Metal bits found during tranny oil change

[NC_Mule]

Hello,

Picked up a 70 IIa about 8 weeks ago, it needed a lot of work. Completed my work to make it road worthy about 2 weeks ago. Topped off the tranny oil before my test drive, drove the truck about 100 miles over the last 2 weeks.

Changed the tranny oil yesterday and I found metal in the oil catch pan (see pic). Never opened up a Rover tranny, can anyone identify what tranny part has been chewed up?

Thanks pb

[JackIIA]

syncro springs???

[SafeAirOne]

syncro springs???

Yup. Mine finally stopped releasing them into my transmission oil 4 years ago, so I guess I have none left.

[junkyddog11]

one day it will stick in 4th. Makes for a long drive home.

[scott]

one day it will stick in 4th. Makes for a long drive home.

practice driving w/o a clutch. if you can shift up and down without a clutch loosing syncros won't seem like such a big deal

[ybt502r]

I got the same bits (at least the two significant parts) of a syncho spring last year. They are for the 3rd/4th gear synchromesh (there are three in there, originally). There are links and words in this forum about how to replace said spring in situ (without dropping the whole transmission), including some personal verifications that "yes I did it". Well, I didn't. And I worked a whole weekend to get to the point of working on the springs (they only cost about $2 each). I did find and fix a loose mainshaft nut - which I believe was possibly the root reason I broke a spring - and that was a major victory. But I'm driving around with only two of the three springs in my transmission. Seems to work just fine...but I don't know if I'm living on borrowed time before the others start to fail.

I did get everything apart to see that, yes indeed, I am missing just one of the three springs. But I just couldn't force/slip/finagle that new spring back in. I've resigned myself to driving on two, and thus being a bit more careful in my shifting behavior. But I think the big deal in fixing the transmission was getting the "special tool" and getting after the mainshaft nut. That made the real difference.

Two seems to work as good as three. But it looks, from your picture, that perhaps you are down to one maybe. You have one clear spring there (the two big bits). I don't know about the scraps.

[I Leak Oil]

practice driving w/o a clutch. if you can shift up and down without a clutch loosing syncros won't seem like such a big deal

I think Matt is refering to the fact that sometimes they stick in 4th gear, with or without the clutch. So I guess that would mean having to practice driving around in 4th gear all day!

[scott]

I think Matt is refering to the fact that sometimes they stick in 4th gear, with or without the clutch. So I guess that would mean having to practice driving around in 4th gear all day!

oh, i thought he was talking about down shifting w/o syncros. i imagined something like an out of control prius screaming down the highway with the driver yell "help me i can't get it out of 4th gear, it won't stop help me!"

[SafeAirOne]

I think Matt is refering to the fact that sometimes they stick in 4th gear, with or without the clutch. So I guess that would mean having to practice driving around in 4th gear all day!

Well...It's been the opposite for me--I have to hold it in 4th when coasting down steep hills. The Mt Washington descent was an occasional PITA. I also double de-clutch through all gears in my SIII. Both activities happen in "autopilot," without thought now, as I've been doing them for so long.

[I Leak Oil]

Well...It's been the opposite for me--I have to hold it in 4th when coasting down steep hills. The Mt Washington descent was an occasional PITA. I also double de-clutch through all gears in my SIII. Both activities happen in "autopilot," without thought now, as I've been doing them for so long.

Ahhh..so when it sticks in 4th you just need to go to the top of Mt. Washington, point the nose down hill, and pray that you don't have to finish the drive in 4th! That would be one way to make a series act like a Prius....

Mark, if you had a real transmission you'd know that you're supposed to double clutch anyway.

[NC_Mule]

Sounds like the metal bits are not as serious as I thought.
Still sorting out the truck, lots of oil leaks. Think my rear main seal is leaking, if I pull the tranny can I get to that seal with the engine in place? If so I'll replace the synchro springs at that time.
pb