How hard to remove gearbox?

[Bax84]

Hey guys,

Brief rundown, I've had a loud metallic rattle/grinding noise coming from underneath my car. It happens at all times when the clutch is out. Clutch in makes it disappear.

I'm thinking it's throwout or input bearings.

Problem being, it's been to 3 mechanics, and they've all told me they can't hear anything wrong with it. One even drove it 15km and didn't hear any problems, I drove it home that afternoon and within 10m of leaving the shop....


One mechanic said I could leave it with him at 120 bucks an hour until he diagnoses the problem. And then I'll have to fork out the extra cash to fix it.

Cash is tight, I've got reasonable mechanical knowledge. How hard would it be for me to drop the box and replace the bearings?

Or, does anybody know a rough price that it should cost for a mechanic to do it.

 

[Dion]

With a hoist, quite acheivable. Still acheivable without but not a particularly straightforward job; Torsion bars out, crossmember out both require supporting the car on axle stands, then you'll need a transmission jack (or I use an engine crane in through the driver's door and down through the gearstick hole). If you already own the equipment and a few different shapes of spanners to get into awkward spots, do it.

 

[Bax84]

No hoist, it'd be driven up on ramps. Don't have an engine crane though, would have been a jack dodgied up.

I'm going to go see another mechanic this afternoon and see if I can get it in with him. See if he'll give me a quote.