Well, I was sooo excited after adding O2's to the engine, having it purrrrrr so perfectly, eliminating all the rough idling, fixing the MAF by cross connecting the bad one with a good one, that I took the puppy on a long drive to France. I came home, parked it with my ears ringing from enjoying the trip with the windows down. This morning I start it, drive for a few miles and started noticing that it shifted into second much more smoothly, almost mushing - I though with everything going so perfectly, it must have just run the g-box in to be absolutely perfect. When I got home, while I left it to idle in order to stabilize temperatures after a brisk run, I noticed a cavitating whine from the back. Put my head under the rear bumper and metallic squealing was obvious. Clutch in it goes away, clutch out it comes back. Engine got switched off immediately, car is in garage. Funny how I ordered a set of SKF bearings a while back when I originally thought this was the problem about 6 months and 5000 miles ago... I'm not going to tackle the work as if it is the lay and mainshaft outer bearings behind the box oil pump, just the tools, lifts and risk of screwing up will outweigh the GBP 1000 I have been quoted by QV london in the UK. If the problems catapult from there, eg. the bevel gear bearing etc., then it is just economically unviable - aside for the fact I just don't have the time or the space for doing the work. This is my daily runner, so I am going from 4 wheel Ferrari to a 2 wheel Ducati, or 2 leg person... It will be picked up next Monday (not even starting her up until this is fixed) Well, my consolation is that a GBP 1000 bearing replacement is far better than a gearbox rebuild for GBP 7000.... Besides, he's going to reset the geometry, tweak the suspension for my weight and balance the cat to 57% rear and 43% front, with 25mm spacers on the rear axle. He said with the new bearings and the new geometry, added to the well balanced engine, I'd get a new car! Marco
Marco - As somebody that has been in your same shoes, can you share the year/assembly/miles of your car? Can you peek under the g'bax and get the build number from it? Mine had the same symptoms you described, and it came about quite suddenly. My box was not rebuildable; it was basically hamburger meat on the inside.
1989 year Euro Mondial t with 25000 miles on the clock, of which I put 8000 in the last 11 months. The engine number is in the 17'000s (i'll get that info when I see the car on the lift next.
