west

Anybody dipped fingers into the gearbox itself? I believe the syncro ring for the gearbox is

sounds like a problem on the 'gate' Linkages etc it could be as per other suggestions. money, money,money.ooh ahh...........................................

I'm no expert, so all comments are probably valid. But, if the diaphram is worn and the clutch is dragging, then the lack of syncro on reverse will cause problems. all the other gears have a syncro which helps if the clutch drags except reverse. maybe i'm wrong, but it is just an opinion.

if the diaphram (plate) spring(s) are worn, they will not push the friction plate away from the flywheel. and will mean the clutch will drag. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm

this could be a weakening pressure plate on the clutch. i have this problem on my Mazda (117000 miles on original clutch!!) new clutch i'm afraid

Silicone. erm no. Its crap, and is likely to sieze up whatever you spray it on. Which is why WD40 has on the can in big red letters 'A sillicone free product' :D

Dont.Forget.the.ARB.bushes. Probably these makin the noise.

just because you can't find a leak, doesnt mean one does not exist if you are capable, look around the car for obvious signs. other causes: holes in bodyshell (exhaust fumes) blown exhaust choke stuck on petrol pump leak fuel line leak. But , sound like petrol is leaking and building up (15mins) somewhere. If i were you, id take it to a mechanic and take no chances. Petrol fires are frigtening (as is my spelling)

I changed my oil filter and what a bugger to get off (fraud service) I have a chain tool, but it wont fit in the tight confines of the engine bay. so i used the time honoured trick of a large screwdriver rammed through the canister. :angry: lovely jubly.

1. turn ignition key to start engine. 2. listen carefully when letting go of key 3. If noise is when letting go of key, then its the starter motor 4. if noise is after letting go of key, then its a belt. 5. have friend start engine whilst you look into engine bay, noise should be obvious. 6. if belt, check the steering pump belt (look under osf) this is on a mk 1 a standard v belt which may have stretched. twist with fingers (engine stopped) at should only turn 1/4 of a revolution and should be really tight. if loose, study the attached toothed washer arrangement and adjust tension to suit. but check for wear, if in doubt, replace (very simple) 7.If starter motor, the open engine bay, disconnect battery, loosen bolts holding starter to engine case (13mm socket, bit fiddly) no need to undo wiring, but take it easy not to damage, once undone, grap hold of the pinion gear on the starter motorr and twist and pull at the same time, bendix should pull about 1" from the starter. apply a (little!) grease to bendix shaft 8.replace starter motor. maybe its not one of the above, but on my 99 tdi, i had both and it used to squeel like a stuck pig in the morning. purs like a kitten know.

OK, your opinion, and I respect that. But if you want your engine to exceed its design life you might want to exceed the service schedule. I ran a nissan primera (94) into the ground. at 195000 miles, the cost of replacing tyres/windows/suspensions/cv joints etv became prohibative and it had to be scrapped. the engine was however in pristine condition and yet the oil and filters were changed as per book. My 84' Cavalier was a different kettle, with the car fine but the bottom end completely buggered at 90000miles here's the point. I have never heard of a modern engine wearing out, ever taxis, maybe,go for 3-400 thou. long before that, everything else will fall off. at

fit new roll bar bushes at the same time. they cost pennies, but will cause the link rods to wear prematurely if worn themselves. worn bushes are as noisy as worn links They (usually) wear out together

I did this in the dark with a flashlight (hence missing fingers) but: 1.have friend push and keep brake pedal down 1a study new switch, note the difference in lugs. 2.remove fuse cover 3.remove panel under fuse box (just clips-easy) 4. have spanner -17mm ready 5. place spanner round old switch and rotate clockwise slowly 6 after 1/4 turn, the switch (should) pop. 7.remove wire from switch 8. study hole in holder and the new switch and allign 9. With a little dexterity, push down on top of switch 10. rotate new switch with spanner 1/4 turn anti clockwise. 11. switch should pop back in. 12 re-attach wires 13 pop back fuse trims. incase of failure at point 10, swear, swear some more and then dismantle lower dash. easy really. Ps, before purchase, ensure you have the correct version, either two pin or four pin. regards

