12 replies to this topic

[sonicc]

Hi there guys, had my mini a week now and there seems to be a crunching in 2nd gear. Any ideas what it could be?

[jonny f]

Possibly a synchro.

Engine out job .

EDIT: see below, I meant baulk ring but had Honda on my brain.

Edited by jonny f, 26 July 2014 - 05:16 PM.

[Guess-Works.com]

Baulkring, best bit they're only about £7.50 each

 

the not so good bit is, you're going to have to remove the engine from the car, then take the gearbox off the engine and rebuild it...

[sonicc]

All that for £7.50 lol any places in Essex you'd recommend?

[Fossy313]

dont rule out master cylinder or slave, all my crunching was done because of a master cylinder leaking and not allowing the required depression on the rod

Edited by Fossy313, 26 July 2014 - 07:58 PM.

[sonicc]

Is there away that you can see if they are malfunctioning?

[KernowCooper]

If you have full lift on the clutch and the overthrow nuts on the shaft are touching the  boss on the clutch casing, and you dont have difficulty engaging gears or clutch drag, its as Guessworks said bulk ring/syncro, its common on 2nd gear.

[Cooperman]

Can anyone remember the early 850 Minis which had syncromesh which lasted a few months if you were lucky?

We all double de-clutched them and didn't work about the syncromesh.

I guess modern drivers can't do that because they have never learned. It's not difficult and the gearbox and gear-changing is easy when you know how. It saves on a gearbox re-build.

[Guess-Works.com]

ah, but then they forget and take some more dog teeth off the gears and eventually they succumb to the needs of a rebuild.

[Cooperman]

I learned to drive in an RAF Austin 1-ton truck which had a 'crash' gearbox with no syncros at all. That taught me how to work around the early Mini gearbox which was, effectively, a 'crash' 'box after only a short while. It also taught me how to change gear without using the clutch. Done properly double de-clutching on a gearbox with worn syncros will not cause any extra wear or damage if done properly! But, as you say, who will always do it properly?

[Guess-Works.com]

Must admit I'm terrible, and keep forgetting you're meant to use the clutch to change gear, and very rarely use it when I'm just pottering about. The art of matching engine speed to road speed, and as you say, the most sympathetic way of changing gears when done properly.

[Cooperman]

Yes, in my 1275 'S' with SC CR gears I hardly ever use the clutch in normal road driving. In competition it's different as the gear changes are done as quickly as is possible.

[Pigeonto]

So right Cooperman. One thing is, if you drive modern vehicles with their super slick gearboxes, you have to forget all of that and have a little mechanical sympathy when getting back in your Mini. For instance if you are slowing to a dead stop why would you need to down shift 4-3-2-1. Just use the brakes, de-clutch at the last moment or coast in neutral. The brakes are for stopping the car. That's just one example, there's loads of ways you can be kind to the box. If you must go 3rd to 2nd then 'feel' it in with light pressure for a second or 2, don't force it. Even better, double de-clutch. I'm not wearing out my baulk rings. They're a devil to replace.!!