prophet@umcp-cs.UUCP (Dennis Gibbs) (11/18/84)
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Sorry for posting this here, but the address I had for the originator of the
article did not work. I would appreciate hearing comments on the following
article from anyone who may be interested.
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Mark,
In response to your request for information about Datsun 310 transmissions,
I have a few questions to ask you, plus some comments:
The first is, does this Datsun that has the first gear problem you speak of
have a four speed or a 5 speed transmission?
Secondly, What were the symtoms of the problem that led to the dis-
covery of the broken first gear?
Third, what brand and weight of gear oil were you using, and how often did
you have it changed?
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Comments:
I own a 1979 Datsun 310 with 5-speed manual transmission. I only have 45K
miles on it, and the only major things I have had to do to it so far is to re-
place the muffler and tailpipe, and also to have the front disk pads replaced
and the rotors resurfaced.
Also, you quoted a price of $100 per gear to have the transmission repaired.
Does this price include labor? If so, I think this is a very reasonable price,
because on the 310, the engine and transmission must BOTH be removed in order
to work on the innards of the transmission. Obviously, this involves a great
deal of labor, hence the high repair cost.
I am EXTREMELY meticulous about the maintenance of my 310. As a matter of
fact, I have my used oil (from both engine and transmission) analyzed to det-
ermine how the engine and transmission are wearing. I use synthetic lubricant
in both the engine and transmission. The analysis reports from the engine
have always shown below normal wear in the engine, but the one analysis that I
have had done on the transmission showed gear wear and also indications that
the lubricant (Amsoil 80W-90 gear lube) overheated. I wrote both Datsun and
Amsoil about this problem, and I also talked with the lab that did the oil an-
alysis. The general consensus was that either the car had been abused in some
manner (such as racing) or the oil had not been changed frequently enough, or
the transmission tolerances must have been extremely tight at the time of man-
ufacture, causing much friction and heat under even normal operating
conditions. Since I do not abuse the car, and I always change oil at least as
often as the manual recommends, I must conclude that the transmission is at
fault.
Now, keep in mind that I have NOT YET experience any transmission failures
but I have always known that this transmission is not the sturdiest in the
world. In particular, the synchronizers seem to be weak, often causing a
"crunch" sounds when shifting into third gear, and also when downshifting into
second gear.
I am extremely interested in hearing from you again, and I especially would
like to hear your answers to the questions I asked at the beginning, because
it may help me and others with Datsun 310's avoid the same problems.
Thanks again, and I hope that my comments have been helpful.
Sincerely,
Dennis Gibbs
--
Call-Me: Dennis Gibbs, Univ. of Md. Comp. Sci. Center.
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