Reverse gear selection woes

[100SRV]

Very dull car:
X registration Renault Megane Scenic 1.6 16V "sport"...

MOT advisory on lower gearbox mounting (torque reaction arm).

Fit new part (had to pack out chassis end because the bush sleeve was some 6mm shorter) and then unable to reverse out of where I did the work.

Reverse had always been a bit tricky to engage but this time I was completely unable to engage reverse. Pulling the detent allows the lever to travel over enough but it isn't possible to slide the lever into the reverse position.

Decide to rewind and refit the old mounting - just able to engage reverse gear. With the aid of the GF (whose car this is) I can see that the clamp on the end of the gear linkage fouls the mounting. With the old mounting it just grazes the body on it's way into reverse gear.

This explains why reverse has always been reluctant...

Ideally I would clock the gear mechanism clamp to clear the mounting but said clamp is retained (maybe welded) to the gear linkage.

Any bright ideas?

[HustleRussell]

You need to rotate that clamp. Surely it's not welded on. There's no way that car would've made it to production with little or no clearance there.

[GreenV8S]

100SRV said:

Any bright ideas?

I can see what looks like a split tube clamped onto a shaft, with a clamp that is aligned to the split. I guess it needs to rotate and then slide axially. I guess that when it's rotated, the clamp hits that mounting when you try to slide it.

Any scope to rotate the tube relative to the shaft? I guess that would depend what is at the far end of the tube.

Any scope to engage the tube further onto the shaft to move that clamp away from the mounting?

I assume you could separate the clamp from the tube so you could clock the clamp as you mentioned, but the clamp would need to be aligned with the slit to be effective. Any scope to cut a second slit in the tube so you can use the clamp in a different orientation?

[100SRV]

HustleRussell said:

You need to rotate that clamp. Surely it's not welded on. There's no way that car would've made it to production with little or no clearance there.

Puzzles me too but inspection with a mirror shows a deep depression on the side opposite the bolt, either spot weld or location spigot?

Something to have a better look at in the morning.

[100SRV]

GreenV8S said:

I can see what looks like a split tube clamped onto a shaft, with a clamp that is aligned to the split. I guess it needs to rotate and then slide axially. I guess that when it's rotated, the clamp hits that mounting when you try to slide it.

Any scope to rotate the tube relative to the shaft? I guess that would depend what is at the far end of the tube.

Any scope to engage the tube further onto the shaft to move that clamp away from the mounting?

I assume you could separate the clamp from the tube so you could clock the clamp as you mentioned, but the clamp would need to be aligned with the slit to be effective. Any scope to cut a second slit in the tube so you can use the clamp in a different orientation?

If I rotate the tube it affects which gears can be selected. I've fiddled with this and had either difficult fifth or need to use detent collar for first/second. As other reply I need to look at the clamp to see if/how I can clock it. I ran out of daylight today.

[GreenV8S]

Can you change the depth of engagement?

[100SRV]

GreenV8S said:

Can you change the depth of engagement?

Possibly, one of many things to try in the morning.

[paintman]

100SRV said:

Fit new part (had to pack out chassis end because the bush sleeve was some 6mm shorter) and then unable to reverse out of where I did the work.

Have you been sold the right part for that model?

100SRV said:

Puzzles me too but inspection with a mirror shows a deep depression on the side opposite the bolt, either spot weld or location spigot?

If this is in the shaft that the larger one pushes over is it possible that it's a groove all the way round the shaft for a bolt shank to fit in? Would prevent the shafts pulling apart but allow for rotational adjustment.
If you remove the bolt is it possible to turn the clamp 180deg & put the bolt back in?
I've seen track rod ends screwed into the track rod & then a clamp provides the means of squeezing the rod to lock it in place. IIRC you have a RRC or LR - have a look at the TREs on it.

Edited by paintman on Saturday 4th November 19:28

[chammyman]

Be a lot better if you fitted it the right way around.

Large end into the subframe small end into the gearbox.

[100SRV]

chammyman said:

Be a lot better if you fitted it the right way around.

Large end into the subframe small end into the gearbox.

Good shout, that hadn't occurred to me; I refitted it the same way round as the one I removed. Job for weekend...