Rover CVT - Looking at the history of the CVT!

A video I've wanted to make for a while, is the Rover CVT gearbox actually as rubbish as what people say? What significance is this gearbox or if any at all? I take a trip through some CVT history to find out...
Please like and subscribe to support this channel going forwards, many thanks :)

[@grahammummery5732]

Excellent video Andrew, I must say, your presentation & general camera use, has been growing, and continues to grow all the time! Well done you...

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

Thanks Graham I like to keep tweaking what I do for everyone's benefit :)

[@neilwalsh4058]

Very informative and well researched video. Learnt a lot from that which dispels a lot of the myths surrounding CVT technology. I knew FIAT were the first to use it in cars not specifically designed for, or built around that transmission, and remember them being pretty popular in Uno's and Pandas in the late 80's and 90's. Never owned one unfortunately as they were viewed back then as something for the 'more mature' driver. How trends have changed though and now young drivers are happy enough to drive autos , with the prices of cars without a manual box being significantly higher.

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

Thanks Neil. Absolutely there is a massive premium wirh automatic cars of this era, the survival ratio is higher than manuals which tend to get thrashed! Fiat and Ford used the same CVT gearbox but Fiat put more electronics in their version. A Fiat Panda specialist will happily restore a panda in a few months but the gearboxes leave him baffled when they stop working. CVTs are high friction machines so never suited to massively high miles but work very well with servicing!

[@simonbrader8408]

A really clear and understandable explanation. Great video - I too learned a lot from it. 👍

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

cheers buddy I'm glad, I learnt a few things when doing some digging!

[@willswheels283]

Thanks Andrew for that very informative video, I’d never driven a car with a CVT gearbox until I bought a Rover 200 R3 a few years ago, and I agree with you, what a cracking good gearbox it is, a seamless pleasurable drive. The only issues with mine was the noise it made and the box was leaking fluid from the seals which I was told by Rimmers we’re not available, they gave me the impression that it was an obsolete gearbox which I was a bit suspicious of, and even more so now after your video. People didn’t like CVT’s years ago, and some don’t today, saying about the constant engine sound which can make for a boring drive, personally I loved my CVT and would have another anytime.

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

That's is exactly the feeling that most owners have with a good one! They drive really nicely. Parts are an issue as the gearbox you cannot get soares for apart from a few items like bearings (thankfully). Rimmers have nothing apart rom the Sump gasket... that's unusual for them to leak where was it coming from? I can tell you there's only 50 R3 216 CVTs left in total. Very rare car yours!

[@willswheels283]

@@usuallyfixingtinkering It was leaking around the bottom part of the gearbox, I think it has a bottom “pan” that near the drain plug and it was leaking around the edges. I replaced the drain washer after changing the oil one time as that’s where it was initially leaking from, the leak stopped and then sprang another leak from where I mentioned earlier, Rimmers couldn’t help with spares so I had to just keep an eye on the oil level, it wasn’t a bad leak but you could see a couple of drips after parking up. Yes it was a rare R3 with that box, for an R reg it was in pretty good nic until the engine started hydrolocking and I’d been informed that it was in all probability one of the liners had dropped as the head gasket had been replaced. So due to finances I sold it on to a Rover fan who said he’d take the car on but sadly didn’t unfortunately.

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

@@willswheels283 ah bugger. That is strange to have them leaking in those places the gaskets are very good on them.

[@simonc858]

Great video, I had a Volvo 340 with a CVT, it was a good car if a little odd

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

cheers buddy, ah the 340 was very much an adopted car from volvo's perspective, they did a great job in all fairness :)

[@brokabiker]

great video :)

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

Cheers buddy

[@leepower2717]

Had a 94 Metro 1.4 CVT, the gearbox used to last 12k miles between rebuilds ( thankfully both times covered under warranty ) Second time it failed it turned the ATF yellow & melted the plastic handle on the gearbox oil dipstick where it had ejected the ATF fluid out the dipstick tube spraying it under the bonnet, I remember a Rover mechanic opening the bonnet, looking at the mess then said " that's fucked " then just dropped the bonnet shut & walked away. I got rid of the car after it was returned from repair.

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

Oh my gosh that is bad! Yellow fluid... these are the horror strories early on that have put people off CVT's all-together with reason. The gearboxes that still work today don't really have failures like this... the failures are now caused by lack of new fluid!

[@brianjohnson5789]

I had a 89 fiesta with CVT, liked the drive. But the belt snapped smashed the gearbox case at the same time. Needed a recon gearbox. Of course I said never again.

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

Oh dear that's not good... what mileage was that? The CTX was known for being troublesome. Coincidentally the 45 I'm trying to help save had the gearbox completely give up drive, lost oil burnt the rest... but it had done 112k which is great going for one of these without a fluid change.

[@brianjohnson5789]

Can't remember, will have been 20 or 30 thousand, something like that. The auto gearbox refurb shops were doing a roaring trade in similar failures, they knew all about them. So naturally the word gets out. Ford stopped selling them too, I always assumed cos they knew they were too prone to failure. I think in some countries where autos are more common the sheer volume of recon work could drive the cost down, but not here in UK.

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

@@brianjohnson5789 They kept putting them in fiestas until 2002 with the Mk5. So they must have improved it to not shelve it earlier. Thats quite common to gearbox low mileage failures, the generally feeling is these gearboxes can last over 100k if they reach 50K if you get my drift. If you've got to 50K like my 45 then it's generally (touchwood) a better gearbox.

[@brianjohnson5789]

Until 2002? I remember them not being available before then, probably a gap while they tried to improve them?

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

@@brianjohnson5789 As far as I'm aware it was available throughout Mk3 production and was improved for the launch of the Mk4 plus I know someone with a Mk5 with the CVT. So I've just joined the dots together.

[@aztech5191]

Hiya mate going to a show on the 10 of september in oxford Any chance you could come>? (If the weather is good)

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

I'll check but that clashes with something else I've put in the diary

[@aztech5191]

Hey no problem :)@@usuallyfixingtinkering

[@theredstormer8078]

Who else thinks british people say rover funny? Is it just me?

[@usuallyfixingtinkering]

That's how it's pronounced.