Gear Engagement Problem

[jas-E 1]

Hey,

 

Iv fitted my mi16 engine and got new adjustable gear linkages from Miles and have a short shift L bracket fitted. I kept the length of the old rods and installed everything. Problem is i cant engage 2nd and reverse gear. I did a search and it said i should adjust the lengths. I lengthened and shortened the short rod from the L bracket to the gearbox, but there was no difference at all to any of the gears! I had a look at how the gears engage and it looks like if i had the adjustment wrong i shouldnt be able to engage 4th gear either.. but thats not the case.

 

Any suggestions on what people normally adjust when moving from a 8v to 16v engine..?

 

thanks

 

Jas

[philfingers 5]

shouldn't be any difference between 8 and 16v as the gearbox is the same. are all the joints free to move?

[jas-E 1]

shouldn't be any difference between 8 and 16v as the gearbox is the same. are all the joints free to move?

 

I had someone sit in the car and engage all the gears while i had a look at what was happening. It seems like all gears are engaging perfectly fine, but when i try engaging 2nd and reverse, the lever on the gearbox doesnt seem to move far enough..

 

I havent greased all the joints (read on another post that i should) but dont believe that could be the problem could it..?They all seem to be free to move..

 

cheers

[dcc 855]

do you have a lift up reverse cable fitted to the box? Some people had problems selecting gears when fitting this cable. screws into the top of the box iirc.

[jas-E 1]

do you have a lift up reverse cable fitted to the box? Some people had problems selecting gears when fitting this cable. screws into the top of the box iirc.

 

I assume you're talking about the clutch cable. Im using my original clutch cable from the car which was not a lift up reverse one...how can i tell whether the gearbox is a lift up reverse type..?

Edited April 26, 2009 by jas-E

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

Did you change the selector arm over from the 8v box to the 16v one?

 

What car is the 16v box from?

 

Graham.

[welshpug 1,657]

have you tried with the engine running?

 

I've had boxes that didn't like to go into some gears when stationary, possibly due to worn synchros, engine on and they went in fine.

[bensonmi 4 2 Cars]

have you tried with the engine running?

 

I've had boxes that didn't like to go into some gears when stationary, possibly due to worn synchros, engine on and they went in fine.

 

i had similar a similar problem, i changed from lift up reverse be1 to a be3 box, but fitted the cable into the new box which stopped me getting the first and second gears, so possibly you'v changed to be1 box and need the cable and lever to get all the gears

[jas-E 1]

Did you change the selector arm over from the 8v box to the 16v one?

 

What car is the 16v box from?

 

Graham.

 

Hey Graham,

 

No i didnt change the selector arm.. do i have to..?The engine and gearbox is from a citreon BX..the seller told me its from a 1988 car but cant confirm that..

 

I tried it with the engine running too welshpug but it just didn't want to move..it doesnt feel like the syncros are worn or anything as that would atleast try and get into gear and grind. from the neutral position this just doesnt want to move down to second or reverse!!

[jas-E 1]

i had similar a similar problem, i changed from lift up reverse be1 to a be3 box, but fitted the cable into the new box which stopped me getting the first and second gears, so possibly you'v changed to be1 box and need the cable and lever to get all the gears

 

I just had a look at my be3 gear box and the selector going into the gearbox is a 'curved' one whereas the one on my mi gearbox is a flat one into the gearbox. Is that the difference between the two types?

 

is it possible to change the selector and keep everything be3 or should i just get the setup for the be1..

 

thanks

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

It is possible to swap the selector arm from the curved one to the flat one on the Be3 gearbox but its a risk with the gearbox fitted because if the arm shaft inside the gearbox drops you can loose two gears like has happened to people before.

 

Can be done in the car but with caution.

 

The selector arm I mean is the one that the shorter gear rod fits onto as shown in this picture with the rod still attached.

 

Graham.

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

The 205 and all other PSA range of car's use different top arm selector's, Depending on how curved the old one is might be the reason of the gears not selecting

[jas-E 1]

The 205 and all other PSA range of car's use different top arm selector's, Depending on how curved the old one is might be the reason of the gears not selecting

 

Thanks for your replies Graham/Miles,

 

Graham my selector looks exactly like the one in the picture you sent me. I disconnected the rod going to it and manually tried to engage all the gears, and I couldn’t engage 2nd at all! I can take out the selector from my 8v gearbox and then remove the one from the mi box, but if I can’t get the selector to engage 2nd gear even by hand does that mean there’s a problem somewhere?

 

I tried it with the 8v box (selecting gears by moving the selector by hand) and I could easily engage all gears.

 

Unless the BE1 setup gear positions are different to BE3?

 

Thanks

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

Unless the BE1 setup gear positions are different to BE3?

They are in a double H pattern with reverse behind fifth gear unlike the Be1 which has reverse next to first gear.

 

Are you sure its a Be3 gearbox?

 

Graham.

[jas-E 1]

They are in a double H pattern with reverse behind fifth gear unlike the Be1 which has reverse next to first gear.

 

Are you sure its a Be3 gearbox?

 

Graham.

 

Hey Graham,

 

No im no sure. I did a search and have been reading up on this. Seems like most BX gearboxes from this age are the BE1 type and i have to change the selector rod. So il attack that over the weekend and see how it goes.

 

I believe il need the lever and cable for the BE1 gearbox so i can engage reverse (next to 1st gear). Can you please confirm that for me.

 

Thanks

 

Jas

Edited April 27, 2009 by jas-E

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

Jas, what year car is your gearbox from?

 

The casing should have a stamp on by the diff case showing if its a Be1 or Be3 in the ringed area in this picture.

 

Graham.

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

The cable just stops reverse being selected so without it the box will select everything,

[jas-E 1]

Jas, what year car is your gearbox from?

 

The casing should have a stamp on by the diff case showing if its a Be1 or Be3 in the ringed area in this picture.

 

Graham.

 

Thanks for your replies..

 

I'll check the gearbox type on friday evening and get back to you Graham.

 

Thanks