Well our '02 R53 decided it was time for the transmission to depart so it blew. There's a sizeable hole in the driver side portion by the differential. A cog fell out as well which appears to be from the differential. Bought this car used earlier this year with no symptoms. A little over 100,000 miles with an intake as the only aftermarket piece. Teardown has begun but wanted to ask; has anyone experienced or seen a similar issue? Searches come up short. Also, where can I source parts other than our favorite auction site? Right now I am suspecting blown differential given the failure but only a teardown will show.

Josh

 

I'm in the process of rebuilding my Midland transmission at the moment. It has a hole, smaller than my pinkie, and a mechanic friend said he's actually used JB weld (the 24 hour setup, not kwikset) to repair it. Welding was a thought, but welding to cast aluminum is a tender task even for the most advanced welders.

Mine is setting up right now. Hopeful it holds as there's not much load on a manual case.

Good luck bud.

 

I would have gone that route but the hole is several inches in diameter :( there's no repairing this case. Something definitely went boom.

You should be just fine with the small amount of JB Weld. It isn't worth trying to weld. Good luck with the rest of the rebuild!

 

Unfortunately the case getting damaged is pretty common. Going with a new one is usually the best and most cost effective option. I keep any good cases I get from cores we do in the shop just for such a case, but you will likely need more than just a diff. so go with a new trans.

 

Car-part.com let's you search junk yards. You can sort by price, distance, etc.