Top Gear DIY by Tony B – June 2022



So when I got Noddy (family name for the car, as it’s about the same size as Noddy's car apparently!) it was nearly perfect in every way except that, when cruising in top gear, it would whine a little, not too much, but just enough to annoy one. And to make things worse, the faster you went the more it whined!
I can put up with a lot of things, but when you’re just cruising, it grates!

So after a chance conversation with a mechanic, who informed me that all things being equal, it’s not a tough job to change the 5th gear as it is on the end of the gearbox in its own little cover I decided to give it a go. The hardest part being to lift the car to drop the engine but since I have got a lift I thought, brilliant! I can do this easy.

Job one, get the 5th gears (they come as a matched pair), £700, which is more than I thought it was going to be, however it committed me to do the job.

My plan was NOT to think of the whole job as its quite big but when I thought about it, it really isn’t that big a job if you break it down.

So next lift the car, not hard as I have a small car lift.

Then disconnect the drive shafts, the fuel, clutch, throttle, oil cooler, heater pipes, ICU/ alternator and gear rod. That’s it! your now ready to drop the block.

Two bolts and two nuts, and your away! I did put Tippex on pretty much everything so I knew where it once lived.

I got hold of a hydraulic four-wheel platform, I really would recommend getting one of these. Really do NOT use trolley jacks etc., I have seen engines being lowered by jacks on the net, way too dangerous and difficult, also putting the engine back would be a total nightmare.

So back to getting the engine out, the engine is chocked on the platform and at the gearbox raised slightly, removed the holding bolts and nuts and you are now holding the engine.

Lower the back of the engine by 3 or 4 inches leaving the gear box part up and then gently pull the engine back by about 2 -3 inches, and that’s it! the engine and gearbox is away.



You either lower the engine away, or raise the car up if you can and there you have it, the gearbox with the 5th & reverse gear housing is looking at you.

Next stop is the gearbox end cover removal, again not hard, nut NO metal hammers with the cover. With the end case removed the cogs are literally there.

Common sense is the key here, and just for your sanity, a few photos might be an idea.

Remove the steal spring pin (not with a hammer!) and the large nuts and slip the reverse cogs off and the gears you are after. There is a circlip that holds the gear synchro brake, this has to be transferred to the new cog and is a bit fiddly so just take your time (and photos).

With the synchro brake on the new cog, you are done.


It’s now time to reverse everything you have just done. If you have the hydraulic platform, putting the engine back really isn’t that hard.

I have kept this really quite high level; you don’t need me to say to take the gearbox oil out etc.

This was quite a therapeutic job to do, you can clean up some bits that you really can’t normally get to, or inspect spark plug etc.

I put in the oil pressure reducers for the cam shaft because it was so easy to do and cost virtually nothing. Must say that it was lovely to just look at the engine on the platform (bloke thing I’m told).

If I am honest, I was a little nervous taking the car out for its first drive, but have faith. My whine has gone! It is so nice! There is a slight white noise that should go when a few miles have been put on the box and all is now clean and good, ready for many more miles.