Western Melb Suburbs - Need a trustworthy mechanic to look over my drive train

[twisties]

So I have what I and my slightly more mechanically minded mates believe to be a pretty nasty issue in my GU 3.0 gearbox and I've been saving some coin before taking it in to get looked over.

My problem is I live in Melton, way out west of Melb and I need to know a good place to take it to.
I've only been able to find one place in Melton, 4x4 Obsession, however zero information about them and when I could be possibly dropping thousands on this issue, I want to be confident that the guy holding the spanner knows his sh!t.

I've tried doing a search so if I've missed something stupidly, please point me in the right direction.

If anyone knows of reputable mechanics around this side of Melbourne, or further abroad if necessary, please chime in! :D

[threedogs]

Hi Mate sending PM

[threedogs]

Bumped Why not just put a reco kit through it????
save $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[twisties]

I already got a quote for a reco swap at $2850 from Hall 4x4 if it were to come to that, but that's obviously before labour and certainly doesn't look friendly when you add a clutch and flywheel kit which I'd like to do while the box is out.
Was operating on the assumption that someone could pull it out and tell me how bad it is and whether a swap would be a cheaper alternative.

[Alitis007]

Your cheapest alternative is to find a good 2nd hand box

[twisties]

I've tossed up the second hand option too but I think I'd rather play it safe and get it either repaired or get a reco swap. This is all assuming it isn't just some small little issue in the end.

[Alitis007]

Ok well instead of jumping to conclusions again whats the fault ??

[twisties]

When decelerating/engine braking, there is an extremely loud rotational scraping noise, pulsates a bit and you can feel it through the whole car, and can hear it both in the car and bouncing off cliff walls back at you.
Mostly goes away with the clutch depressed or box in neutral but you can still hear it rattling away faintly.
Gears are all selectable and the clutch still feels fine, just sounds and feels awfull.

On top of that there's been a whine from the gearbox in 3rd through 5th which I didn't pick up when I test drove it. Haven't had the car long.

[Alitis007]

Can you try this for me and let me know, accelerate up to 100k's then put it neutral and let it roll and listen for that winding noise???

[twisties]

From memory when I was driving back from my last camping trip, when just rolling in neutral at any speed, up to and including 100 it would just lightly rattle away. I used Neutral a lot on that trip home because it sounded awful otherwise. Interestingly, it manifested itself after a day of slow steep ascents and descents off road.

EDIT: Just realised I replied about the wrong thing.

The whining noise in the higher gears is only present under acceleration, not decel or coasting.

[Alitis007]

By the sounds of it its most likely to be the gearbox bearings but i can't be 100% sure without hearing it. BUT it could also be a thrust bearing or spigot bearing and if i was doing the job it would be a strip and quote because you won't know if its due to a clutch fault or internal gearbox fault.

If you can't do any of the work yourself i would be prepared for bill of up to 5g's as an extreme worst case!!

[threedogs]

Missed my point buy a reco kit Bearings etc from Terrain tamer, Roo Dogs etc And do it yourself
that will save you heaps, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[twisties]

A mate and I were considering at least pulling the box out and doing a box swap ourselves but without access to a garage at the moment and living on the opposite side of the city to him, It's gonna be easier to pay someone to do it. I'm prepared to pay up to $5g's and I've saved a good few pays in preparation for it. I don't think I have the where with all to do a reco myself.

[threedogs]

PM me with your plan of attack may be able to help out

[mudski]

PM me with your plan of attack may be able to help out
Hehe. And what you gunna do TD? Bring over your chair and pointing stick...Sorry mate I had to say it.
To the OP. Have you dumped the oil and had a gander? If the oil is clean'ish and not full of crap your problem may lie elsewhere. Dead thrust bearing could be the culprit. Dump the oil I say first.

[twisties]

Well, took it to 4x4 Obsession and they've found the issue is actually the diff. Chipped teeth on the pinion apparently although I'm scratching my head thinking of how the fuck that could have happened. Tailshaft slip yoke I'm told is stuffed. Used diff and tailshaft are being sourced now and once it's driveable again the mech will have another listen/look for the slight whine in the higher gears that I mentioned. He couldn't hear it over the clatter of the fucked diff.

[mudnut]

Just another thought. I had a clatter or clang noise in the drive train. Two Mechanics diagnosed it as the diff, so I changed it out. Lo and behold, the noise was still there. It turned out to be the the wrong fluid in the transfer case. Might be worth checking.

[twisties]

Interesting, how often should it be changed? I have no idea when the previous owner changed fluids and i've only done 5k in it myself.

[Bloodyaussie]

That depends on how you treat it eg; lots of river crossings after hard up and down hills and so on....

Oil is cheap insurance... the last time I got a shop to change all oil front to back it cost me $300, now I do it all myself and the engine oil I do at 5000km and the gearbox and diffs at about 20,000km but if I have given it a hard time I might do it sooner..

[twisties]

I think I'll put it on my list of things to do pretty soon assuming the diff ends up being the only issue.

[NP99]

Oils would be the first on my list to try and solve a problem. Also rekitting is a good option, most change over units have only been rekitted. Just like reco engines, they only swap out the minimal parts they can get away with. Good luck with it.

[twisties]

Got the beast back today, and I'll give a hearty shout out to Brett from 4x4 Obsession in Melton. Guy is a legend, a great bloke and knows his Nissans quite well indeed.

Tailshaft and Diff centre have been swapped out for good used items.
The Diff centre in it was apparently from a GQ, so fuck knows what history I wasn't told by the seller last year.
The hardening had been stripped off and a bearing was worn out so no broken teeth but enough to make a god awful racket.
Bolts on the rear left brake calliper were almost wound out which tells me whoever did the apparent machining that was required for it's roady before I bought it doesn't know how to do bolts up. It's only done about 5000 k's since then.
Also told me that I should consider new gearbox mounts.
Turns out the slight whine I had been hearing in what I thought were higher gears only must have been speed related as it's completely gone now.

All up ended up costing me $1500 which is one hell of a lot cheaper than I was saving for when I thought it was a gearbox.