"Replace the gearbox"...are you sure??

[car_maniac]

Open to suggestions on this!

I had a 1.8 16v Kr with matching 'box. To make gear changes better I had:


The linkages replaced
A new weighted rod
A metal "bush" (I think he called it) put in place between the linkages


This worked and the changing gear was fine!

Then swapped the engine for a 2.0 16v ABF but kept the same gearbox and linkages.  THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEMS BEGAN!

Engine off - gear change OK
Engine on and car stood still - Difficult to impossible to go into gear. Especially 1st & 2nd , so I've had to set off in third a few times.

The only time I can get first or second gear without having to ram it in is by slowing the car right down to walking pace and then it slots in fine
 

any ideas for fixing this?

[Simeon]

How are you setting it up? Got one of the little alignment plates or guesswork? Put any oil in the 'box?

[car_maniac]

It was set up with guess work mate. BUT it goes into gear fine when the engine is off so i would have thought it would be properly aligned?

I could try putting some oil in for what its worth.

Could this cause it to act like the clutch pedal is never down properly?

[clipperjay]

Possibly the gear syncro mesh is out of alinement with clutch I had avery interesting conversation with a gear box engineer he stated that if the gearbox is not set correctly the speed from the flywheel to gear box is miss matched.
Solution was to take it to a pro in gearbox to correctly set the syncro mesh on the gears and put it in correctly!
Its confusing to me as I've seen gearboxes like for like go right in, but apprently on some odd gearboxes they need setting up due to the miss match speeds? 

[DOA]

Possibly the gear syncro mesh is out of alinement with clutch I had avery interesting conversation with a gear box engineer he stated that if the gearbox is not set correctly the speed from the flywheel to gear box is miss matched.
Solution was to take it to a pro in gearbox to correctly set the syncro mesh on the gears and put it in correctly!
Its confusing to me as I've seen gearboxes like for like go right in, but apprently on some odd gearboxes they need setting up due to the miss match speeds? 

WTF? Sorry but this particular gearbox engineer you spoke to was just spouting rubbish.

To the OP, check how much clearance there is to the exhaust manifold when the engine is running as something very similar happened to a friends mk1 (similar shift linkage) recently having removed the downpipe. Its also worth checking that the clutch is being fully dissengaged.

[clipperjay]

Possibly the gear syncro mesh is out of alinement with clutch I had avery interesting conversation with a gear box engineer he stated that if the gearbox is not set correctly the speed from the flywheel to gear box is miss matched.
Solution was to take it to a pro in gearbox to correctly set the syncro mesh on the gears and put it in correctly!
Its confusing to me as I've seen gearboxes like for like go right in, but apprently on some odd gearboxes they need setting up due to the miss match speeds? 

WTF? Sorry but this particular gearbox engineer you spoke to was just spouting rubbish.

To the OP, check how much clearance there is to the exhaust manifold when the engine is running as something very similar happened to a friends mk1 (similar shift linkage) recently having removed the downpipe. Its also worth checking that the clutch is being fully dissengaged.

TBF It was just an opinion I didn't take much stock into what he said, IMO it never made any sense as the clutch does the speed matching?
Hence a new gear box once we have tried everything 

[DOA]

TBF It was just an opinion I didn't take much stock into what he said, IMO it never made any sense as the clutch does the speed matching?

Kind of, the clutch does a large part of the speed matching but the synchro's do help a massive amount but there is no synchronisation as such between the two devices that could need adjusting.

[clipperjay]

Well a friend has the same issue but its a fifth gear problem.
He has changed out the linkages and bushes twice and nothing its making the fifth gear go in easy its fine when engine is off and we reckon its must be the selector bracket on the gear box thats bent too far left or right causing the manifold to hit against the selector rod?
This happened after a engine and gearbox swap out?   

[danny_p]

if it wont select with engine running  you have a clutch issue.

clutch isnt fully disengadgeing

[car_maniac]

The clutch not disengaging sounds about right because it's like the clutch pedal is ALWAYS raised at least a little bit so the car wants to pull forward when in 1st even with the clutch pedal in the carpet.

Any ideas on how this would be sorted if it is the case?

I've done a bit of googleing and I see people talking about replacing the slave cylinder/maser cylinder or both but as far as i know there isn't anything hydraulic on my car clutch-wise (could be wrong)

The engine is the mk3 2.0 ABF and the gearbox is from a mk2 1.8 16v kr

Thanks for the input though guys