The 'E' Type Forum

I’m tyding up my 1969 S2, water circuit already done and front suspension refurbishment shortly on the way.

Meanwhile I’m having some problems with the gearbox for which I need your help.
Third gear cannot be engaged from time to time and when this happens i cannot alternatively go into 4th nor second without heavy grinding. Rest of gears goes reasonably well, it is only, and not always, when i go from second to third. Fourth to third is ok too! I recenctly changed gearbox oil and put SAE90 but to no avail.

I guess my options are (from hopefully cheaper to dearer):

- try with some other gbox oil to see if that helps

- take the gbox out and mend whatever it is

- look for a seconhand/rebuilt suitable gbox (wonder if XJs can be used?)

- go for a full monty and get a 5 gear box (it will help my 3.55 diff too)

Can you please advice me in assesing what could be the problem with my box and what would be your recommendation?

Unfortunately money is somehow object!

Do you have full clutch disengagement?

Maybe the clutch is dragging a little and your push-rod needs extending?

politeperson wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 01, 2019 12:25 pm

Do you have full clutch disengagement?

Maybe the clutch is dragging a little and your push-rod needs extending?

Thks politeperson
I’d say yes, it does disengage fully, otherwise i’d have problems in other gears as well and/or clutch slippage, which i dont have either. Just my guess

It sounds like either selector fork or possibly synchromesh problem to me, either of which are probably only going to be fixable by rebuilding the gearbox.

Before you do this though change your oil to Redline MT 90. Many of us use it in our all synchro boxes. It might help.

abowie wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:40 pm

It sounds like either selector fork or possibly synchromesh problem to me, either of which are probably only going to be fixable by rebuilding the gearbox.

Before you do this though change your oil to Redline MT 90. Many of us use it in our all synchro boxes. It might help.

Thanks abowie, I’ll try the redline MT 90 first if I find in Spain!

I forgot to post what happened in the end!
It was just the routing of the stick. Depending how you throw it it will engage or not possibly due to some little missalignment on the shifting drives below the stick.
Now that i know, it always works

Well the problem may be in the selector rods/forks in the gearbox lid. Worthwhile having a look. In answer to a question from your original post - yes you can use an XJ6 series 1 gearbox for spares - the series 2 though used a beefed up reverse idler and cluster gear . Its worth hanging on to an incomplete (I buy them without the O/D) box - just in case.

Barrie