Right, this 'orrible noise, which I originally thought was the big end (about ten thousand miles ago) now seems to me to be the transmission. Grinding noise in all geras, gets worse as you apply power, now some grinding off throttle too, and more grinding as you push the gate over to fifth.

This is a high 88K mile 94 turbo, out of which I've had loads of fun, so I have no objection to spending a few hundred quid on a box from a scrappy. Trouble is I don't want to replace the wrong bit! The local franchise (Entroposto in Portimao, Portugal) have taken it for a run and claim it sounds normal to them, which shows they're deaf as well as stupid, so I'm wasting my time asking them.

So - do Scoobies have a known box weakness?

Louis

 

Yup.....

Suggestions have been branded on here that when checked most gearbox's have 3.5 litres of oil in them which means that 3rd gear is getting just splashed rather than 'bathed' in oil. Book suggests 4 litres which actually takes it over the full mark.

My gearbox blew at 75k and prior to going had been whiney (in 3rd and 5th) then it changed to a 'lovely' clunking sound in 3rd as the teeth were being stripped

Good luck finding a new box