GearBox rebuild

[X5-D-Sport]

Hi People,

I towed a friends Landy for a few miles the other day, and .... knackered/finished off my tired gearboc

My X5 D Sort has done 138k on the original box & it was getting tired / slow to change / a little lazy etc...

I think I finished off the torque converter, as there is now an engine speed whine from the gearbox area most noticeable on deceleration and pitch changes as revs change down / up thru gears...
AND
where there used to be a nice gentle change up thru the gears, there is now an immense clonk/shock as she changes from 1st to 2nd (when engine is cold), which I can avoid by backing off the throttle just before change up, and I'm guessing I've also taken out one of the damper springs in the mechatronic unit...

Had a quote for an exchange unit - or mine rebuilt with friction disks, filters, torque converter & rebuilt Mechatronic unit..... 3 days & £1150....
which seemed a pretty good deal to me...

So, before I get this job done... any one care to throw their Three-Penneth worth of opinions into the mix?

Regards to all.
Grant B

[X5Sport]

Sounds pretty good to me too.  Mine was well over £3,500 for a full strip and rebuild and a new Mechatronics Unit inc 12 month warranty.  Box was £2k of that.  ZF transmission specialist.

Richard

[Horizon]

Sounds like a bargain to me, the proof is in the finish product though. I had mine serviced at 98k and when I was at the Gearbox specialists he was showing me a few ZF six speed boxes he had on the bench. They had done loads of refurbs and said that it was regular everyday work for them. I tended to trust an Auto gearbox specialist more than an Indie, because it's what they do day in and day out. Hope all goes well and you end up with a smooth reliable gearbox.

[AW8]

Sounds like a good price - Fwiw my advice is to get at least 3 quotes and ask each to explain what exactly is involved. Bear in mind full extent of work required unlikely to be known until it is pulled apart.

I can understand why fixed prices are given for secondhand, recon ( I use the term with a slight raise of the eyebrow) and new boxes/convertors , however unless very good at diagnostic work I will dare suggest that fixed price genuine repairs are a bit of a bet between you and the specialist, ( as to how much the time and parts are likely to cost them).

Reputation is everything. Ideally you want that price but someone similarly skilled as the specialist mentioned that had multiple ZF boxes on the bench.

If it's any consolation one of the biggest alleged dodgy operators got closed down but there are plenty of questionable outfits around still - so maybe still be careful.

[kjb1]

are the 6 speed zf boxes out of the e70 generally unreliable? out of interest? I thought it was mainly the 5 speed ones with the issues? what do you guys say??


Sent from my iPhone

[X5Sport]

The E70 which has a Mk2 box and seems far less fragile and able to put up with the loads that the car places on it.

Richard

[kjb1]

[emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone

[andym3]

If your gearbox is still going through the gears it hasn't gone yet. Why don't you get a automatic gearbox specialist to give it a good service rather than paying out over a thousand pound for a rebuild. It could solve the problem! 

[X5-D-Sport]

Good idea re service, but did this a few days ago, new filter, sump pan & new g'box oil.... No change.

The abrupt change from 1st to 2nd is due to collapsed rubber ends of the mechatronic unit's internal pistons, and the torque converter is the item then whines with engine revs....

The sharp gear change goes, once the gearbox is warm, but the whine remains, although it still drives fine, I do about 1,000 miles a week and cannot afford the old girl to grind to a halt at a lousy moment - not of my choosing.

What I will probably do is to save a few weeks & get the box rebuilt... after all, the poor old thing has done almost 140k

Many thanks for the input.

GB

[RoShamBo]

Carbon copy of your problems on my 90k E53 4.4 recently.
Gearbox started lurching, clonking on downchanges approaching junctions, driving it in sport helped for a bit then started doing it in every setting.
I booked it in for gearbox oil / filter change but before that came it got a lot worse, Trans Failsafe error coming up - running in limp mode - and 2 independent specialists diagnosed the gearbox as fubar.
Bit the bullet and had a full gearbox / converter rebuild and she drives like new now (£2k later ouch) but I have a gearbox warranty for 12k miles / 1 year - which can be renewed for another 12k / 1 year when the first year is up.
So no more heart in mouth moments when the gearbox makes an odd sound as I know I am covered.

To be honest since owning the car I have been worried about the gearbox going pop, its always been in the back of my mind - and now I can actually enjoy the car !

Cheers

Ro.

[Smeeagain]

[quote="X5-D-Sport Salisbury"]
Hi People,

I towed a friends Landy for a few miles the other day, and .... knackered/finished off my tired gearboc

My X5 D Sort has done 138k on the original box & it was getting tired / slow to change / a little lazy etc...

I think I finished off the torque converter, as there is now an engine speed whine from the gearbox area most noticeable on deceleration and pitch changes as revs change down / up thru gears...
AND
where there used to be a nice gentle change up thru the gears, there is now an immense clonk/shock as she changes from 1st to 2nd (when engine is cold), which I can avoid by backing off the throttle just before change up, and I'm guessing I've also taken out one of the damper springs in the mechatronic unit...

Had a quote for an exchange unit - or mine rebuilt with friction disks, filters, torque converter & rebuilt Mechatronic unit..... 3 days & £1150....
which seemed a pretty good deal to me...

So, before I get this job done... any one care to throw their Three-Penneth worth of opinions into the mix?

Regards to all.
Grant B
[/quote]

If you do go ahead please post back and tell us what you think of the work done.
Smee

[Steamyrotter]

I'm staying out of this one....
Don't want to tempt fate...
O:-)

[RoShamBo]

Mine cost £ 1,800 (I remember it was 2k and I got a discount for booking it in the same day !
They had my car for 6 working days.
2,000 miles later.....it drives perfectly.

I am not doubting the quality of the work they will do but I wonder how they can be so much cheaper and do it in half the time. Perhaps I was mugged lol.

A quick search on here shows those that have had it done paid around £2k mark - some more.
I got a couple of quotes - both around the £2k mark.

Ro.

[Smeeagain]

Jason of
Chiptune fame quoted me 1600 earlier in the year. Not done it yet simply because I've been hanging off getting it done
I do wonder at anything below 1200 .....
Smee

[Steamyrotter]

My first rebuild cost me £850 in parts.
Labour free..

Obviously that was retail rates with a little bartering for discounts.

That was full clutch packs, piston seals, gaskets and TC refurb.

In hindsight not all the parts were required, but changed anyway