Clutch? Gearbox? Lots of money?

[kw94]

Hi guys, over the last week or so my gearbox/clutch has started to feel a bit odd... 

 

1. When stationary with the engine off it goes into each gear fine with or without using the clutch.
2. When stationary with the engine running it goes into each gear fine using the clutch 99% of the time.
3. When driving at any speed it sometimes struggles to change up or down a gear, it feels like you have to force it in and sometimes you even get a nice crunch! But sometimes you can't even get it to crunch into gear, it just feels solid.. 

 

I've been and spoken to the mechanic I usually use and he thinks the clutch and all synchromesh rings need replacing/gearbox rebuild and it'll easily be well over £1000 (oh the joys!). 

 

I've also spoken to two Vauxhall master tech's that I know and they both think it's just the clutch because it's VERY unlikely that all the synchromesh rings would go at the same time? I know MB6's have a bit of a reputation for the sychnromesh going on the lower gears which can cause a similar problem, but mine does it on every gear so that makes me think it's not the synchromesh?

 

The clutch is heavy and the biting point is really low but it's been like that for the last 80,000 miles (it's been bled numerous times and it's made no difference at all), it doesn't slip at all and pulls like a train in every gear. The car's done just shy of 152,000 miles, and it's still on the original clutch so it wouldn't surprise me if it is just the clutch that needs replacing, but before I go and throw even more ££££ at the car/mechanic, has anybody got any ideas? 

 

Cheers! 

 

[Krzys]

New clutch time mate. Heavy pedal and low biting point are classic symptoms of the pressure plate failing. Means you aren't able to disengage the clutch properly hence your crunching.

[kw94]

That's what I was thinking, had a clutch go on my old car with those symptoms.

 

Just seems a bit strange that it's been low and heavy for 80,000 miles of my/my dads ownership, and I've spoken to the guy at Honda that we bought it off who was the first owner and he said it was always low and heavy when he had it too. Hopefully it is just the clutch though, spent far too much on repairs in the last year! 

 

 

[Krzys]

Yeah, do the full kit (clutch plate, pressure plate and release bearing) and you should be fine mate.

[kw94]

It's booked in for Monday so I'll update then with either a sad face or a smile. Cheers, fingers crossed!

[KiNK43]

Throw something in the mix.

I had low bite etc. Turned out the clutch release fork and it's pivot were to blame. 

Would change the pivot at a minimum. Whilst box off. Plenty of high temp grease on there.

[KiNK43]

Strange that other b series boxes don't suffer with this low bite issue thatvs9b has.. and the pivot ball is a different size and shape. Much larger.

Edited July 6, 2016 by KiNK43

[dr_broon]

My clutch was like that from when I got mine, and I must have put about another 70k on mine before it got changed (and that was just because I had some gearbox mods done). 

[kw94]

5 hours ago, dr_broon said:

My clutch was like that from when I got mine, and I must have put about another 70k on mine before it got changed (and that was just because I had some gearbox mods done). 

 

That's interesting, did the new clutch sort your problem? 

[dr_broon]

It did

[kw94]

I'm hoping I have the same luck then! The last 18 months seems to have been never ending expensive repairs so if a new clutch doesn't sort it then there'll most likely be yet another MB6 being broken or being sold very cheap