Rebuilt gearbox??

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MadBeez
Posts: 70
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:07 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider 1608
Location: Lee NH

Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by MadBeez »

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SUZL8xURy9Vm3a5K6

The link above is of a "rebuilt" gearbox that I bought. I know nothing about them so was wondering if it appears that a syncro (or whatever that channel is supposed to contain) is missing? I was hoping that it was actually as the seller said but now I'm thinking ripoff. Oh, and btw, I bought this over a year ago and am just now looking into it so no recourse.

Thanks, Rich.
72 124 spi bought new - the carcass is buried in the backyard
71 spi swapped drivetrain from 72 - sold in 88
71 coupe - traded for new Lancia
77 Lancia Beta Saloon
71 1608 spider - impulse buy - project
18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3798
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

Rich, I can't quite tell from the photo, but I think your gearbox might be all there, at least what's shown in the photo. The two collars that you see on the lower shaft, the one with the channel down the center and with the two small holes on either side pointing roughly at the camera, those are the sliding hubs/collars. One is for 3rd/4th gears and one is for 1st/2nd gears. The synchros are inside those hubs. Well, at least they should be! :D

On each collar, there should be a metal "fork" that rides in that channel, and the fork is moved when you shift the shifter knob and thus moving the car into a certain gear. I can see the shifter fork on the right hub, but I can't see it on the left side. Maybe it's there and just obscured by the other gears.

So, maybe not a ripoff. But, you'd really have to take the whole thing apart to make sure, and that can be a challenge. And a puzzle to put back together correctly.

-Bryan
MadBeez
Posts: 70
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:07 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider 1608
Location: Lee NH

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by MadBeez »

Thanks Bryan,

I have read enough posts in here that make me sure I don't want to try disassembling it. The one it's replacing has many serious problems so maybe I'll just take a chance with this rebuilt one. Would any other pictures help to see if there's something obvious?
72 124 spi bought new - the carcass is buried in the backyard
71 spi swapped drivetrain from 72 - sold in 88
71 coupe - traded for new Lancia
77 Lancia Beta Saloon
71 1608 spider - impulse buy - project
18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3798
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

Hmmm, it's gonna be hard to tell from pictures, as the transmission has some pretty tight tolerances and such that would be awfully hard to diagnose in a photo. As much as it pains me to say it (given the effort required to replace a transmission), the best test of a transmission is usually to put it in a car and see how it works.

That being said, if you put the transmission together on the bench and can shift the gears around by hand, that's a good first step.

-Bryan
MadBeez
Posts: 70
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:07 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider 1608
Location: Lee NH

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by MadBeez »

I'm still working on getting the old drivetrain out - should be out by the weekend. Will see what happens when I hook up the gearshift extension and work it through the gears.
72 124 spi bought new - the carcass is buried in the backyard
71 spi swapped drivetrain from 72 - sold in 88
71 coupe - traded for new Lancia
77 Lancia Beta Saloon
71 1608 spider - impulse buy - project
SteinOnkel
Posts: 1000
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:31 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider 1800

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by SteinOnkel »

It looks like a shiftfork is missing.

And that shiny fastener in the lower left-hand corner is not original.
MadBeez
Posts: 70
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:07 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider 1608
Location: Lee NH

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by MadBeez »

Ok, got the trans out and opened it up. Comparing the Original to the Rebuilt one, it now looks like maybe I wasn't ripped off. The original had a loose shaft - not snugged up in the back at the prop connector with about 3/4" of back and forth play. Might be why the (synchros?) are so visible in this picture.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k2JZLE ... sp=sharing
72 124 spi bought new - the carcass is buried in the backyard
71 spi swapped drivetrain from 72 - sold in 88
71 coupe - traded for new Lancia
77 Lancia Beta Saloon
71 1608 spider - impulse buy - project
SteinOnkel
Posts: 1000
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:31 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider 1800

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by SteinOnkel »

