There I was, just driving along when suddenly...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4848163239_5f26ab47b5_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4848784468_66119376ab_z.jpg
<-- right front wheel ---- right front end of car -->


well, i guess that rock was stronger than my gearbox casing.
The good news is that I was going to change the fluid anyhow... :woot:

Now, how much of a pain is it to replace/repair this part of the casing?

The transmission is acting up anyways (rough up- and downshifts despite ECU resets, missing gears etc) and so is the engine, so i'm wondering if this might be an "opportunity" for some major front end work.

where exactly is the crack kinda hard to tell from that photo
its not worth replacing the casing would be way cheaper to just get a replacement box from a wrecker

Pretty sure it's just in the forward part of the casing.

Do I have to pull the engine out to replace the box? In that case I'll be looking for a new engine also..

might be worth double checking where exactly its leaking from just in case but if your certain its the casing then just get a replacement

you can drop the box with out having to take the motor out

If you have split the sump of the gearbox, thats easy to replace, but if you have cracked or holed the alloy case, it will need to come out to be fixed. The box comes out with the engine in the car, bvut if you have a hoist it is just as easy to lift the engine and gearbox out together. Are you sure it was a rock? Some boxes have been known to explode internally and crack/hole the casing.

It was a rock. I pulled over after it went "bang" and found the rock embedded in the dirt road. Then I had to drive home 50km from the middle of nowhere with red fluid dripping out of my tranny...

I will have a closer look at the leak light tomorrow morning.