You need to "screw IN" the rear brake pistons (they are the self adjustment mechanism on the handbrake) - air should not get in - but it is recomended to undo the bleed nipples to allow the (dirty) fluid out rather than push it back to the brake reservoir (via the ABS block) - Remember to renew brake fluid every 2 or 3 years - it absorbs water over time causing corrosion and increasing the possibilty of vapour locks. i did screw in the pistons Buy a genuine/OEM filter - they have a nut welded on the bottom for a socket or spanner - easy. Do not overtighten the new filter, - smear oil on the O ring, spin the filter on until it just contacts the mating suface of the filter housing, then tighten between 1/4 to 1/2 turn maximum by hand. Run engine and check for leaks. When tightened correctly, you should be able to remove by hand at the next service. Filter last replaced by ford. Why are you doing this? :P Not normally ever required.... Not normal for starter motors to squeal like a pig, but mine did until i greased the bendix. Are you sure you pulled the right one? Bottom radiator hose and remove filler cap? I pulled of the wrong hose but am wary now, any pictures of what i should be removing? (This is embarasing, ive pulled loads of bottom hoses off in my time!!!) What a wus.... :D Could do with a picture of which hose to remove.

A story about a service.............. Every 12 months, or 10,000mls (as it says in the book) i service the motor. I let my mistrust of maindealers slip when i bought it, and asked for a full service from ford. I should have known better, so from know on, i do it myself. anyway, i pinched the Galaxy of the missus for a drive test. Twelve months ago, the car had no faults. after my testdrive this is what i had to buy 5 bulbs - blown 1 steering pump belt - lost tension 1 oil filter - service 1 air filter - service 1 fuel filter - service 1 coolant - service 1 brake light switch - broken 1 speaker grille - broken 4 door switches - missing 2 wiper blade rubbers - worn 1 set rear brake pads - worn 1 Brake fluid and bleed pipe 1 oil (duckhams) 1 black colour match wax 1 tub screenwash 1 can plastic polish 4 wheel trims - broken 1 tub grease - starter motor 2 Antiroll bar links - worn 2 Antiroll bar bushes - worn 1 Glue - failed plastics in engine bay 1 Injector cleaner - 90,000mls on the injectors :) :D :) :D :lol: :lol: :o :o :o I changed all of the above,- but * had to 'Unscrew' the brake pistons which let air into the system (hence fluid) * Nearly had a flid trying to unscrew oil filter(Screwdriver) * Lost all my fingers trying to remove starter motor bolts to grease the bendix * lost the remaining fingers replacing brake switch (Which IS possible to do without removing any trim-honest) *wasted hours pulling hoses of the radiator, yet no water? The hardest bit was cleaning the thing (Full internal/External Valance), this took me a full day as the galaxy is so large. In closing, the air and fuel filters and the injector cleaner made a massive difference, the last ones were stamped 2002, something the ford dealer did not pick up on. I wonder how much that lot would have cost at ford??? Finally, any idea how to drain the coolant? (Local ford dealer doesn't know as he has never done it!!!) :) :ph34r:

do what it says in the manual. anything more is wasting money anything less is silly. but, remember to follow the notes about arduous service

I have a 1999 Ford Galaxy 1.9TDI (90ps) LX Manual box (Off topic) Boy, o Boy. My mini metro was more reliable most unreliable bucket of sh*t i have ever owned. Great design though. (On Topic) Problem: Gearbox: The gates on the synchro's for all gears work fine except for first gear when stationary, clutch up, (engaged) and in neutral, i can go past the 'gate' in first gear, which (due to the clutch spinning) means 1st gear try to engage and results in alot of noise. if i drop the clutch for a few seconds (stoping the engine from spinning the idle shaft in the box) then first gear engages without noise. if i am moving, i have to stop and drop the clutch for a few seconds before changing gear. as all the other gears are fine, i think that the shyncro ring on first gear is knackered. Any opinions????? Also, i am being told that it is as cheap to have a recon gearbox installed rather than have the existing one fixed. €900 Box €500 Clutch €300 Labour €300 Vat I cannot believe that the syncro ring cannot be changed as ford do sell a replacement kit for this ring (€100) Is my gearbox centre correct, of can i * remove the box and do a diy job * Have some other garage remove the box and send it away for repair?? Help Apreciated. :D :D <_<