The exact opposite of a fix! They didn't have a new gasket, and had damaged the flange when taking it off - they appeared to have stabbed it with a screwdriver leaving a 2mm sprag of steel proud of the sealing side of the flange. In lieu of a gasket they liberally applied silicone sealant everywhere, bolted it back together and then re-filled it with red ATF. The ATF promptly dissolved the silicone, leaving a 2mm gap in the front so every time the brakes were applied a glug of ATF would fall out. The TC was howling by the time I got it home from Essex to Devon, and I only realised later on (ie in that thread) what damage had actually been done to it.

I'll go looking for those thanks +++

Update
 

I visited the very nice people at Suffolk Transmissions today who confirmed a small but significant list of TC and Gearbox issues! Now booked in for a re-build next Tuesday and a much, much lighter wallet!

Oh dear. :-( What were the problems?

Update
 

The 'juddering' I tried my best to describe was, if I have got this right, the Lock Up Clutch (part of the TC?) and there was some "flaring" in/between 3rd gear. Essentially, they said that it may be possible to just address any issues they find but the difference in cost, whilst the box is out, between fixing issues and a full re-build, would have been minimal.

That's a bummer, although not entirely unexpected given the behaviour. Did a whole bunch of new codes pop up either when it was in with David or when the gearbox folk took a look?

As the shuddering was new behaviour I'd expect it to be flagging something if it were meaning the gearbox internal speed and wheel speed were out of step, but given the age of the tech I wouldn't be entirely surprised if you got nothing at all.

A rebuild will future-proof the car and potentially add significantly to its saleability/value in the future as a ticked off job. Just make sure you get their advice on frequency of services after rebuild and stick to them.

Given yours is a late car it'll have the modified tailshaft and rear output seal with larger lip already, I would think

It's interesting that this is probably an example of the D2 market in general reaching a "crossover" point. For some time they've been seen by some as a cheap luxury runabout that will be discarded when something expensive crops up. Plus a core of enthusiasts.

It's now seems to be reaching a point where the few that remain are mostly in the "really cherished" category and challenges like this are becoming seen as "par for the course". :cool:

I think you're right HP.

I bought my last few D's fully expecting a gearbox rebuild/replacement at some time in the future, so when that day comes I'm mentally prepared for the outlay.

Me too, all factored in. Even an engine replacement, unlikely as that might be.

Out of interest, approximately how much would an engine rebuild/replacement cost?

Gearbox's are generally £2.5k to £3.5k so interested to hear what you think a engine would be.

Update
 

Before the S8 leaves on Tuesday can anyone tell me whether the broken support/bracket (?) on the left of the shifter is an issue or repairable and if anything is missing from the trim or the shifter to hold the trim in place (just lifts out at the moment)?
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Many Thanks!