Access underneath Gear Stick

[wadewestie]

Hello,

I have a problem with the gear stick since it is stiff across the 'H' when going side to side.

I am trying to gain access to the selection parts underneath the gear stick.

I have removed the top gaiter and cover. Underneath are two nuts at the front, which I have removed, but at the back there are two flat studs. How do you remove this lower gaiter and flange assembly to allow access to the selectors underneath?

Please could someone help!
Many thanks,
Jenna

 

[frank]

jenna

you,re best to access it from under the car, and i doubt its the stick thats making it stiff (its only like a ball socket)

 

[Swiper]

it'll be the u/j's that have siezed.

 

[NeX]

1. get the car on ramps
2. take off the second Cat
3. undo the heat sheld, (10mm spanner i think)

now you can get at everything fine, your return spring may have gone.

 

[wadewestie]

Thank you chaps/chapesses.

I will work on the underside of the car and sort out these u/js.

Is the spring that returns the stick to the centre likely to be broken? And where would this be accessed from?

Thanks!!
Jenna

 

[NeX]

Thank you chaps/chapesses.

I will work on the underside of the car and sort out these u/js.

Is the spring that returns the stick to the centre likely to be broken? And where would this be accessed from?

Thanks!!
Jenna

if you pull the stick to the left and it doesn't snap back to the centre then the spring is probably gone. you will see the spring as soon as you take the sheld down. i used a pair of plyers to bend out one of the coils and just hooked it back on, but now i think it has gone again so i will have to have another look at it at some point.

the springs do go quite often, they are very tacky and also if you are getting a rattling noise they are sometimes the cause.

personally tho, if it snaps back ok, and seems to move ok, i would get some WD40 on the ball joint and see if that frees it up. if you still have a problem then it is more likely to be something at the gearbox end, possibly changing the gearbox oil might help.

tho some people have had the gear leaver stiffen up when they over tightened the bolts on the connecting rods, this puts pressure on the bushes and stops it moving so freely.

where abouts are you? i am sure someone on here can take a look at it for you

 

[solarice]

tho some people have had the gear leaver stiffen up when they over tightened the bolts on the connecting rods, this puts pressure on the bushes and stops it moving so freely.

this is what happened when i put my linkage back on the car, all freshly greased up and everything...i followed the torque settings in the haynes and when i was finished i couldnt move the bloody thing, lol...so i had to undo them all until i got a feel i liked, seems to have done the trick and no shift problems (fingers crossed it will stay like that).

though so long as know one has fiddled with it previously, that shouldnt be the cause of your problem...im guessing the first connecting point for the gear lever to linkage has stiffened up, dismantle that add a bit of grease and you should be sorted.

 

[NeX]

this is what happened when i put my linkage back on the car, all freshly greased up and everything...i followed the torque settings in the haynes and when i was finished i couldnt move the bloody thing, lol...so i had to undo them all until i got a feel i liked, seems to have done the trick and no shift problems (fingers crossed it will stay like that).

though so long as know one has fiddled with it previously, that shouldnt be the cause of your problem...im guessing the first connecting point for the gear lever to linkage has stiffened up, dismantle that add a bit of grease and you should be sorted.

thats very odd, so Haynes got the torque settings wrong? thats worth knowing its probably why people get problems like this, cos they are following the haynes.

i found the haynes to have the wrong wiring when i was installing my towbar electrics the wires were completly differnt.

 

[solarice]

i cant say 100% they have (Selector Rod Front 16 NM's & Selector Rod Rear 21 Nm's), but it didnt like moving much...then again, i did fit a short shifter aswell so maybe it was something to do with that?...

I do know when i was tightening it up (which you'd probs also notice if you ever mess with the linkage), i reached a point where i was thinking..."this cant be right"...and when it wasnt, i just undid them slightly so it allowed free movement but wasnt loose.

all im planning on doing is test driving it (when it goes for its mot) and if i think it needs fiddling with i'll adjust it then. (not a massive job anyway )

wadewestie : despite my experience id still recommend you use the haynes settings...even if just as a starting point.

 

[CB 182]

Just had a similar problem on the wifes car, gearstick returned left to centre OK, but from right to centre was weak.

Found the spring OK and that it was actually the plastic bushes in the end of the linkage (gearbox end) are worn down to the metal, the metal was binding on the metal linkage.

Temporary solution was to back off the mounting nut/bolt 1/2 a turn and fit a 2nd nut just to lock it up. (oh and a bit of grease for extra lube :wasntme: )