Gear Linkages Popping Off Every Few Miles...

[number2301 1 1 Cars]

After never having this happen before it's now happened 3 times in 90 miles (most of which was motorway driving), plus side being that I can fix it nice and quickly now, downside being fairly obvious.

 

So why would it be happening so often? I know they're prone to it and I am planning on getting a set of uprated ones off miles but I'd rather not have to shell out for them now if I can avoid it.

 

Any ideas? Or do I just need to take the plunge?

[mickie 3]

they dont cost that much do they ? search the site, its been talked about a lot

[number2301 1 1 Cars]

Couldn't find anything which suggested why they'd pop off so often. £50 last price I saw for a new set, not a massive amount but I'd rather find out whether I was making a simple mistake/there was a cheap fix for now.

[Baz 421]

It's because they're right next to the exhaust, and particulalrly if they're missing the heat shield, not that it does alot anyway, but the nylon cups wear/shrink/fall out and cause them to pop off easily, makes the change a bit sloppy too.

 

Get a set from miles as they're metal jointed, and have a secondary pin keeping them on.

[number2301 1 1 Cars]

That makes sense, they did seem to be coming off after it'd been running a while. I'll get some ordered! Cheers.

[jackherer 543]

In the short term fill the ball joint out a bit with something before you reclip the rod in place, I have used petrol station plastic gloves before but most thin plastic will do, just put a layer or two over the ball and then push the cup back over it and it wont come off for a week or two allowing you time to buy a new part.

[hengti 2]

you can secure them with stout cable ties (or wire) which should keep them in place until you can replace them

 

i thought the retaining pin used on Miles's rods was quite clever; you'll not have any bother with those

[richsmells 2]

I made a quick fix with a piece of folded plastic bag, chewing gum and a cable tie! Now have rods from Miles and they're very good.

[GLPoomobile 958]

A word of advice for anyone as a technically inept as me:

 

When fitting new rods (OE or otherwise), make sure you use threadlock on the locking nuts once you've adjusted them to the right length.

 

I had the short rod pop off mine on the M6 at 5am friday morning. Coasting on to the service station slip road, popped it out of 5th and went to move across to 2nd and the stick was flapping about. Thought "WTF? These are Miles' rods! How can it have popped off?"

 

When I popped the bonnet, the threaded bar had somehow come undone and come out of the cup at one end. And the nut had worked it's way off too so was long gone on the motorway somewhere.

[Baz 421]

I thought the threaded bar was part of one end of the rod? So you can't adjust them without removing, maybe i've forgotton but i thought they were akin to the std items in that respect.

[Emmy Seize 8]

There is a guy on www.french-classics.de who does adjustable replacement sets for all BE type gearboxes.

 

These are very nice as they do away with the plastic ball joint liners. He uses clip-secured all-metal joints like the ones on lifters for bonnets and hatches.

 

Price for a set is very reasonable at 65,00 Euros.

 

Here is the link:

 

http://www.french-classics.de/viewtopic.ph...t=schaltstangen

 

I've bought two sets and must admit that I am more than pleased with how they work.

[leon 1.9 0]

Could be worse, this happened to a friends Saxo a few weeks back repeatedly while I was in it, but the Saxo one only had a strange kind of coil of paper as the joint liner, which had chosen to degrade and uncoil itself.

 

The worst bit was being spotted under the bonnet of a lime green Saxo with a loud exhaust!

[Peetypug 5]

get the ones off miles

i've got some, i havent driven it yet but just dry changing on the drive is great!

get some of the phospher bronze bushes as well

i cant believe how tight and close the gear change is

 

clicky clicky clicky

[number2301 1 1 Cars]

Right I've got a set of rods from miles, I noticed it said to grease them up every 6-12 months, does that mean I need to grease them up when I put them on as well? Is LM grease alright? I've got LM grease and copper slip sat about but didn't think copper slip would be appropriate.

 

And can anyone confirm the thread lock thing? I assume I need to figure out where it needs to sit, then wind it back a bit, put the thread lock on and wind it back into place?

[welshpug 1,657]

LM will do yeah, copper has metal particles in it so will accelerate wear.

[hengti 2]

don't know if GLP had the stainless ones, but if you've the alloy ones, i'd have thought nut-lock unnecessary - just tighten the nut up; alloy's obv. softer than steel, so should the nut should 'bite' into it fine