please help! transmission problem.

[tom26]

ok, here's what happened on sunday afternoon, i'm hoping someone will be able to help me shed some light on this problem...
i started my car and drove off up the road as normal (after spending 3 hours polishing and waxing the damn the thing!) and heard some scrapey metallic noises. i slowed down as it sounded like something stuck against the brake disc, but then the noise the stopped. i pulled over and popped the bonnet for a quick look but saw nothing wrong and the engine sounded normal.
I carried on driving but this strange metallic noise would cut in once every couple of mins so i carried on driving carefully going up and down through the gears trying to see if i could find a problem there.
The only clue that i got was that changing down into 2nd from 3rd the car sometimes shuddered slightly - but only enough to make me think perhaps i'd let the revs drop or something.
Anyway - drove for about 3 miles with no problems and then came to a set of traffic lights, slowed down and dipped the clutch to put it in neutral and felt a 'clunk', then was stuck in neutral! clutch pedal still seemed to work ok...
Pushed it to the side of the road and had a look again under the bonnet... on inspection i found a small piece of broken (hot!) metal covered in oil. It was about 2.5 inches long and rectangular in shape? it was sat on the battery so must have been launched upwards? i tried starting the car again and the clutch seemed ok, when using force i could select all the gears and the car would move forward as normal but very 'shuddery' ?? (i know thats not a word).
Anyway, car got towed home and engine runs fine in neutral. I had the clutch arm changed about 8 months ago and a new clutch fitted about 2 years (9,000 miles) ago.
Anyone have any ideas?
Many thanks!

[rubjonny]

sounds like your diff rivets have let go, have you found a matching hole for the pice of metal in your gearbox?   

[tom26]

oh dear. i'll have a look later and see if i can find one. gulp.

[G60GTI16V]

is it a 8 o6 16 valver? ye get underneath also and check all round the bellhousing of the diff. mine blew a hole bigger than a 2 quid and a crack about 5 inchs long around the diff!

[tom26]

mine's a valver. Would i be right in assuming that if this is the case, i'll be needing a new gearbox + diff?

[G60GTI16V]

ye man but is it a 8 valve or 16? find out where the problem is dude if its your diff case or gear case? i have my old box with a blown diff caused by the rivets but the actual running gears are fine so its here if needed cost me £560 it was a new reconed box. we will sort somethin out man just find out where the peice came from

[rubjonny]

G60GTI16v: valver = 16v, plus what does it matter if its an 8v or 16v, they both have the same type of gearbox

The diff is part of the gearbox, you'll need another yeah!  You can get em for £50, or for piece of mind go for a referbed one for a bit more moolah!  HotGolf on the 'other' forums does box rebuilds I think, or at least he used to!

[G60GTI16V]

actualy they dont have the same box the 16 has a 28 splined main shaft and an 8 vale has 24 splines. and whats the posint of havin a 16v engine and an 8v box because u wont get the pure 16v fun because of the 8 v gear ratios in an 8 v box

[rubjonny]

Same TYPE of gearbox
8v & 16v boxes have identical ratios except the 8v box has a taller 5th, giving you more relaxed cruising on the motorway

[tom26]

ye man but is it a 8 valve or 16? find out where the problem is dude if its your diff case or gear case? i have my old box with a blown diff caused by the rivets but the actual running gears are fine so its here if needed cost me £560 it was a new reconed box. we will sort somethin out man just find out where the peice came from

ok cool. i'll do some investigating and hopefully find the hole. where abouts are you? i live down the south east.