First off, the 3/4 gear bias spring broke so that the gearlever felt "loose" and it was not held towards the 3/4 "gate". I could live with this. The problem now is the change has got much worse and the "gate" won't engage on the first attempt into 2/3/4 and needs several tries (losing maybe 20mph in the process!).

My question is will this be a fault in the remote gear linkage (I feel confident I could fix this but I don't want to spend hours removing and refitting it to find its not the problem)or within the gearbox (no confidence here - fear of a big bill!)?

Anyone any ideas?

 

Mk 4's are dead cheap on parts! They're also agriculturally simple, so the problem can't be toooooo bad!

 

Probably, yes.

They're sort of held on where they touch, so if you broke the cross-box arm, you've probably buggered the other pickups since.

New linkage/bushes called for.

Get someone to waggle it on a ramp - it'll make more sense when you see it.

 

Looking at a schematic for the remote linkage it doesn't seem there is much in there to go wrong, and there is no spring. I'm guessing the problem is in the box and I'm just about to buy a s/h one off ebay for

 

The auto boxes were made by Fiat iirc and by all accounts pretty terrible indeed.

 

Sound like this is what you are now planning to do and that is to get a complete box off another car, I would get the linkage while you are at it just incase. Get a Valeo, LUK or Sachs clutch from a factor.

Stuff it... go and get a 2.0 zetec engine and box, wedge it in, more fun!!!

 

Mike,

If you can click it in & out OK fron the linkages on the box (one is front back, t'other across) than the box is probably OK.

I've had a dislocated balljoint on a 127 linkage, which can be fun! They will pull away in third!

 

Thanks Nick but I've bought another box off ebay now, and I've cleaned it up ready to fit.

Checking the gear selector shaft on the back of the replacement box I can feel both the 3/4 bias spring and the reverse spring actions. Disconecting the selector shaft on the car and carrying out the same check on the selector shaft as it comes out of the box I can't feel any resistance from the 3/4 bias spring, only the reverse spring. This convinces me its the box at fault, and I'm guessing its a broken spring leaving some bits floating about in the box.

A job for next weekend (my wife wants to borrow my S to get into work next week now ).

I'll let you know how it all turns out, probably next Sunday after a full Saturday lifting gearboxes in and out.

 

Yeah, technically speaking, your detent springs are farqed.

 

Don't do it!

Tell her to get the bus.

Mine borrowed the S once and it came back with parking dents AND a scuff on the bumper