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Hey Guys

Got a Gen 1 liberty with a bad syncro on second gear and an EA 5spd dual range selectable 4WD box for a low range conversion (in said liberty).

Question is, the syncro looks good in the EA box, does anyone know if I can use that syncro in the liberty box? Are the syncros the same?

If they are i'll swap it over too. I'm keen to limit how long the cars off the road.

The problem with swapping synchros if they are the same size is that you need to press of the gearsets to get to them to replace them.

The best thing you could do is get another Gen 1 gearbox to build up with the L series low range - just make sure that box is not crunching gears

Cheers

Bennie

Yeah I'd like to do that but if I can I'd be keen to avoid shelling out for another box and having two boxes to dispose of at the end of it all.

Fair enough - you'll need to find a gearbox builder that's got the equipment and knows what he's doing.

Another thing is to pull your current synchros out and have them bead blasted to scratch them up again - I've heard this is a much cheaper option than new units and you'll know that they won't crunch when you put them back in where the 2nd hand units could also crunch after the swap.

Cheers

Bennie

Cheers mate.

Looks like my problems already fixed however!

From the service history couldn't find out when the dif and box oil was last done so I decided I'd pull a long shot and find out if different oil did anything. It was good i did it, what came out of the diff looked like old engine oil and stank and the box oil was alot better but by no means clean.

Took if for a drive and it was still grating as bad as before the oil change but then I did something a bit different - I was keen to see just how bad the syncros where worn and as an experiment started pulling the gear stick against 2nd gear without the clutch in (engine running), seeing if the syncro was that gone that it would still let it grate. It didn't grate. Then I took the car for another drive and the grating was reduced. Did it again whist driving, sometimes with the revs above road speed and some below and the grating went away! 2nd is now just as good as all the other gears!

Pretty random, you'd think what I did could only be bad news for syncros but it worked. I don't know if there was some varnish build up or fine gearbox debris on the syncro that the extra friction dislodged or something but yeah, i'm not complaining. My gearbox is rejuvinated!

If it remains good, ive only got to worry about the low range conversion which I'm pretty prepared for.

The oil I put in was Castrol Multitrax.

And how's it all going now? It's pretty amazing the difference between old dodgy oil and the fresh stuff!

Cheers

Bennie