3 speed gearbox gears

Trevor,

I should have a usable first-reverse sliding gear, and I have reverse idler gears. Cluster gears (aka counter gears) in good condition are like hens' teeth.

I have to ask - why do you want to replace them? Chipped teeth? Chipped teeth hardly ever happens to reverse idler gears, but more commonly to the first/reverse gear and the cluster gear. Gears that have been in service for a while tend to round off the "pointing" where the teeth engage. This isn't a problem, and even minor chipping around the points is tolerable. Chipped teeth become a problem when, say, more than a third of the tooth's missing.

The things to watch out for are -

Pitting of the gear teeth, usually in a line along the base of the base of the cluster gear teeth where first gear engages, but also on the first/reverse sliding gear. This condition makes for noisy first gear.

Pitting of the needle roller bearing bores at each end of the cluster gear. It isn't a show-stopper if the rest of the gear's in good condition, it just makes for a slightly noisier gearbox in first and second.

If the gearbox is out of the car, and you've taken the bottom cover off, take photos of the sliding gear, cluster gear and reverse idler gear. Post them up here and I'll tell you what I think based on their condition.

Rob