Reply to "Breather tube for ZF"

Hi tradde,
In a road car the second gear synchronizer has the hardest job of all the synchros. Along with that, it also receives the most usage. Although my experience with the ZF transaxle is minimal, I can tell you what is typical. With few exceptions the second gear synchro. will be the first to show signs of wear. That being the case, the most likely cause of the problem you're experiencing is a worn second gear synchro. If the clutch is not fully disengaging, the synchros. must overcome the resulting drag. This would be asking too much of an already tired synchro. Just to be sure, confirm that the clutch is releasing properly.

One thing that wasn't mentioned about your transaxle vent was water. Venting of a gearbox is almost always accomplished by either one of those little vent assemblies, or a vent hose. The design of a vent assembly, and the routing of a vent hose are intended to prevent water from entering the unit by acting as an air lock. Leaving an open hole in the top of the unit could allow water from splash or deep puddles to get inside the transaxle.

Good luck...Al English