Ok folks. For the beginners out there..
This is the gear box mount and the earth point referred to in slow starting threads. This was removed from a van somewhat violently. .but look at the rust!!!
2.1 DJ 1990 Caravelle (died and gone to heaven)
2.0 AGG (1997 ish) 1984 transporter LPG
Em, thats standard practice now. Breakers try not to use spanners (its a time thing). They will gas axe and sometimes grind stuff off but their aim is to get the part off fast if someone asks for it. They can be very busy places. So many cars & vans get seized for various reasons (no tax, unsafe etc) and if it takes them 30 minutes to get a gearbox out, its unprofitable. They can make more on recycling the metal through sheer turnover and speed. You'd weep at how many good cars end up ripped apart.
I watched one go through ready to crush. They don't even undo wheel nuts - they just cut the nuts off with acetalene then its up on the ramp, bore a hole straight into fuel tank, drain, and then they generally yank the engine/gearbox out with a grabber then crush the rest. They don't mess about these days - far more cars being scrapped than old parts sold.
When metal prices are low, they will spend more time on removal, though not much!
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I would always advise anyone with a 5 speed gearbox to remove this earth strap and fit a good one direct to the starter motor securing bolt
putting a 12V potential across a steel plate and a magali alloy case in the close presence of water and salts can cause full penetration corrosion of the end case and failure thereof - good end cases are rocking horse pooh - nla new and when somebody remakes them they will be £300 plus £60 bearings each so take care of your end case, remove the mount, clean and protect
4 speed less of an issue because stand off from end case is bigger but check out the corrosion of the case bosses around the 4 end studs, can be eaten away too by galvanic corrosion and in the worst cases the studs can be exposed