New clutch and gearbox now fitted. no problems to report since friday.
i did have them replace the standard rubber rear gearbox mount at the same time and this is worth mentioning if you are considering upgrading to polyurethene mounts.
i thought i had a major clutch problem at first as i was getting some severe vibrations through the car. as soon as you turn the key and start up on idle you can feel the vibration and the difference that a poly mount makes. its a big difference and i am in two minds whether to swap back my original fiat rubber mount as the car was so quiet before although there was a noticeable amount of engine rock on and off throttle so catch 22.
the clutch and all the gears are fine but as you let the clutch in in 1st gear there is increased vibration and also if you are at low revs in 2nd the vibrations increase. cruising along you soon get used to it and its quieter when just flowing along the road. i should add that as far as the poly mount is concerned they will take about 2 weeks to break in. I have toi admit the very next day things seemed a bit better and I dare say the poly does soften up slightly with the rocking of the engine/trans against it.
the benefits? the poly mount certainly controls engine and transmission movement and keeps it to an absolute minimum. it makes for a nicer feeling car in terms of on-off throttle applications. before you could feel some slop in the drivetrain and I dare say the torque being put out would not help. it seems to instant up the response if that makes sense. no foot down, engine rocks back and then you get moving.....its instant and more planted.
so its a real trade off with poly mounts. yes they do a great job but they make your car vibrate badly as the new mount is a lot more solid than the rubber one from fiat.
im not one for simply turning the radio up so i will give it the weeks before deciding whether to stick with it.
getting back to Motormech i dropped the car off at 8am and it was ready by 3.30pm. gearbox and driveshafts off, clutch changed, mountings swapped onto donor gearbox, gearbox refitted, new fluid, road tested.
note that they like to go home early on Fridays so generally like to be gone before 4.30pm which is when i arrived to get the car. it was all locked up and they were ready to go home. the bill was very reasonable for the job at just over £200 with the fluid and VAT. i supplied the 2nd hand box (whines in 4th and 5th - another thread on that), clutch kit and poly mount.
Like most garages they'll prioritise in their field - but when the work is quiet they'll take on most work if it pays.
