Help ****** no forward gears

[jimmcf]

Tonight the 20v cq decided to have a major burp, it has lost all of it's 5 forward gears.

Reverse works great, clutch is fine i have a decent pressure in the pedal. I can select a gear but just when the clutch starts to bite you get a horrid grinding sound like you get when you miss a gear and resonates / echo's a bit like if you have hit the prop shaft with a hammer.

The sound changes in pitch as well depending on which gear you rey to use, first is lower in tone with 5th being a higher.

No warning of any impending failure no whines moans or groans, smooth shifting box rear diff bush is a bit bump thump but then most are unless they have been changed.

All i did was to move off on a slight incline not even revving the nuts off it just really normal slow speed stuff.

Both AA guys hadn't seen or heard anything like this before. What the heck is going on????


Thanks


Jim

[Acidburn]

If your able to get at least one gear (reverse) sounds like the linkage more than the rest, do you know if the ball under the gear gaitors popped out or damaged?

[jimmcf]

I am pretty sure that it's ok, i have had the centre console out recently and greased the ball when i put it all back together. It feels like i can engage the forward gears the clutch gets to biting point and just as the car starts to move very very slightly thats when the problem occurs.

[Tonks4x4]

It sounds like the main shaft in the box is broken. I am pretty sure reverse uses a different shaft for drive through the gearbox

[DJones]

I'm with Tonks, my 016 recently did the same thing and did exactly what you describe.

I think the main shaft bearing fails shortly followed by some teeth hence the slight bite then clonking..

I have fitted another 016 for now but accruing the parts for a 6 speed conversion..

Hope you get it fixed soon..

Darren.

[jimmcf]

Is it rebuildable or just scrap now???