BAULKING AT THE COST OF A SYNCHRO RING
QOne of the synchro rings is dodgy on my Golf VR6 4-motion, causing a crunch when I change into second gear. Garages have quoted £2000 to fix it by fitting a reconditioned gearbox. Is this excessive?
Nick Page, Wantage
AThe problem is the trickiness of getting to that little bronze ring. The driveshafts, gearchange, clutch hydraulics and transfer drive to the rear axle all have to be removed before extracting the gearbox – and the big engine makes it all the more awkward. This’ll add up to a great deal of labour.
Having the ‘box rebuilt would not necessarily be cheaper than a reconditioned unit, as it’d be daft not to fit new bearings, seals and any other worn components. And while you’ve got the gearbox out, it makes sense to invest in a new clutch kit.
Unless you fancy doing the work yourself, we’d suggest a cheaper fix: exercising mechanical sympathy. Match the revs to the gear before you try to engage it. Allow them to fall on the up-change; press the throttle a little on the down-change. Release the pedal briefly while you do this if necessary (known as doubledeclutching). It’ll be a useful transferrable skill if you ever find yourself behind the wheel of an older classic.