gearbox problem

[wedged]

Ok after finally getting the 450se on the road after about 2 years I now have a gearbox problem. its stuck in 4 gear, sloppy front to back movement on the leaver, and no significant movement side to side.

Just before it broke the gearbox had been difficult to find the gear slot.

so my question is, whats up with it and how expensive is it likely to be?


PS the clutch works.

[ed_crouch]

So the lever slops as far forward as you can get it without it coming out of 4th??

That sounds like something has fallen orff in the selector linkage. Good news about that is that its fairly cheap to fix.

If the lever linkage checks out, then you're looking for either a broken detent spring on one of the selector shafts, or a broken selector fork inside the box. If theres large lumps of metal canging about in the gearbox, its not a good idea to drive it (not that you could if its in 4th). It would also be rather expensive to fix.

I'd'a thought its likely to be the bushes/external lever mech, and thats certainly the first thing to check.

Roll yer sleeves up (you'll know why I said that when you get under the car...)

Ed.

[adam quantrill]

I once had a 350i get stuck in 4th after a drive to Ipswich and had to drive all round Ippy in 4th, then was facing a drive home in 4th too back to Cambridge. The good news was that the g/b freed itself on the way home, I kept trying to get out of 4th every few miles, and it was fine thereafter.

So - I would take it for a run, get it onto a long stretch of road where you can do 60 without stopping.

[rev-erend]

If the bolt holding the lever down (round metal cut) then it can become stuck..

Mate had it in 4th all the way from Le Mans.. lucky it's a torquey engine

[wedged]

OK, it shows what your memory does when your a bit stressed..

the leaver can actually go in a circle but its sprung to middle in the left right plain and sloppy moving forward, and seems to spring away from the rear a little.

is there any way to get the fabric gator of of the gear stick to get a look down from the top?

[350zwelgje]

You should be able to have a look at the gear stick from the top. Don't know the later interior, on my std '87 350i you can remove the part on top of the tunnel surrounding the gear lever without too much hassle.

I Would:
1. Have a look at the gearstick. In there are a few parts that are necessary for good operation (any haynes manual covering lt77 box will help on this)
2. Then have a good look at the mechanism attached to the back of the box that does the gear selection part.
3. Hand the box to a company and have it overhauled/broken parts replaced (as for example the selection fork(s) inside the box). This needs (in most cases)the engine to come out. Costwise: will be an over a two day job and costs to overhaul.

Rob

[adam quantrill]

Take off the centre console leather surround, and the gearstick knob, and then you can take off the tunnel cover c/w gaiter.

Underneath the leather gaiter is the rubber one, take that off too, then you can see the works from the top.

From your description it sounds like something has got detached, the gearstick is moving OK but there's no feel into the gearbox.

[wedged]

I put the car on stands and had a look underneath with the wife moving the gearstick. And the good news is, that the shaft/linkage(7 on fig13 http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a... doesn't move.

I'm guessing the bolt(9) is loose and linkage (8) has come off.

What do you think?

[adam quantrill]

wedged said:

had a look underneath with the wife moving the gearstick.
What do you think?

I think the Rev was uncharacteristically slow in replying with "fnarr fnarr!"

But yes, that sounds like the problem, get the tunnel cover off to get at it from above too.

[rev-erend]

I contained myself..

[.Woody]

Could be a similar problem to what I had a few weeks back, the plastic bush/seat that hold a metal ball maybe worn at the very base of the gearstick under the housing, or the circlip holding it down may have snapped, all this made gearchange very sloppy and difficult