Gear linkage adjustment

Birchall said:
That sounds more like a worn linkage bearing (in the centre of the gear-change "tower" under the bonnet, perhaps.

It doesn't sound like a gearbox internal issue (unless you mean a crunch rather than a click?)

Steve B
Click to expand...

Actually, I think I remember Marcus mentioning the tower bearing when he looked at the car.

It's definitely more of a click. I go for third from second, and I can feel it hasn't gone in all the way. I then push harder and it clicks in place. Just hope I'm not ruining anything by continued use in its current situation.
 
what is the gearbox in a 1.4 tdi 75 / 1.4tdi 90 / 1.4 pertol or 1.6 petrol ?

If it is the tower on top of the gearbox and a 1.4 petrol (an likely a 1.6 petrol as well) then I have just removed a faulty gearbox, but the gear change was smooth and no play in the tower bearing.
I can try to remove the tower from the top of the gearbox for you

Cheers,
 
depronman said:
what is the gearbox in a 1.4 tdi 75 / 1.4tdi 90 / 1.4 pertol or 1.6 petrol ?

If it is the tower on top of the gearbox and a 1.4 petrol (an likely a 1.6 petrol as well) then I have just removed a faulty gearbox, but the gear change was smooth and no play in the tower bearing.
I can try to remove the tower from the top of the gearbox for you

Cheers,
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer. But it's a 1.4 Tdi.
 
Will not do any arm and may do some good. Really depends were the worn bearing is and if the wd40 can get there to works it's magic


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depronman said:
Will not do any arm and may do some good. Really depends were the worn bearing is and if the wd40 can get there to works it's magic


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Click to expand...

Yes, I just blasted it with wd40, then did the same a few times whilst fairly quickly and firmly shifting the selector up and down.

I'm not imagining that it's cured, but have to say it does feel better.

It just stuck once as opposed to often/regularly when shifting to third at about 2,400rpm. I don't usually shift that high, but it's then when I need to get out of trouble on the road and I've been finding that's when it usually fails to engage.

From the little knowledge I've gained the past few days, this is feeling a lot more like a selector issue.

The gearbox oil was changed last year and I don't believe there was any water in there. So I'm thinking this points to the Tower bearings?

Expensive to fix? I won't be doing it myself, I don't think I've got the tools or the know how.
 
If wd40 appears to have helped then I would repeat the process every day for a week or so. The problem with the bearings in the tower is they get little to no oil from inside the gearbox. They are sealed for life bearings so in theory need no lubrication but eventually the seal wear and the grease comes out hence why the wd40 may do the trick. The killer for the bearings is rain water from the bonnet drains as one is directly above the tower if the catcher is out of position the rain water is dumped directly onto the tower bearing so worth checking the water catcher


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Yes I'll top it up daily and see if it makes a difference.

The water catcher looks in the right place. It's been raining here and it was dry in the engine bay, with some residual water at the top of the funnel.
 
Ok it is likely that at some point the catcher was out of position and water got into the bearing. Keep going with the wd40 or a slightly thicker oil like 3in1 now that you have got some oil into the bearing


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Thanks. Am I right in imagining that the oil I'm spraying down onto it, needs to somehow make its way back up the shaft and into where the ball bearings are? I don't know what the system looks like or where they are; I'm just thinking it must be difficult to get enough lubricant on them.

I've got some of this that I use for my bicycle, or should I go get some 3-in-1?

