My 33 box has always (ie in the 4 months I have owned it), needed a careful hand into first (or any gear) and always grinds its way in.
My first questions came back with 'mine does that, don't worry' but as time has gone past and I have seen other 7s it is clear that mine is worse than any.
It had a new clutch shortly before I bought it and an experiences A7 owner tells me that the clutch pedal feels smooth and good.
I have read up on adjusting the pedal and it has about 1/2 inch play before 'locating', which is the recommended amount in the notes I have read.
It was suggested I changed the gearbox oil for SAE40 to make sure that it was thick and slowing the box sufficiently to reduce clutch drag, no change.
I have read various comments about adding spacer washers but that sounds like something I want to be absolutely clear about before trying.
any ideas out there?

thanks
Andy

ps: if it makes any difference it is a 4 speed no syncromesh box

I have come across something like this on my previous 12/4. I used to really just 'feel' the gearstick into 1st, almost feel the cogs locate. The other thing I noticed was that the engine tickover had to be really very slow indeed and this also helped elinate gear crunch. It seems every car is different in its behaviour.

Andy,

when I had a 4-speed crash gearbox in the Pearl it would always crunch into 1st gear if:

1. The engine was not ticking over slowly enough

and

2. If I did not depress the clutch twice before putting it into gear.

I have reverted to the later more original box (synchro on 3 and 4), and this now works fine without any crunching noise. The 4 speed crash gearboxes are very robust and hardly ever give trouble (hence why I tried one for a while) but they can be harder work to use than the later types.

Good luck

Ruairidh

I have a 33 RP with four speed crash box and it always crunches a bit when engaging a gear prior to moving off. This I guess is due to the straight cut nature of the gears and the fact that you are trying to mesh one gear which is rotating with another which is not. Clutch drag can make matters worse, but 'the crunch' is something you have to live with.

Why bother with first gear anyway? The only time I ever use it is if I have to move off on a very steep hill. Most of the time the car will move off perfectly well in second. First is a waste of time except in the most extreme circumstances, although I have found that engaging first and then moving the lever into second makes for a quieter 'crunch', rather than just going straight for second.

thanks everyone. I have tried going straight for second. It does help a bit but not much. depressing thepedal twice or even 3 times makes no difference. It does sound as if the initial advice of live with it was indeed correct. I am happy to do this but was starting to worry that however carefully I fed the gears in, I was doing damage with the crash, but apparently not.
I shall crash away

Andy

Andy, with the clutch fully depressed try engaging first gear as gently as you can until you can just feel the cogs meeting each other but before actual engagement. Then hold it in that position. If the gears show no sign of slowing down whilst just gently brushing against one another then it would indicate a dragging clutch.

Another confirmation of this would be to park the car on a level smooth surface and start the engine in first gear with the clutch depressed. As the engine turns you may notice perceptible movement of the car

If it were me I'd be looking at the clutch rather than the gearbox. The fact that there's new clutch work would make me suspicious for a start and any car, even moderns, will crunch into first (or not even go into 1st) if the clutch isn't right. Previous suggestion by Norman may prove the point if clutch dragging. Put non-detergent engine oil back into the box as the thicker oil when cold would perhaps make the situation worse. Good Luck. Cheers from Bill in Oz.

Because one gear is moving and the other one isn't it's impossible to engage without a bit of conflict - however, the knack is to do it gently, as had been mentioned by easing the gear lever forward until the gears just touch. This has the same effect as the friction cones in a synchromesh set - it slows the gears down enabling them to mesh silently (or nearly!). You can minimise the 'cruch' by being gentle. If you ram the lever into gear then the gearbox will protest!