W123 gearbox conundrum

[The Dutch]

Hi people I'm new here but come with an old problem which sits between me and carefree MB-ing. I have an '83 240D with a 5sp manual gearbox which emits a slight, sharp ticking sound in every gear except fourth. I have been driving it with this ailment for nearly 10k miles and I don't think it has got any worse; but it's the sort of ominous ticking that makes you feel like you're driving around in a timebomb, and makes you dread the gaps between songs.

I am relatively certain it is the gearbox as it gets harsher under load (both accelerating and heavy engine braking), I have a suspicion the geaxbox and engine may have been changed by a previous owner, and have been told that 4th may be a special case as it effectively bypasses the box and drives straight through.

So, given that there is almost certainly no quick fix for anything gearbox related, how easy is it to change the gearbox (and possibly engine too) in one of these lovable brutes?

Any suggestions much appreciated.
Thanks

The Dutch

 

[jaymanek]

Hi,

havent done it myself, but have seen it being done...Looks like a straightforward enough job really, shouldnt have many problems as long as you source the same engine and box to replace it with...

 

[The Dutch]

That reminds me of a friend who would watch me service his car, year after year saying "well I'll watch you do it now, then I can do it myself next time".

Anyway, I was under the impression it would be reasonably straight forward to put in a different engine type, i.e. 300D. I would imagine there would be a few complication with a TD though.