My Syncro shell was made on October 7th 1991, and the completed vehicle reached the Finnish Army for them to first use on 21st of April 1992. She had an oil change service every 5000km with Mobil Rally Formula.
During the Syncro's stay with the Army she had 5 gearbox oil changes, the last update is at 84,187.
There then appears to be a few years missing before I got my hands on her via Busman, but with very little mileage being covered, possibly due to the blown engine!! The mileage read 91,000km. It now reads 134,000.
When I first got the Syncro running in October 1996 She did not like changing 4th to 3rd, but otherwise was as sound as a pound.
I decided to take the box out and get the Syncro rings changed by someone recommended to me. The box looked like this. It was intact, not corroded, and had never been taken apart before.
I paid a for the gearbox to be palleted to the re-builder, but I got a call and the pallet had been dropped and part of the case and the bell housing were smashed. "Not to worry my contact said, this bloke has spares which he will use"
When the box came back it did not look right with a nice Finnish parts mixed with old furry English pitted parts, so I painted it, and decoupled it. I had my suspicions about the box, and it seemed to have a lot of grey paste around the seams. I was told it had new synhcro rings fitted.
41,000km later it all went wrong, and started whining real loud. I can remember the journey exactly, did not whine there, but did on the way back.
I decided this time that fellow syncronaut Aidan should be trusted to sort the box out, and I was expecting the worst. With a little over a 2 week turnaround me and Mal took up my box and his front diff for work in my Fox. We kept to 70mph and achieved 53mpg for the 420 mile round trip. Also met Toomanytoys, and saw the two boxes stripped down in front of our eyes.
My box was bad, as all the faults were as a result of the previous rebuild.
This is the lockring for the pinion bearing (which was shot)
It has been undone with a chisel.
This is it on the old pinion bearing (big boy)
This is third gear
You will notice that it has a tooth missing. This was almost certainly done by pressing it on the shaft with a v block, as the tooth was not in the box, and the other gear showed no sign of damage from chewing on the missing bit.
This is part of the reverse gear idler. As not gasket or washer was used on the previous rebuild it has been squashed against the inside of the case.
This is what it should have looked like.
This is part of the reverse idler which was a second hand unit replaced on my box.
It shows wear on the teeth that no other part of the box had, so was knackered before it even went onto my box
These are good teeth.
This is a cover, broken in the drop most likely, and repaired with grey gloop.
Aidan has done a sterling job of the rebuild, and has explained to me what he has done, and why. My box needed £420 worth of new parts (including oiling plates) and £175 worth of good second hand ones.
There are no short cuts with a Syncro, do it right and do it once. Had I had the box done by Aidan 4 years ago I would not be here today with another rebuild.
Collected the box on Monday, and cruised up at 60 mph. The Fox returned 60mpg, got to 370 miles on half a tank. Mal's is in, and super smooth. Mine will have to wait for the weekend. It has been horrible not being able to use the Syncro properly.
Note that all the photographed items came back in a box from Aidan for my inspection, and that he told me about the life and times of each bit. That sort of service is virtually non existent now, and without blowing smoke up his *rse we are lucky to have on this forum.
Simon.
) Name & shame & perhaps save a fellow syncro'er the mis-fortune. Although I know where I'll be heading. Can I borrow your Fox?
+ neither of us have the time spare to do that yet.. (opportunity may arise in the coming months)