Gearbox growling... (1 Viewer)

Apr 9, 2013
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...or maybe diff, whatever.

Our 1997 1.9 TD Ducato's transmission is rather "growly" under load. On overrun or in neutral, all the noise disappears.

I rather suspect this falls under the category of "not a good thing" but the question is, "how bad a thing" is this?

Is it a case of

A) They all do that sir
B) it's common in older vans but doesn't mean imminent self immolation. You could try some different oil/oil treatment product.
or
C) Prepare yourself for a gearbox rebuild.

Which is it?

Tim
 

Terry

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Can't remember ;)
If it's anoying you that much C If not live with it until C becomes a must -could last months or yrs
terry
 

duane0001

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I would change the oil in the diff (if its got one)
also change the gearbox oil :thumb:

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Jan 4, 2012
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No, they don`t all do that

the worn bearings/gears can`t be fixed with oil treatment.

Replacement G/B is the only answer but the noise may go on for years if you want to put up with it:Eeek:
 

duane0001

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Yes the noise can go on for years,
Putting some slightly thicker oil in can dumb down the sound and maybe extend the worn bearings lifespan a bit,
 
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timdownieuk
Apr 9, 2013
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No, they don`t all do that

the worn bearings/gears can`t be fixed with oil treatment.

Replacement G/B is the only answer but the noise may go on for years if you want to put up with it:Eeek:

Well I wasn't expecting a "fix" but maybe a little bit of peace and quiet? ;-)

A quick google on additives does rather suggest that they're best avoided. Maybe I'll just try an oil change on the "unlikely to do any harm" basis.

Tim

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Terry

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Can't remember ;)
Save your money on the oil unless it is low - you could always try sawdust in the gearbox like some barsteward did to me when I was young ::bigsmile: and didnt know better It lasted about 20 miles :winky:
terry
edit try ear plugs :winky:
 
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Snowbird

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I have never used this product so cannot say if it works or not. I have used other products from this company with very good results, one being Restore. Its not cheap but if I was doing a gearbox oil change then I would add this to the new oil. If its half as good as there oil additive Restore then its worth the price .Link Removed
 
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timdownieuk
Apr 9, 2013
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Save your money on the oil unless it is low - you could always try sawdust in the gearbox like some barsteward did to me when I was young ::bigsmile: and didnt know better It lasted about 20 miles :winky:
terry
edit try ear plugs :winky:

Loud rock music works pretty well too. :roflmto:

Tim

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Apr 28, 2013
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I have a 1.9 Td with 89k kilometres,the box is quiet,I have however recently changed the oil to fully synthetic,which I hope is "sympathetic".
How many miles do you have,grumbling normally sounds like a bearing in my experience,an oil change is not expensive and will do no harm as a first move.:thumb:
 

durhamahoy

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Save your money on the oil unless it is low - you could always try sawdust in the gearbox like some barsteward did to me when I was young ::bigsmile: and didnt know better It lasted about 20 miles :winky:
terry
edit try ear plugs :winky:

I had the same thing on my 2nd car a Cortina MK 2, and the barsteward was a work colleague and I was young, very young :cry:
Steve
 

jhorsf

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Some early fiat suffer from the drain from the scuttle draining water over the gearbox top this leads to water in the oil people like Dave Newell would probably have more info on this
 

dave newell

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If its growling under power but not on over-run then its bearings that are shot and in my experience they never heal. Replacement box or get yours rebuilt. Forget the mileage its done, standing around causes more problems than high mileage, my 05 2 litre diesel Ducato has done 297,000 miles and still going strong. Changing the oil will not help, the growling is caused by pitting of the bearing surfaces and once the hardened outer surface is worn through they can fail quickly. If you plan on going away in your motorhome then shell out and get the 'box sorted properly or it WILL let you down att the most inapropriate moment, like getting on or off a ferry for example.

D.

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Apr 18, 2009
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Not long enough!
One good thing is there should be plenty of these about and relatively easy to work on:thumb:
Its probly the same as the one on mine and no you can't have it:winky:
 
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timdownieuk
Apr 9, 2013
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If its growling under power but not on over-run then its bearings that are shot and in my experience they never heal. Replacement box or get yours rebuilt. Forget the mileage its done, standing around causes more problems than high mileage, my 05 2 litre diesel Ducato has done 297,000 miles and still going strong. Changing the oil will not help, the growling is caused by pitting of the bearing surfaces and once the hardened outer surface is worn through they can fail quickly. If you plan on going away in your motorhome then shell out and get the 'box sorted properly or it WILL let you down att the most inapropriate moment, like getting on or off a ferry for example.

D.

Hi Dave's, I appreciate it's a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question, but what sort of money should I expect to pay for a gearbox rebuild and how long does it generally take?

We're probably only going to manage weekend trips this year (and all in the UK) so I might chance leaving it until the autumn but I could be persuaded to get it done sooner if you think it's urgent.

Tim
 

dave newell

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Hi Tim, no idea what it might cost really, seek out some gearbox specialists for a quote. It may last te year or it may fail tomorrow. Many years ago nw wife had a Micra and the box always whined. After a few years it started to get worse so I booked time off from work to replace it. On the morning I planned to do it wife had to go to town first, she phoned me an hour or so later to say the box had given up the ghost on the busiest interchange in Telford. Completely buggered and jammed the transmission solid so had to be recovered home.

Question you should be asking yourself is "do I feel lucky?" well do ya?

D.

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MikeD

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Hi Dave's, I appreciate it's a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question, but what sort of money should I expect to pay for a gearbox rebuild and how long does it generally take?

We're probably only going to manage weekend trips this year (and all in the UK) so I might chance leaving it until the autumn but I could be persuaded to get it done sooner if you think it's urgent.

Tim


Quick search on internet - guide price appears to be somewhere between ouch and :Eeek::Eeek:.

Fiat Ducato 1990-On (All Engines)







Make: Fiat
Model: Ducato
Year: 1990-On
Engine: All Engines
Gearbox supply Price: £550 + VAT
Gearbox Fitted Price: £700 + VAT
 

rainbow chasers

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I would get another gearbo (no 'ecs' still - keep forgetting new keyboard!)

If you weigh that up, against a ruined holiday, returning home on the back of a lorry - probably changing every 100 miles or so, taking 2 hours - probably not worth it
 

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