Posted by John W. S. son of John S. [172.70.211.23] on Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 09:00:08 :
In Reply to: Metal found in transmission fluid change posted by Steve [162.158.167.63] on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 19:34:31 :
Yes the gear looks worn. Should the transmission be serviced? Sure. Will it fall apart tomorrow based on this picture? Also unlikely. This appears to be a second series non syncro, which is a possibility in a '55. These transmissions are known to be noisy and can be rough to shift especially if the shit top is worn. Parts for the second series boxes are also tough to round up.
I would spin it over by hand and look for chunks out of teeth, chips in the shift fork grooves, or any roughness in the bearings.
The second series boxes do not usually have a visible "smoking gun" for noise when pulled apart. There is no way to know the shaft, bearing and gear clearances were intended to be. During operation the lower cluster spins increasingly faster 1st thru 3rd until shifted into direct. At that point there is no load on the lower set. It is still spinning, but is "free" and basically just an oil slinger at that point.
Do not use thin oil either; they are difficult enough to shift as is, especially when learning. Engine idle speed also matters for the double clutch, but that is a topic for another day.