by Sausage
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OK, 3 things i found out today on the polo box:

1. The oil fill plug was stupidly stupid fookin stupid tight. It took about 15 mins of blow torch, wd40, shocking it with a lump hammer (impact wrench didnt touch it) and finally at the limit of my strength to hold gearbox under one arm and pull on the torque wrench with the other it suddenly gave way and was immediately free to turn.

2. The oil was noticeably thicker than the lupo box.

3. The same bearing that failed in the shagged lupo box is badly pitted on the polo box, all others appear in good condition that I can see. it's starting to look like a common point of failure to me.

DSCN4581.jpg

I'm assuming i can get that bearing on it's own somewhere? I couldn't seem to get the other part of that bearing out of the clutch cover without damaging it anyway.

Off to try and find a bearing now....

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So the polo GTI box I'm fitting to the sport...

I've refilled the gearbox oil normally till oil comes out the filler port.

I've then added a further 400ml to it (hopefully the box won't explode :/)

I've also used 80w/90 oil.

Have to see soon if it will make any difference. :)

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  • 3 months later...

Hi guys, I've recently bought a 2003 Petrol Lupo (Manual). From the get go, getting into reverse gear was a job, i had to sort of push it down, push to the left then arch it back and get it into reverse, but getting back into first ect was always a fight. When it's in neutral you can clearly see the box has been misaligned somehow, so i've got it booked in tomorrow.

However, today it's gotten worse, where I could put it into first before it won't stay at all, keeps going straight into third, and reverse is even more of a fight to get into, I'm hoping it's not too much of a problem and that it ourely is some misalignment, have you had an similiar issues getting into certain gears with the stick? 

(the clutch seems to work fine for the record.)

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  • 1 month later...

Hi all I am going to ask my mechanic to check the pinion bearing, along with the diff and output shaft bearings. I am having a lot of the same symptoms as what's been posted on this thread!

Firstly, would anyone advise that my mechanic checks anything else whilst he's looking? Also, is my box 02J EXB? Are there any other gearboxes that would fit straight in if I were to replace, that are stronger than mine? Thanks :)

Edited by Low N' Slow
Question answered on another thread, now have a new question
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  • 2 weeks later...
On ‎18‎/‎01‎/‎2016 at 10:30 PM, Low N' Slow said:

Hi all I am going to ask my mechanic to check the pinion bearing, along with the diff and output shaft bearings. I am having a lot of the same symptoms as what's been posted on this thread!

Firstly, would anyone advise that my mechanic checks anything else whilst he's looking? Also, is my box 02J EXB? Are there any other gearboxes that would fit straight in if I were to replace, that are stronger than mine? Thanks :)

 

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On ‎28‎/‎01‎/‎2016 at 0:27 AM, Sausage said:

Your gearbox is the 085 chocolate box unless your arosa is the TDI.

Thanks dude :thumbup: Not a TDI unfortunately lol. Are there any gearbox parts that are uprated/aftermarket and stronger rather than replacing with bog standard parts? I don't want to have to keep replacing bearings etc every so often lol. I've also been told the 1.4 box fits too... are these boxes stronger than the 1ltr petrols?

Thanks all!!!

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...
On 2/2/2016 at 4:04 PM, Low N' Slow said:

Thanks dude :thumbup: Not a TDI unfortunately lol. Are there any gearbox parts that are uprated/aftermarket and stronger rather than replacing with bog standard parts? I don't want to have to keep replacing bearings etc every so often lol. I've also been told the 1.4 box fits too... are these boxes stronger than the 1ltr petrols?

Thanks all!!!

Did you find any stronger alternatives?

 

Any know  if the Polo boxes are any stronger? Got the AFH engine/box in my car at the minute, not checked gearbox code though, I will do that tonight. No issues so far but would like to prevent any. 

Edited by cj1
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  • 2 months later...
On 02/05/2008 at 10:55 PM, VWR Lupo said:

One of the most common faults on the Lupo/Arosa/6N Polo after the Pedal box issue is the gear box failing! Usually the most common on 1.4 16v models

Symption of a Failing Gear box:

If your lucky like i have been with my gear box it will start to wyhine

Hard to select gears or grinding of gears (check its not pedal box first!)

Dont get the noise confused with the clutch release bearing, if the clutch release bearing is noisy it will be in neutral and you can usually feel it vibrating through the clutch pedal. the noise will also go when you put your foot on the clutch pedal!

The wyhine will start when you drive and will increase with gearbox speed.

The part usually at fault: is the Pinion Bearing, it can go without warning or it can start to be noisy and just get worse and worse but it will break at some point!

When it does go it will brake up and you will loose all gears and the gearbox is scrap!

What to do if the Gearbox starts to be noisy

Best thing to do is try not and drive the vehicle and get the box off and get it repaired, it will cost between £250 - £350 inc parts & VAT (its costing me £200 inc VAT & parts but i am removing the box my self).

VW/Seat dont seem to want anything to do with it tho its a common failure (but my car is 8 years old now!)

Please add your thoughts and your experencies on this issue!

I have had to replace my gear box for my arosa sport with a secondhand one and now it won't select reverse the garage has adjusted the linkages and it still won't go in any advice please ?

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  • 1 month later...

Just changed the 18 month old tractor diff oil (straight mineral EP90 GL5 because it was whiney) back to fully synthetic 75EP90 GL4-5 as it's easier to change gear when the oil is cold.

After a year and a half (15k miles) this is what I found on the little magnet I stuck inside the sump plug (in addition to the built in magnet you cant get to). Gives me an idea that all is still ok- no major chips- just very fine black dust. Also the oil came out nice and clean which is a bonus.

I'm still going to rebuild it when I get a chance. 90k miles and counting on my SDI no.1.

1sck5w.jpg

Edited by mk2
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  • 2 months later...
  • 1 year later...

hello there guys. i have a 1.4 lupo e. the gearbox has a bad, loud grinding noise when in neutral. if i put my foot on the clutch pedal the noise goes immediately but foot of the clutch pedal its back. i bought a clutch release bearing and want to change it myself. what i want to know is doi have to drain the oil or i can do it without drain it as i have no idea of where to do it from. can somebody help me out here please with a guide. thanks.

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41 minutes ago, changes0311 said:

hello there guys. i have a 1.4 lupo e. the gearbox has a bad, loud grinding noise when in neutral. if i put my foot on the clutch pedal the noise goes immediately but foot of the clutch pedal its back. i bought a clutch release bearing and want to change it myself. what i want to know is doi have to drain the oil or i can do it without drain it as i have no idea of where to do it from. can somebody help me out here please with a guide. thanks.

No need to drain oil.

Remove start motor (3x13mm head bolts) 

remove driveshaft bolts (12 in total - think they’re size 10 , definitely triple square / spline though) 

4x 18mm head bolts hold it to the block

drop box out (it will clear the subframe and driveshafts with a bit of wiggling!) 

replace thrust bearing. 

Installation is repeat of removal. 

 

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