Xantia HDI 110 gearbox backlash

[harryp]

Hi all,
I have a problem with drive backlash on my manual 2000 Forte 110. When driving, it clonks when taking up the slack changing up or down - I'm sure you will know what I mean. If coasting with "neutral" drive effort, it rattles.... Mountings seem fine.... but on jacking up the front wheels there is considerable play from the o/s drive shaft. On rotating the shaft it "clonks" loudly. It feels and sounds as if it is rattling around just inside the housing. I am assuming that it is between the diff to main output shaft; maybe . It feels as if the splines are badly worn but again can not feel play, unless the oil seal is masking it, but then I would expect it to leak from excessive wear? I fear that is far from healthy . I do not get any play from the n/s. It has "only" done 130K and I changed the gearbox oil at 85K about a year after I bought it. Old oil was clean, no particles. In all other respects the gearbox seems fine. In fact I did think it might be the inboard hardy spicer, but can feel no play there - it feels definitely in the diff.
Does any one have experience of this? Is it fixable by tightening up the diff?
I have in the past completely refurbished a "trans axle" on a Renault 20 I once had, and apart from some interesting shimming of layshafts and protrusions, the diff bearings were adjusted from outside by screwing in the bearing holders . I don't see any such around the output shafts, so assume they are all internally shimmed.
Is there any info available on gearbox internals and clearances etc, or is it replacement? If so what sort of job is it? I cannot seem to find anything of use on t'interweb, but then I may well be looking in t'wrong place .
All or any comments will be very gratefully received!
Apologies regarding length of post, but thought more info covering the obvious is of more use than too little.
Regards

[CitroJim]

That's an interesting one Harry and a bit different to the 'normal' 110HDi ML5 'box problem of rattling in neutral when stopped. In those cases the 'box will soldier on for ages...

That the problem is only apparent on the O/S suggests there is indeed a diff problem and that side is the side that carries the sun and planet gearset which I would think the noise is coming from.

I'd give it a check as the sun and plant set is not too dissimilar in construction to the BE3 and this can at times let go quite spectacularly...

The good news is that the diff will unbolt from the back of the 'box without needing to disassemble the 'box itself although I don't know if the diff can be removed with the 'box in-situ in the car. The 'box may need at least partially removing which then means a new clutch is mandatory.....

The bearings are common taper-rollers with no adjustment either provided or necessary for pre-load.

The whole 'box in fact is dead-easy by gearbox standards to pull apart and rebuild. Just watch for the normal pingfuckits in the synchro hubs!

The sun and planet gearset can then be checked and potentially rebuilt using spares from a donor 'box perhaps. Although the final drive ratios are a little different in a 2.1TD 'box and thus making the crownwheel wrong the sun and planet gears and driveshaft splines should be the same and could yield spares if a donor 110HDi 'box can't be found.

The cost of new spares for the gearbox may make your eyes water...

I'm very interested to know what is duff here...

[RichardW]

The torque reaction link on the upper RH engine mount can account for a lot of noise if it is as worn as this one:



OK, it was well beyond it that one....never did get round to changing it!

[CitroJim]

OK, it was well beyond it that one....never did get round to changing it!

Wrap a bit of tape around it and it'll be good for another 100K Richard