Xantia Gearbox Noisy

davetd · Post by **davetd** » 19 Sep 2006, 09:02

Morning All

I have a noisy gearbox when idling in neutral or driving round town in low gears which is spoiling an otherwise perfect car.

The BoL says it is the input shaft bearing as the sound disappears when I depress the pedal. It says it can't be the clutch release bearing as that only makes a noise WHEN you press the clutch pedal.

I would happily change the clutch and release bearing to get rid of this noise but there is no information on the input shaft bearing. Are they confusing the same bearing or is there another one hidden away that I can't get to.

Can anyone tell me the truth about these noisy bearings

cheers

davetd

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 19 Sep 2006, 09:38

The input shaft bearing is the first one in the gearbox - supports the input shadt - which is the one carrying the clutch plate. In gear with the clutch down - and all the gearbox is stationary - so no noise from this bearing.

Have you checked the gearbox oil level recently?

davetd · Post by **davetd** » 19 Sep 2006, 10:03

That is to be my 1st job this morning!

Post by **Peter.N.** » 19 Sep 2006, 10:08

It means dismantling the gearbox!

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 19 Sep 2006, 11:05

I take it you have checked the oil level?
I had strange noises coming from the box on a CX years ago a couple of weeks after I had it serviced by a "specialist" at a time when I had my own business and reckoned I didn't have time to do my own work. It seems he emptied the box, knocked off for dinner and didn't fill it when he returned; it was then I decided I'd better make time to do my own servicing.
Just a thought.
I was also told recently by a service guy that Xantias have some bolts in the final drive that can come loose and cause a major malfunction. Maybe Malcom or Slim can shed a bit of light on that also.

Alan S

davetd · Post by **davetd** » 19 Sep 2006, 15:49

Peter.N. wrote:It means dismantling the gearbox!

I meant check the oil

davetd · Post by **davetd** » 19 Sep 2006, 15:52

Changed the gearbox oil no real difference.

I also found the source of my jerky pullaways - play in the final drive, the driveshafts have no play in them but with a gear engaged there is loads of play in the final drive so looks like a new box then

davetd

Post by **CitroJim** » 19 Sep 2006, 17:07

davetd wrote:Changed the gearbox oil no real difference.

I also found the source of my jerky pullaways - play in the final drive, the driveshafts have no play in them but with a gear engaged there is loads of play in the final drive so looks like a new box then

davetd

Sorry to hear that Dave.

At least it's a very common box in the scrappies so won't be too expensive. A gearbox change on a Xantia is not quite as bad as it looks..

davetd · Post by **davetd** » 19 Sep 2006, 18:09

I'd rather go down the recon route; I don't want to buy a cheap lemon and spend a weekend fitting it just to find it's as bad or worse. Does anyone know of a reputable exchange gearbox dealer in the south of england. I can do my own fitting?

cheers

davetd

davetd · Post by **davetd** » 20 Sep 2006, 18:10

Is a noisy input shaft bearing or final drive with play in it likely to fail or will it just be noisy?

davetd

Post by **CitroJim** » 20 Sep 2006, 18:37

davetd wrote:Is a noisy input shaft bearing or final drive with play in it likely to fail or will it just be noisy?

davetd

Dave, it'll go on for a good bit and then fail at the worst possible time. 20 years ago, a Rover SD1 taking us to Heathrow did just this. Rumbled for moths, chose that moment and we nearly missed our flight!

I was speaking to one of our Apprentices today who runs a 205 Junior. he was worried that he changed his gearbox oil at the weekend and found two big ball bearings were attached to the drain plug magnet. His is a bit noisy and he is having difficulty in getting first and second gear now. It's been like that for months upon months

His is a little 954cc 205 so is coping with much less torque than yours. Even if it does go, the fact that the input shaft is also supported by the pilot bearing in the flywheel usually means it'll get you home if you take care and use the clutch as little and carefully as possible.

More worrying in your case is the apparant play in your final drive. This is very likly to fail spectacularly if indeed it is excessive. A bit of apparant backlash in the final drive is pretty normal generally although in rare cases the sun and planet gears decide they've had enough and exit stage-left through the diff housing..

Totallyb agree with getting a recon box. At least you know what you have then.

davetd · Post by **davetd** » 20 Sep 2006, 19:24

I don't have trouble getting it into gear yet and no bits fell out when I did the oil change yesterday

davetd · Post by **davetd** » 21 Sep 2006, 20:12

What is an acceptable amount of play in the final drive on a Xantia gearbox?

davetd · Post by **davetd** » 27 Sep 2006, 17:32

alan s wrote:I take it you have checked the oil level?
I had strange noises coming from the box on a CX years ago a couple of weeks after I had it serviced by a "specialist" at a time when I had my own business and reckoned I didn't have time to do my own work. It seems he emptied the box, knocked off for dinner and didn't fill it when he returned; it was then I decided I'd better make time to do my own servicing.
Just a thought.
I was also told recently by a service guy that Xantias have some bolts in the final drive that can come loose and cause a major malfunction. Maybe Malcom or Slim can shed a bit of light on that also.

Alan S

Can anyone shed any light on the bit about the final drive please

cheers

davetd