[Dorchester]

My 1994 214 gearbox looks a bit tired (bearings inside are becoming a tad noisy but the gears are doing well).
I assume it's a R65.

I've got a very decent & fair offer from a 1997 216:

"Brand : ROVER
Type : SERIE 200 1.6I (216) 16V
Body : 5 Doors
Issue : 01-12-1997
Fuel : Petrol
Engine Type: 16K4FK89
Gearbox Type : 5C 35WUC - 5 Manual"

My 214 gearbox is given as a 5C 39W and my cabby a 14K4FJ52.
Could it be a straight swap?
Thanks a lot.

[220 GSi turbo]

The 216 has a higher final drive (differential) ratio, which will allow more relaxed cruising but may reduce your acceleration. '35' in the serial number represents a 3.5:1 final drive ratio, '39' represents 3.9:1. It would probably drop the engine revs at 100kph by approx. 400 rpm.

The only other difference is in the speedometer drive: the later cars have an electronic speedometer, your car will have a mechanical cable so you will need to take the electronic sensor out of the 216 gearbox and fit the mechanical parts instead.

[Cromp85]

If the 216 Box is a R65 type it will fit, but the gearset will be a ratio suited to the 1.6 engine.
Years ago a mate fitted a 2.0 Montego PG1 box to his 220GTi, it was a direct fit but the car never pulled the same after. It might be better to get your original gearbox rebuilt.

[richard moss]

Given the info above, I personally would go for it. Rovers all seem to be under geared and I've done similar swaps myself in the past - chiefly fitting 620 diesel boxes onto 820 petrol engines, dropping revs in 4th and 5th by about 500rpm at motorway speeds.

It made my 820 Sterling a lot more refined on a long run and marginally more economical to boot. I just had to get used to dropping a gear to overtake (no hardship) and using 3rd at 30mph around town, rather than 4th.

What Rovers REALLY need is a taller 5th

[Dorchester]

Thank you to all of you gentlemen.
It looks much clearer for me now.
The point regarding the sensor looks essential: "The only other difference is in the speedometer drive: the later cars have an electronic speedometer, your car will have a mechanical cable so you will need to take the electronic sensor out of the 216 gearbox and fit the mechanical parts instead."
Thanks a lot Paul.
Hence I understand that a direct fit will be fine, but the swapping of the sensor which doesn't mean I'll have to do much fuss about.
Regarding the ratio, a 214 cab not being a sport car, I'll definitely appreciate a more relaxing cruise. It's a car to enjoy and play with, not actually fit to competition!
BTW It'll save me a sensible heap of quids because the fully overhauled & controlled gearbox in question - coming from an official French breaker - is costing 125€ (£108) shipping free when the usual price here on the continent for a good used one averages 250€ (£216) or thereabouts (and sometimes more) plus the shipping cost!
Thank you gentlemen.

[Kriss707]

In my opinion having driven both the 1.4 & 1.6 (K-Series) derivatives of the 200 Cabriolet. There may be different ratios through the gears & Final Drive, but in practice on the road there is not a lot of difference in the performance. My Father-in-Laws 1.4 will stick pretty close with my 1.6 through the gears, I only have a small advantage top-end (on a private section of the A30, of course )

[Dorchester]

Finally my cabby is back from the mechanic's.
Gearboxes have been swapped but not that easy and for a reason that wasn't predicable.
If fitted as it was, the gearbox arm wasn't able to move freely up to the max.
I assume that the 216 Honda engine has some slight differences and that the marks may not have been the same.
Hence my good man has to make a suitable bracket to fully ease the rotation.
Moreover bolts hadn't the same thread thus he had to tap the holes.
But now it works fine: the cabby is a very delight to drive without any rattle. A bliss!

[scoubix]

Your replacement box didn't come from a 216 Honda car, but from a K-Series 1.6 (engine type 16K4).
You wouldn't have been able to use a gearbox from a Honda-engined car: they don't use the R65.

[Dorchester]

Agreed. I wrote too quickly.
As the donor is a 216 mk3 issued in 1997 at that time Rover didn't use any longer Honda engines as previously (Honda D16 & the like with P7 manual gearbox).
Hence the question remains: why wasn't it a direct fit? Mystery...