2nd gear 'crunchy' from cold

[leshkin]

Just wondering if there is something wrong with my gearbox as 2nd gear makes a crunching sound when the oil is cold. This happens when it is engaged two or three times and goes away after, what I assume, the gearbox oil warms up. Anyone has any ideas or is this normal in cold weather?

I can avoid the crunch if I engage the gear very slowly, but that's not the way obviously.

Before anyone asks - I do press the clutch fully

 

[ikbenben]

I have exactly the same problem

 

[Westy]

What's your cars milage? Has the earbox oil ever been replaced or checked?

 

[jonny87]

i sometimes have a similar problem going into 4th, only when cold etc

i have heard the word 'syncro' thrown around a bit on here but cannot remember what this relates to?

am i in the ball park or am i talking utter bull?

 

[ikbenben]

Mine has 72k miles and the oil is replaced 1500miles ago. Don't know how it was before but I only have the car for about 2 months and the first thing I did was changing all the fluids and filters.

 

[Dani_B19]

Got the same problem, gearbox oil changed about 5k ago, cant see it been the syncro-mesh like alot of people say because if it was wouldnt there be metal particals in the oil?

Ive noticed that mine seems to crunch in cabin and not on the gearbox, its weird.

 

[jonny87]

i dunno mate those gears will take hell of a bashing before they start chipping etc

also i havent changed my g/box oil yet, on me list of things to do lol

 

[leshkin]

Mine had it's changed about 10k ago during it's last long life service. My mileage is 88k.

 

[s3_kev]

mine used to do this then i blew the gearbox up and so had the complete box rebuilt by my local specialist, still did it after that and they supplied me gear oil for the box when i re-fitted it, left it a couple of months but never got any better so rang the specialists up and they came over picked the car up and took a look they told me they could'nt find any thing wroung so changed the oil again to somthing else and re-aligned the gear linkage again both of the things i had tried a few times previously but some how they have nearly cured it there is very mild notchy feeling at times but once warm its so smooth,
so syncro seems very unlikely as my box was completly rebuilt and still done it, must be a mix between getting linkage correct and using the correct oil

 

[Matt82]

second gear syncho dying. get some new gearbox oil in from VW/Audi and see if you can save it

 

[Dani_B19]

Im sure its todo with the gearlinkage, had a play with mine the other day and there was some play but no real way of tightening them.

Thinking about changing to short shift linkage's and new selector cables.

 

[Matt82]

i doubt a linkage would have a problem only when its cold. dead synchos typically crunch when cold

 

[Dani_B19]

Yeah but mines not really when cold, its when shifitng, like if i shift in a certain way its fine, if not then its notchy etc... so thats why i believe my linkage is knackered.

 

[MIKE GTR]

This is what we use in skylines to prolong the life (they have a weak 3rd to 4th syncro)

Available from opieoils.co.uk

Product Description and Technical Details

Technical Details PDF
REDLINES unique ShockProof™ Gear Oils are recommended for heavily loaded racing differentials and gearboxes which see shockloading.

ShockProof™ contains a unique solid dispersion which cusions gear teeth to help prevent tooth breakage and allows the use of lower viscosities to give less drag and better shifting. Available as SuperLight, LightWeight and Heavy.

A unique lubricant containing a suspension of solid microscopic particles as an extreme pressure agent - unique solid dispertion which cushions gear teeth to help prevent tooth breakage and allows the use of lower viscosities. Recommended for heavily-loaded racing differentals and transmissions, OFf Road racing and problem gearboxes. The viscosity characteristics allow the lubricant to resist throwoff and provide a film thickness similar to a 75W250 grade, while providing the same low fluid friction as an SAE 75W90.

 

[vetch]

Just wondering if there is something wrong with my gearbox as 2nd gear makes a crunching sound when the oil is cold. This happens when it is engaged two or three times and goes away after, what I assume, the gearbox oil warms up. Anyone has any ideas or is this normal in cold weather?

I can avoid the crunch if I engage the gear very slowly, but that's not the way obviously.

Before anyone asks - I do press the clutch fully

I cant speak for anyone else, but as far as the OP is concerned, seems pretty normal to me. I had my gearbox oil changed and a new dogbone mount less than 1000 miles ago, and mine has a very slightly notchy/crunchy feel going into second for the first few changes when cold. Nearly every car Ive owned has been the same when starting from cold. As long as it goes away fairly quickly, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[ikbenben]

I have to pull pretty hard to get it into 1st and 2nd gear when it's cold. After a few miles it's gone, shifts like new then.

 

[paulious]

For me, 1st is difficult to get in (even when warm) but 2nd is very easy, infact the easiest even though it makes a crunching noise as you described. This does go away however after it's warmed up and to be fair that isn't bad for a gearbox that has done 200k and on the original clutch!

 

[jonny87]

second gear syncho dying. get some new gearbox oil in from VW/Audi and see if you can save it

yer thats my thinking, change the oil, maybe check linkages etc

if not solved il live with it for now untill i rip the engine apart at a later date

 

[MIKE GTR]

yer thats my thinking, change the oil, maybe check linkages etc

if not solved il live with it for now untill i rip the engine apart at a later date

As i said, use this REDLINES unique ShockProof Gear Oil and it WILL go away - but at the end of the day there is something wrong for it to crunch

 

[Matt82]

well thats a bold statement. someone needs to do it just to see.

your boxes are o2m and o2j right? i thoguht those were bullet proof

the oil change is a must though. it does no feature on the service schedule at all

 

[jonny87]

well thats a bold statement. someone needs to do it just to see.

your boxes are o2m and o2j right? i thoguht those were bullet proof

the oil change is a must though. it does no feature on the service schedule at all

at all? ten year old oil cannot be healthy lol

question is gen audi oil or as mike suggested this shockload stuff, gotta be worth a shot i suppose, would you suggest the heavy or lightweight mike?

o while we are on the subject, can anyone tell me how much the g/box holds?

 

[Westy]

I noticed a slight 1st to 2nd crunch this morning but it went after the first time! my box has done 115K miles but I had new oil in it about 3k ago.

Perhaps it's just normal?

 

[Matt82]

at all? ten year old oil cannot be healthy lol

promise you, its not on there. they state they check the level but id bet money they dont

i have an o2a box in my golf, previous generation to yours. i did an oil change at 144k, it was pitch black. did another at 200k miles, came out practically clear.

id just stick with VW/audi stuff. the oil spec is a bit of a secret with vw, they dont state what it should be.

if you buy audi/vw gearbox oil youll realise it is not 75w90. the genuine stuff is no where near as viscous

 

[MIKE GTR]

E-mail oilman on the opieoils site www.opieoils.co.uk they are so good. Tell him the problems, the car etc and he'll give you informed advice and not just direct you to their most expensive product.

In my skyline i've used heavy, simply because its got a lot of power going through it with a triple plate clutch and I want to preserve the standard box for as long as poss

 

[jonny87]

cheers guys, will have a hunt around and get in touch with "the oil man" and make a decision and report back with results of oil change next weekend

thanks again to you both

 

[1animal1]

my gearbox oil is original