Re: VW PASSAT...advice needed : Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:31 pm  

Gearbox bearings - big job ?

I'm having a new clutch fitted next week, a job that I was aware of when I bought the car last September and the mechanic (good blokes, we trust this garage) heard a whining noise when the car was running in gear, said it was a gearbox bearing and they'd be as well having a look while the clutch was out.

Is this turning into an expensive job ?

Re: VW PASSAT...advice needed : Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:31 pm  

Gearbox bearings - big job ?

I'm having a new clutch fitted next week, a job that I was aware of when I bought the car last September and the mechanic (good blokes, we trust this garage) heard a whining noise when the car was running in gear, said it was a gearbox bearing and they'd be as well having a look while the clutch was out.

Is this turning into an expensive job ?

Re: VW PASSAT...advice needed : Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:32 pm  

Pah! I haven't got two cars that need gearbox bearings...

Re: VW PASSAT...advice needed : Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:27 pm  

McLaren_Field wrote:

Gearbox bearings - big job ?

I'm having a new clutch fitted next week, a job that I was aware of when I bought the car last September and the mechanic (good blokes, we trust this garage) heard a whining noise when the car was running in gear, said it was a gearbox bearing and they'd be as well having a look while the clutch was out.

Is this turning into an expensive job ?

Dunno about that mate, is it that Pug you bought? I would've thought he'd have the box out anyway and can't imagine it being too expensive a job to sort.

When I picked my car up I had four advisories, rear wiper blade, rear disc pads, nail in o/s rear tyre and console bushes. The service receptionist asked if I wanted to book the car in for this work but I declined. I could get all of the jobs done, including replacing all 12 steering/suspension arms, for less than the labour charge on the console bush replacement.

Oh BTW, next time you double post, when you edit the last post, there should be a delete option. Try it sometime

Re: VW PASSAT...advice needed : Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:32 pm  

cod'ead wrote:

Oh BTW, next time you double post, when you edit the last post, there should be a delete option. Try it sometime

There's a gizmo on Sin Bin posts where anyone who is a moderator can seemingly delete anyone elses posts but when you try it doesn't work, ho hum, Big Graeme wins again.

Re: VW PASSAT...advice needed : Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:37 pm  

cod'ead wrote:

Dunno about that mate, is it that Pug you bought? I would've thought he'd have the box out anyway and can't imagine it being too expensive a job to sort.

When I picked my car up I had four advisories, rear wiper blade, rear disc pads, nail in o/s rear tyre and console bushes. The service receptionist asked if I wanted to book the car in for this work but I declined. I could get all of the jobs done, including replacing all 12 steering/suspension arms, for less than the labour charge on the console bush replacement.

I rang the Peugeot main dealer yesterday for a quote just for a new clutch - £484 just for the clutch, more if it needs a flywheel too, I've seen stories of being priced up to a grand for clutch and flywheel by main dealers.

Re: VW PASSAT...advice needed : Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:28 pm  

Prices quoted for clutches nowadays do seem to be very expensive when compared to cars of yesteryear . The cause is the amount of labour involved . I am not aware of any clutches on modern cars that can be changed in twenty minutes like the old corsas and fiestas . Most clutches on modern cars involve major strip-down of lots of body and suspension components . It is not unusual to have to remove the complete front subframe .
The clutch kit itself need not be quite as expensive as the main dealer quote . There are several very good aftermarket clutch manufacturers around . Ad on extras such as concentric slave cylinders I it would be sily not to change it while the gearbox is sat on the workshop flor ) , and dual mass flywheels and the costs can be phenominal .
It is not unusual for the flywheel alone to cost circa a grand . It is always worth doing a bit of research on your car to see if you can find a solid flywheel conversion kit . I have fitted quite a few with no noticable diference in how they operate from the DMFs . The only real diference is usualy on the invoice where the bigest saving I have made for a customer so far was £800 .
Mr Field . Regarding gearbox bearings . I would suggest you give Stephen Brear a call for advice . He is in the same yard as Chipendales on the Farnley ring road . I have been using him for 30 years . Very good service , and cheap too . He actually does a lot of work for a few local dealerships , so there is a good chance that it wil be him that repairs it anyway .
Usual area code followed by 2632073 and ask for David or Steve .

Re: VW PASSAT...advice needed : Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:16 am  

BaldRick wrote:

Mr Field . Regarding gearbox bearings . I would suggest you give Stephen Brear a call for advice . He is in the same yard as Chipendales on the Farnley ring road . I have been using him for 30 years . Very good service , and cheap too . He actually does a lot of work for a few local dealerships , so there is a good chance that it wil be him that repairs it anyway .
Usual area code followed by 2632073 and ask for David or Steve .

Thanks for that, I'm using D&J Motors at Meanwood, my brother has used them for years and they've always been very good, the guy there mentioned that they'd send the gearbox to another engineer to overhaul so it could be him anyway but I think I'll ask them...

Re: VW PASSAT...advice needed : Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:48 pm  

Have used the services of Mr Brear since 1982 , and never had a problem , or cause for complaint . He used to repair the box on my HA Viva van that I banger-raced at a multitude of racetracks around the country , and to this day they still call me Banger Dick when I visit them . That was an amazing vehicle . It did three full seasons of full-contact racing . It was never the same after I lent it to the Pudsey Round Table so they could do a charity race for Children In Need . Grrrr at them and Pudsey bear .

Re: VW PASSAT...advice needed : Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:00 pm  

BTW . He is also guilty of doing the modifications to 'boxes on a mini . The mini has an A-series engine at each end . Each engine has been VERY highly tuned . Two manual shift boxes that change gear under the control of one lever as it goes up the quarter mile in under 11 seconds . A Twini with attitude .