lost fifth

[Andy!]

So, on the way home from work last night fifth gear disappeared and left me with four gears that have a rattling noise from what is probably the box. Question is can I drive it without losing the rest?

[RnP]

i wouldnt reconmend it, shards of your 5th gear could get lodged in the rest of the cogs and you could do more damage, worst case shatter the gear casing

[danny_p]

oil level in your gearbox is low.

5th gear got no oil and got hot, lost it's temper and now it's teeth.

at the moment there is rather a lot of shrapnel in your gearbox good news is most of it won't have done much damage yet,  5th can be easly changed and if shrapnel  removed box will be fine,   drive it and the shrapnel may trash the box

[Andy!]

Danny-sounds very encouraging pal, where might I get a new fifth from?

[danny_p]

you can buy gear sets new but thats expensive,  the normal source is a another gearbox thats eaten reverse or poped it's diff rivets.   ask about it'n not normaly hard to find one.

if you go down this route  you will want to make sure you have a magnetic drain plug to catch the last bits of crap.  would be worth speackign to beavis  as he recently  did a 5th gear swap.   

[Andy!]

Thanks for the advice fella, just what I needed in my darkest hour. 

[danny_p]

found some photos i too of  of a gerabox ripdown ( destructive )   but will give idea what involve















(just incase anyone noticed the cut selector shaft  that was the destructive bit they come undone quite easy normaly but i'd misplaced the tool i wanted and the grinder was closer )

[rubjonny]

before you write off the gearbox have a look at the shifter rods, the short one especially if it cracks can cause you to loose 5th.  the rattling sound isnt encoraging though!

check out brokes site he has everything you could possibly want to knowe about the 020 box plus a lot more besides!
http://www.brokevw.com