Hi everyone, I'm new to all of this so looking for help, I'm recently drove my mk4g through a large pothole and broke the diff, it vibrates like hell driving straight and left, only cleans up if you pull to the right past 10°. I'm looking for a new one but have been told that I need a new gearbox to fix the problem, is this true and how hard is it to do? Thanks in advance
a gearbox replacement is probably the best option because it has to be removed and dismantled to get to the diff, swapping the box is straight forward job for a mechanic but dismantling a box is a lot more involved. A new diff is probably more expensive than a 2nd hand box and you'll also need to factor in extra labour time as well as seals and oil. if i were you id look for a breakers with a not too high mileage car with service history who will sell you the complete gearbox, i recently got hold of a 2nd hand unit with some other parts for £110 to give you an idea. also it is worth trying to get one from a car with the same/ similar engine as yours if possible just so the ratios are kept the same, diesel and petrol engines gearboxes are interchangeable but the ratios inside can be quite different. if your planning to keep the car for a few more years its also worth considering a clutch whilst its all open.
Thanks man, that's really helpful, I was thinking of doing the clutch like you said, could I buy a second hand gearbox off say eBay rather then looking for a scrapper?