25862_1_Large.jpg

This is the spiel

"Finish Line Cross Country wet lubricant[FONT=&quot] is ideal for keeping your components in check.This wet-style lube will do the job whatever the weather, keeping your drivetrain in perfect working order. The synthetic ingredients are all super-durable and protect and lubricate for long periods of time. The water repelling polymers make it highly waterproof, giving you no excuse for staying in rather than getting out in the rain and for tackling rainy commutes.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]The synthetic oils used are non-toxic and biodegradable so they won't damage your bike's vital organs. Take your pick from 2oz or 4oz bottles or the easy to apply 8oz aerosol."[/FONT]
 
assuming that this is a 'thin oil' as it needs to get down the shaft between the shaft and the tower case then it sounds like it will do the job

It should follow the WD40 that as already found its way to the bearing

maybe worth making a little 'wall' around the shaft on top of the tower casing (clean it first) out of silicon sealer, only needs to be about 2mm tall. Once it is set fill it with the thin oil, as the shaft it rotated/moved up and down the oil will naturally penetrate, helped also by any heat that is there and the engine vibration. Assuming the thin oil disappears then you know it is going into the gearbox, then replace it with some engine oil and if that goes in try some gearbox oil.
My theory is if you can get some oil onto the bearing then it will sort itself out

Cheers,
 
depronman said:
maybe worth making a little 'wall' around the shaft on top of the tower casing (clean it first) out of silicon sealer, only needs to be about 2mm tall. Once it is set fill it with the thin oil, as the shaft it rotated/moved up and down the oil will naturally penetrate, helped also by any heat that is there and the engine vibration. Assuming the thin oil disappears then you know it is going into the gearbox, then replace it with some engine oil and if that goes in try some gearbox oil.
My theory is if you can get some oil onto the bearing then it will sort itself out
Click to expand...

Right, without sounding completely obtuse, you mean the part beneath where the selector tower pushes down or the top part of the tower just below the selector 'arm/lever' if that layman's description makes any sense! See image below:

02J.jpg
 
yes make the mote on top of the tower casting were you have the red square, fill it with thin oil and over a couple of days it should hopefully all disappear into the gearbox and lubricate the bearing on the way. Then use gradually thicker oils working up to gear oil. I suspect at some point the thickness of the oil will prevent it being pulled into the gear box, but the thicker oil you can get in there the better.

I would also remove the mote once it as done its job, otherwise it will potentially catch rain water and migrate that into the gearbox via the bearing which will not be good

Cheers,
 
Just to update I have been trying to get oil into the selector housing via depronman's guide, but struggled to apply enough silicon to create a moat.

So far I'm noticing the most troublesome change is 2nd to 3rd, especially when under load. Example: accelerating out of a roundabout/junction whilst at approx 2,400-2,600rpm almost always causes the gear to get stuck right before it needs to engage. If I put back into neutral, then press clutch again, it goes into third fine.
 
I've been getting an intermittent problem like this changing from 4th to 3rd as well - sometimes fine, other times just feels solid like there's no gate to go into . Have cleaned all the rubber debris from inside the gaiter, adjusted the selector cables as per the videos, greased everything and poured a little gear oil onto the selector tower shaft then worked it up and down to see if it gets down the bearing. Still just as intermittent - no rhyme or reason.

I have however noticed that the counterweight on top of the selector tower shaft is a bit wobbly - it's screwed down tight but the teeth on the inner ring that link to the teeth on the top of the shaft seem to be a bit worn and I can wobble it from side to side.

Is that degree of play on the counterweight normal?

If not, I'm wondering if it moving about slightly when the cars in motion could explain why the gear change issue is so random?

Grasping at straws at this point maybe!
 
Update & Fix:

Nursing it with a slow change from fourth to third was helping but problem was still there (usually at most inconvenient time).

Found a new counterweight for £30 so bit the bullet and gave it a try. It’s still a loose fit but not nearly as much ‘slop’ as the old one.

Put everything back together and problem solved. Gear change from fourth to third now back to what it should be - guess the mating teeth on the counterweight had worn slightly after 140 K.

Knowing that now could probably have got the same effect by wrapping a few layers of plumbing PTFE tape around the shift tower spindle teeth to take out some of the counterweight slop. Possible quick fix though - worth a shot for anyone with the same problem.
 
Interesting.

In the end I had WOM replace the selector tower bearings and adjust linkage. Changing gears is much much better.
 
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