Hey there folks.

Was under the car earlier having a fiddle with the gear linkage and changing some bushes at the bottom of the gear stick.

The problem I'm having is that there is a decent amount of sideways movement on the stick when in gear and looking underneath it is the joint near the gearbox but there doesn't seem to be anything inside it that can be replaced to stop the movement.

I also can't find it on any parts catalogue and everything that is in them looks nothing like what is on my car!

It did have a part number on but didn't have time to write it down etc.

I belive that the design was changed at some point in 1996 and think mine may be the old one.

Anyone able to shed some light on this?

Thanks

Phil

On a 1996 car it should be the later type linkage. It comes as an assembly and is joined to a small rod at the gearbox by a roll pin and used to cost around £40. I recall that the linkage for a diesel is a different part number.

Now... that confuses me still...

I looked in the haynes and that looks about right... it was saying something about a roll pin... What is that? There didn't appear to be anything in that hole where it said it was.

And like i say I can't find anything in the parts catalogues that look anything like what mine does...

Thanks

Phil

you sure that hole isn't just caked up with muck?? it would have orignally had a band type clamp around it(the sort you sometimes get with a cv boot) but they normally get binned and replaced with a jubliee clip

Yeh I see that it should have a clip round judging by the haynes.

Couldn't really see what was in it.

What is it for anyway? Everything seems to work ok without it there and no clip in it.

This is what parts are there apparantly...

but I'm just struggling to actually match that to what is on the car! lol

most of those parts above are inside the gearbox, it's the selector mechanism

number 17 is the roll pin that holds the linkage to the slector shaft (part 23 left hand end in this pic))

the roll pin is an interference fit and imho shouldn't move, but the clip is there to stop it in the event that is does decide to go walkies

only the very end (left hand end) is visible from outside the gearbox, and also 22 is the bush for the selector shaft - made from white plastic, 21 is the oil seal - made from black rubber which should cover up the bush completely if indeed it is even on there... i've seen loads of these gearboxes with that seal missing

Hmmm... Will probably double check tomorrow.

The haynes certainly doesn't help... two steps of the same process that show two totally different kinds of linkage!!

Mine looks like the one on the left and the main joint is the bit that "wobbly"

i had a problem like this in my old fav.... it turned out that the wrong sized bolt had been used on the gearstick/linkage was at the gear stick end maybe might be the samething

poligies, 21 is the seal, 21 is the rubber gaitor/dust seal you can see if yourr picture above

number 16 is the sleeve which the arrow is pointing towards(under the clip), these sleve is held in by the bolt to the left

there is 2 different types of gear linkage as fordfan had already said above, in your pics above the one on the left shows the type where the joint can be replaced seperately, and the one on the right is the one where it is all complete as one unit

Ah right cool. So I don't need a roll pin then as it is held in place by the bolt?

I can at least now go armed with this new info to the dealer and see if I can source that part.

Thanks

Phil

Roll pin definitely needed at front end. As mentioned use a jubilee hose clip around it when refitted.

But why is it if there is a sodding great big bolt holing it on?

Anyway... will see if I can get hold of that part and will get a new pin and clip too!

Thanks

phil