[Transmission] N/S drive shaft wont go into the gearbox! Please help!

[lewishenderson]

Hi all! This is my first time on the forum and I require some advice from you Berlingo experts if you would be so kind to give it

My 55 plate Berlingo is currently in the mechanics. I had a new clutch fitted and as the gearbox was worn they decided to replace that also with a second hand one from a breakers yard. All was going well until they tried inserting the n/s drive shaft into the gearbox. They say it needs to go in by another 5mm and they just cant seem to get it to go!

The drive shafts were using are the original ones that were in the old gearbox and the o/s one went in just fine. We have discussed getting the drive shaft that belongs to the 'new' gearbox from the breakers and trying that. They even suggested I could cut 5mm off the end of the drive shaft so it will go in!!! (which I am totally against) In my experience, if something wont go there is usually a route problem that needs addressing. 

Any help would be appreciated as they have had the van for a month now and I'm getting desperate!

I'll attach pics of the drive shaft in question. 

Thanks in advance!!


       

[cancunia]

Welcome to the forum, I'm sure someone on here will have an answer.
I pulled the driveshaft out of my 2007 Berlingo by accident a few years ago and put a new oilseal in before refitting as I'd damaged the old seal. I think I had the same issue as you, I thought it had not gone in far enough as there was a gap between the oilseal & the shoulder on the shaft with a bit of bare metal showing. In the end, after a bit of discussion on here, I decided it was ok as there was a 'click' when the shaft was into the box far enough for the circlip inside to take hold. Looking at your pictures, you can see where the old oilseal was, does it go in that far?

[Sol]

I had the same with a Vectra TDi - the issue turned out to be this (could be the problem) that there was a hog ring (snap-ring) round the shaft to keep it in place but it had come out on the shaft - the shaft then wouldn't go right back no matter what we tried, eventually we checked on Autodata, the hog-ring was supposed to be taken off and put back into the gearbox hole first and then the bloody shaft slid straight in with a click....

It would not slide in while the snap-ring was still on the shaft groove, it needed to be removed from the shaft, placed into the gearbox hole groove, and then fit the shaft, they could just have been lucky with the first one. Or, the snap ring had stayed in the hole on the other side...

EDIT - looking at your driveshaft ends, there seems to be no groove - so maybe not the same issue, could be a year change causing the end to be a different length at the splined area.