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Hi all,

My Mk2 is nearly finished after needing to be substantially rebuilt.

I ended up changing my old moss gear box for a newer all syncromesh box with o/d. This has turned out to be a costly process needing a heap of modifications to get it to fit. Anyway all installed and it turns out overdrive doesn't work.

This has been traced to a faulty switch (brand new!) on the box (the one that inhibits o/d when not in 4th). The mechanic has told me to replace this will need to take gear box tunnel/centre console out.

Is there not an easier way to do this? At a cost of £55/ hr plus vat this is starting to hurt. Doesn't help that the head gasket went while on the rolling road on Monday!

In all quoted 28hours to do both at a cost of £2k!

I'm guessing the head gasket is beyond me, but the switch must be easier?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

Hello Culliwoo,

Could he not just undo the gearbox cross member and drop the gearbox a bit so as to gain access from underneath? It's possible that the switch needs shimming to get it to work correctly?

Far too late now but a simple test before the gearbox was installed would have proved the switch operation?

Alec

Bit annoyed the switch wasn't tested first. Sent as a newly refurbed unit direct to workshop.

Hey ho.

Thanks for suggestion will see if that's a go-er. Difficult when I don't have car.

Ps He did suggest he switch would need fettling to get it working properly. I presume that's the reason it needs to be in-situ.

Hi,

When I fitted my recon full synchro gearbox and overdrive in place of a 4 speed moss box (no Overdrive) only minor changes were needed, ie clutch release bearing, as it came with the propshaft as well.

A few months later the new overdrive switch ontop of the box failed (high resistance across the contacts). I fitted a new one and wired the operation via a relay so that the heavy current wasn't going through the column switch or the gearbox switch, only low operating current. It has been fine ever since.

I lifted the carpet, undid the screws holding the fibreglass tunnel top and VERY CAREFULLY levered up this casing and access was easy.

Put a multi meter (approx £10 from Maplin or similar) across the switch terminals and it should show a circuit when you engage 4th gear, and open circuit in other gears, check power supply and the other switches first before diving into the tunnel.

A few months later it failed again but that was due to the terminal wire on the solenoid being partially broken (not many strands left) a new wire soldered on has worked ever since ( over 10 years).

I do my own work so labour is free.

Best wishes

Brian