stiff gearchange for 5th gear

[art411y]

Anything to check please.1 to 4 is ok but changing from 4th to 5th is slightly stiff.Car has been stood for a good few years

[Green3R]

They do stiffen up if not used- mine did and one I felt that hadn't been used for several months was really stiff. You'll probably find it will be ok once it warmed up and had a little use.

Ongoing stiffness can be caused by damaged cables. On some variants they can run close to the front turbo and suffer heat damage to the liner (I think that might be just the 6 speed?). The lever is supported by a rose joint and is connected by a solid bar that runs to the rear bulkhead. 2 cables are connected at that end. One is push pull, the other translates the rotation of the shaft.

You could pop the cable ends off at the gearbox end and just see if there's any impediment cables/lever.

From previous posts this is an older Noble so I guess it's a 5 speed? Gear change is not great on most versions but there are improvements, and some have reported they work well when optimally adjusted.

[AMG Merc]

Green3R said:

On some variants they can run close to the front turbo and suffer heat damage to the liner (I think that might be just the 6 speed?). The lever is supported by a rose joint and is connected by a solid bar that runs to the rear bulkhead. 2 cables are connected at that end. One is push pull, the other translates the rotation of the shaft.

Think you mean the throttle cable - it was originally routed centrally so on top of the front turbo and evident on 2.5 and 3.0s and early 3Rs - mostly all now re-routed along the driver's side top chassis rail.

[Jarcy]

AMG Merc said:

Green3R said:

On some variants they can run close to the front turbo and suffer heat damage to the liner (I think that might be just the 6 speed?). The lever is supported by a rose joint and is connected by a solid bar that runs to the rear bulkhead. 2 cables are connected at that end. One is push pull, the other translates the rotation of the shaft.

Think you mean the throttle cable - it was originally routed centrally so on top of the front turbo and evident on 2.5 and 3.0s and early 3Rs - mostly all now re-routed along the driver's side top chassis rail.

Nope, as Green3R said, the heat from the front turbo can damage the shifter cable.
Last year I had the M400 gear shift mod done. Then after a track day I started to have problems locating 5th and reverse.
These are at the extremes of movement on the gearbox levers. Jetstream diagnosed that the front turbo to cat joint was blowing. This directed hot gasses onto the shifter cable and melted through it. The inner cable would then pop out of the sheath when trying to select gears at the extreme ranges of movement.(I have a 2004 6-sp -3R)

P.S. I've already routed the throttle cable down the sidepod.
Burnt through shifter cable:

[AMG Merc]

John, so is your opinion that the cables are too close to the front turbo in any case (i.e.: whether or not yours blew)?

[Jarcy]

AMG Merc said:

John, so is your opinion that the cables are too close to the front turbo in any case (i.e.: whether or not yours blew)?

I'm no expert and only commenting on my experience. It took a fault (i.e. blowing exhaust gasses) to cause the damage to the cable, but I believe that is the hottest part of the engine bay and not a good place to site anything that's potentially vulnerable. you can see the proximity in the photo.

I also had problems with my throttle cable and handbrake cable - both now replaced - but both failed from general heat, i.e. before the exhaust was blowing.

At least my system is running soundly at the moment, and as of next week I'll have a brand new H&S full exhaust system with ceramic coating in that area.