I recently asked for advice on the 164 manual transmission (Evaluating a Donor M410 post) and I now have a few more questions about these transmissions. First off, the parts car I am looking at has 163k on it; I do not know if anything major has been rebuilt. I drained a little of the oil from the gearbox, as advised. The oil smelled like gear oil. Is this any cause for alarm? I was under the impression that the M410s used 30wt motor oil. Also, the oil had some tiny metal flakes in it; not a lot and only viable if one REALLY looked for them, but there none the less. Am I correct in assuming the flakes are from worn (layshaft?) bearings? Is this a sign of a terminally ill gearbox or one that might sill have some life left in it with a fluid flush and new seals? One last question, I moved the gearshift through the gears (car stationary) and noticed that there was no definite feeling or sound in any of the gears. It was comletely different than the feeling of a '68 145 with an M40 that was sitting next to it. The wagon had a nice 'click' going into each gear. My question: Is this lack of feeling in the gearshift a trait particular to the M410s or another sign of a worn out transmission?
Thanks again for the help and advice.
Nick A.