MadBeez wrote:Ok, got the trans out and opened it up. Comparing the Original to the Rebuilt one, it now looks like maybe I wasn't ripped off. The original had a loose shaft - not snugged up in the back at the prop connector with about 3/4" of back and forth play. Might be why the (synchros?) are so visible in this picture.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k2JZLE ... sp=sharing
Nah, that's just because of the gear that's selected. And yes those are the synchros.
MadBeez
Posts: 70
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:07 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider 1608
Location: Lee NH

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by MadBeez »

Stein,

This is how the trans came out of the car: https://drive.google.com/file/d/125PUII ... sp=sharing

When I first pushed it in, it caused the whole shaft to move towards the front of the car. I'm thinking this slop probably caused the synchros to move out of position. Maybe not.
72 124 spi bought new - the carcass is buried in the backyard
71 spi swapped drivetrain from 72 - sold in 88
71 coupe - traded for new Lancia
77 Lancia Beta Saloon
71 1608 spider - impulse buy - project
MadBeez
Posts: 70
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:07 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider 1608
Location: Lee NH

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by MadBeez »

Swapping parts from the original transmission to the rebuilt one and have a couple of questions for the pros out there.
Two questions: Is it ok to apply grease to the transmission bearings and the gear shift assembly inside the gear shift extension housing?

Does it look like I have all the nuts, bushings, and lock washers on the output flange?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IrCEAW ... sp=sharing


https://drive.google.com/file/d/112AWoM ... sp=sharing

Thanks, Rich.
72 124 spi bought new - the carcass is buried in the backyard
71 spi swapped drivetrain from 72 - sold in 88
71 coupe - traded for new Lancia
77 Lancia Beta Saloon
71 1608 spider - impulse buy - project
18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3798
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

MadBeez wrote:Two questions: Is it ok to apply grease to the transmission bearings and the gear shift assembly inside the gear shift extension housing?

Does it look like I have all the nuts, bushings, and lock washers on the output flange?
Rich, I don't think there's any harm in putting grease on the bearings and such, but why not just use transmission oil? Assuming you'll get the transmission back in the car in the next few days/weeks, the oil should stick to the surfaces for that length of time.

On the front end of the transmission, looks good, and my only suggestion is to clean up the mating surfaces for the gasket to the bellhousing. On the rear end, also looks good, and my only suggestion is to bend the "tabs" on that lockwasher around the big nut a little bit more. I think I see the circlip in place right after the crosshatched metal collar, which is good.

-Bryan
ORFORD2004
Posts: 1120
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:48 pm
Your car is a: 1983 PININFARINA
Location: Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by ORFORD2004 »

Does it look like I have all the nuts, bushings, and lock washers on the output flange?
Where is your spring and rubber grommet?
MadBeez
Posts: 70
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:07 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider 1608
Location: Lee NH

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by MadBeez »

The previous owner didn't include the nuts, springs, snap ring etc so I'm using what was on the old one - that's why I'm asking if it's all there. So I need a spring and a rubber grommet? Can you tell me what order these should all be in? I think it matters what year the transmission is so I'll have to see if I can figure that out.

As far as greasing the bearings, I need to remove some heavy duty tar from the outer casing and I would like to try to protect the innards as much as possible. The rebuilt trans was shipped to me with this weird wrapping of tar covered by thick aluminum foil - extremely difficult to get off. After trying all the solvents I have, gasoline, heat gun, picking with pliers etc, I found that gasoline and also Gunk Original dissolve it but requires many repeat applications.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PvNEm- ... sp=sharing
72 124 spi bought new - the carcass is buried in the backyard
71 spi swapped drivetrain from 72 - sold in 88
71 coupe - traded for new Lancia
77 Lancia Beta Saloon
71 1608 spider - impulse buy - project
18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3798
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

Weird, about the tar. Try mineral spirits or kerosene.

On second thought, maybe the tar is just excess underbody coating that someone got carried away when applying to the underbody with the transmission in the car? That stuff is really hard to remove (by design), and I've always just ended up scraping it off.

-Bryan
ORFORD2004
Posts: 1120
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:48 pm
Your car is a: 1983 PININFARINA
Location: Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada

Re: Rebuilt gearbox??

Post by ORFORD2004 »

By memory, it's the nut, the spring, the rubber grommet, the thick washer and the snap ring.
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