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Knocking in transmission

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SMGoose said:
You guys may be right. I just worry about getting duped again.

Mickey,
I thought with a name like Richaud, you might be from my neck of the woods! I'm a Cajun from Lake Charles and lived 6 years in New Orleans while at Tulane.
Click to expand...

Yep - Dad was born in New Orleans; his family was originally from Terrebone Parish. I graduated from Fortier High, just a few blocks from Tulane, and my wife, Janet, from Franklin, also (at the time) close by.

Had your King Cake yet?

King Cake.jpg
 
That's funny...I was born there and grew up on Esplanade st near the quarter. My Grandfather was a proffessor at Tulane. What's the most funny is I never saw a Triumph in person till after I left! Could have used one cruising the lakefront in highschool, though!
 
I appreciate the encouragement. That King Cake looks delicious! I've not had that pleasure this year. Good to see some fellow New Orleanians here. I don't think I ever saw a TR4 before I bought mine. These roadsters would, indeed, enhance the NOLA experience. I remember the main character from Walker Percy's "The Moviegoer" had an MG he would cruise around Southeast Louisiana in.
 
I remember reading Percy's novel, but don't remember that detail. Will have to look that up again.

There's a very active British Car Club in N.O., and their annual show this year is on March 23, at Delgado College. Always a good turnout, and some great folks hosting.

Janet and I have attended several years, but won't be able to make it this year - couple of conflicts. Here's the info:

https://bmcno.org/CurrentShow/Carshow.php
 
I had the knocking issue a few years back in the TR6. Layshaft bearings took a powder (literally) which allowed the layshaft to move far away enough from the mainshaft to cause the teeth to mesh only on the edges. It knocked a tooth off first gear. Kinda looks like an iffy desgin to me, big bearings on the mainshaft and little tiny bearings on the layshaft. In normal operation the 2 shafts are trying to shove each other apart. Wonder which bearings are going to give up first? I was fortunate that someone in the local Triumph club had a trans that they gave me for parts so I didn't have to buy any gears. If I had to pay new retail for gears, I might consider other trans options. I did buy the rebuild kit from Quantum and used the buckeye/vtr instructions to rebuild it. The only pain was getting the tailshaft housing off the transmissions (x2). I made my own tool as described in the instructions. Only other special tool was calipers to measure the various washers. Do follow their advise and use a coathanger to store the bits as they come off the mainshaft so that you keep them in the correct order. Also, I would take a very good look at your existing synchros and maybe get opinions from the peanut gallery here on the board. I wasn't super excited about the quality of the replacement synchros and in hindsight wish I had re-used the old ones as they were fine. I meant to put them back in if I ever had the trans apart. Car is gone but I still have the synchros.
 
When you push a synchro onto its cone, it should "bite" as you try to twist it and feel like it is locked onto the cone. If not it is worn or warped. Old brass rings are usually worn, whereas a lot of new ones are bent. I learned this the hard way.

I rebuilt an old Muncie 4 times, each with all new synchros, and every time it would grind a different gear. Finally talked to an old head who explained the GM replacement rings were all warped. He sold me good ones and showed me the "bite" trick I mention above. Never had to take the Muncie apart again!
 
That's probably how the Muncie got it's nickname... The Rock Crusher...
 
Time for a small update.

When I drained the gearbox this time, this is what came out of it:
IMG_0491.jpg

The broken ones make me cringe. I haven't pulled out the gearbox yet, so I don't know the full extent, but this next picture is the kicker:

IMG_0492.jpg

It looks to me like someone actually installed it in that shape...and then sold the car to me :mad-new:
Anyway that's where it sits now, still in the car. I had to walk away for a bit!
 
Needle bearings...as a minimum the countershaft is gone, and the counter gear set, and the main and center bearings, and...

You can wait till you get it apart, but I think the most economical course will be a good used tranny. Sorry...
 
Hmmm - how long had that previous owner owned the car?

(I have this terrible vision of how relieved he was, when your test drive didn't end badly.)

Tom
 
Sorry to hear about that, Scott. I mostly agree with John, except it can be hard to know when a used tranny is "good". A better course, if you can afford it, might be to buy a used tranny and plan on changing at least the countershaft bearings & shaft before installing it. Or at least pull it apart for inspection (but odds are good that they will need replacing). I haven't priced them recently, but if that is all it needs, it should cost less than $200 for the parts.
 
Randall, John: that's pretty much what I figured. Tom, the PO had it 10 years so I'm sure he knew. Although he never did any work on it himself, he talked up his mechanic quite a bit. So either the PO was duping me or his mechanic was fleecing him. Judging by the odd replacement choices like the old, but non-original fuel pump; the old, but non-original coil; and the shoddy patchwork on the original exhaust, it was probably a bit of both. Lucky for me.
 
You won't know want you really need until the transmission is out and apart. I had a tooth come off my counter shaft. I almost bought all used internal transmission parts for the same cost off new parts. I went with new counter shaft gear, shaft, bearings, all the other bearings and seals. All of this was around $400.00.

don
 
Just East of you in St. Clair, MO is Wilson Motors. Maybe they can hook you up on parts and maybe a good used tranny.
 
Thanks, Larry. Wilson Motors wasn't able to part with anything they had, but I did find some rebuilt options in Kansas City at Foreign Car Enterprise. They offered me a rebuilt TR4 gearbox for $800 plus the swap of my old one. It's only a couple hours drive as well. I'm highly considering this option because with all the work I've done to this car in the past few months, I just want to get it back on the road.

Can anyone vouch for their workmanship?
 
Why in the name of sin would you not get the supra tranny and install it NOW??? Rather than throwing good money
into a box that has little to be said for it??
If you have a nice OD box and worship the coventry gods, you might want to restore it. But if you dont why not
make the car better than new????? I have never heard of anyone regretting the silky shifting of a toyota 5 speed.wishing for the clunks and
whines of their old english lump....
MD
 
MDCanaday said:
Why in the name of sin would you not get the supra tranny and install it NOW??? Rather than throwing good money
into a box that has little to be said for it??
If you have a nice OD box and worship the coventry gods, you might want to restore it. But if you dont why not
make the car better than new????? I have never heard of anyone regretting the silky shifting of a toyota 5 speed.wishing for the clunks and
whines of their old english lump....
MD
Click to expand...

Just curious. What does it involve for the swap? Do they make a kit to match the bell housing and the shift linkage?
 
I know its an individual decision, but putting the Supra 5-speed in my TR6 was a good choice. It shifts smoothly, doesn't leak, and best of all the revs are much lower at highway speeds. I agree if you have an OD to maybe keep it, but I'll have to agree with MD.
 
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