SOS my D21

[mickylinnell]

Hello guys, my D21 TD27 is missing 3 gears and I cant bring myself to take the old girl (1989) into the woods with my rifle, have no money and the wifes does not share my doe eyed sentimentality towards her (I think she is secretly jealous). I had a new clutch fitted but it is obviously a gearbox prob. Any advice

 

[Old.Tony]

It could be a simple thing with the gear lever, or it could be one of the selectors inside the box - or a synchro ring, who knows.

What is happening when you try to engage one of these gears?

 

[Dion]

What do you use it for?

 

[mickylinnell]

It crunches in if I can even get it in, have lost 1st, 2nd is fine, 3rd is fine, fourth pops out and 5th is fine. cannot get it in 1st at all, this was a gradual process, it just started popping out of 4th at first and then over a few weeks it got worse.

 

[mickylinnell]

I have been towing a gardeners trailer with it Dion

 

[Dave]

Time for a strip down of the gearbox and a rebuild me thinks.

Dave.

 

[Old.Tony]

Sounds to me like a worn synchro as well as some of the retainers and maybe the selector lugs. I have no idea what a rebuild will cost, and no clue about how much you could score a second-hand box at the wreckers for.

 

[mickylinnell]

It sometimes takes some force to get the gears in with some grinding, I have stopped using her for now.

 

[Dion]

It crunches in if I can even get it in, have lost 1st, 2nd is fine, 3rd is fine, fourth pops out and 5th is fine. cannot get it in 1st at all, this was a gradual process, it just started popping out of 4th at first and then over a few weeks it got worse.

Not much you can do about that without at least $1000 for an ebay changeover trans... And then you have to decide if it's worth it.

Second hand boxes won't be far off dead anyway as many die of bearing problems.

The only driveline weakness in the D21 four-pots unfortunately, the gearbox and generally being gutless.

I totally understand the sentimentality thing but you can tow a gardening trailer with a 4x2 D21 V6 and they're getting cheap, with none of the problems of the diesel four pot.

 

[Jason]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[mickylinnell]

Thanks for your help guys