Gearbox problems

[green griff]

I've just replaced the bush to the base of the gearlever on a pre-cat griff (Rover gearbox)as the old one fell out! Whilst the sloppiness has gone, gear selection is now a problem.

When selecting first gear, it keeps selecting reverse and going from second to third is also difficult with half the attempts ending in 5th gear. The reversing light only comes on now if the gear lever is in a certain position. Dropping down a gear is not a problem.

Is this a problem with the linkage and if so can it be fixed without dropping the gearbox? or am I looking at a gearbox rebuild?

[red griff 500]

Having done this job myself, I find it difficult to see what you could have done wrong to get the symptoms you describe. It sounds as though the stick ball joint is shifted to the right relative to the linkage mechanism thus causing reverse to appear where first should be etc. I would suggest that if the gearbox was fine before you started, then it is fine now, and that the problem must be in the way you re-assembled the stick assembly. I would remove the centre console and the plate which attaches the gear stick rubber boot to the transmission tunnel and check that the ball joint is sitting correctly. If it is, then you need to dig deeper and remove the stick to check that the plastic bush is sitting correctly (the retaining circlip should be underneath the steel housing and is a bug*er to fit from underneath the car). If you can't see anything wrong there, then I'm at a loss.

[Green Griff]

Thanks for the advice. I will investigate further!