Gear Selector Pivot ball and bushes
Discussion
Guys, following my previous thread on difficult gear changes, I note through a couple of advisories in previous MOTs the testing station mentioned possibly investigating the pivot ball and gear linkage bushes - would this help with a poor/notchy 3rd gear selection. Changed gearbox oil and whilst improved, its certainly not right still. What does this pivot ball do exactly? Bible doesn't have a huge amount of detail and I don't have a rover Haynes manual. Pete
I see a open drawing in a Dutch language Scorpio 1985-89 manual. It is called the N-box.
There is a ball where the gear stick gets into the backend of the box. Pivot seems indeed a good description.
All these parts are hefty metal. I cannot see how the linkageshaft, which is rotated and shifted by the gearstick, can develop play. The ball itself maybe.
I see no reason why especially third gear would suffer from play here. Does your stick feel looser then that of other S's?
The ball is underneath a small lid on the end of the box with three bolts.
Without making it a box out operation, you would have to cut about 100 mm transmissiontunnel plastic backwards from where our gearstick goes through the tunnel.
Then it looks like you can remove the lid. Nothing mentioned about how the stick with its ball is coming off, I assume it is a fork and you can just lift it when the lid is removed.
The shiftshaft cannot come out without taking the box apart, but there is crank between stick and shiftshaft which can be removed (locking pin). Again I do not that causes play.
I do not see how the ball comes off the stick, you might need a complete new (uniquely TVR) part, or cut and weld using a scrapheap Ford ball. That is more or less what TVR did.
regards Boudewijn
There is a ball where the gear stick gets into the backend of the box. Pivot seems indeed a good description.
All these parts are hefty metal. I cannot see how the linkageshaft, which is rotated and shifted by the gearstick, can develop play. The ball itself maybe.
I see no reason why especially third gear would suffer from play here. Does your stick feel looser then that of other S's?
The ball is underneath a small lid on the end of the box with three bolts.
Without making it a box out operation, you would have to cut about 100 mm transmissiontunnel plastic backwards from where our gearstick goes through the tunnel.
Then it looks like you can remove the lid. Nothing mentioned about how the stick with its ball is coming off, I assume it is a fork and you can just lift it when the lid is removed.
The shiftshaft cannot come out without taking the box apart, but there is crank between stick and shiftshaft which can be removed (locking pin). Again I do not that causes play.
I do not see how the ball comes off the stick, you might need a complete new (uniquely TVR) part, or cut and weld using a scrapheap Ford ball. That is more or less what TVR did.
regards Boudewijn
Pete, there may be more experience/advice over on the Chimaera Forum, same gearbox used for first two or three years of production 
I think the gearlever comes through from the left and into the bit circled (the new parts you have identified), if that bush thingy is worn, which seems a common problem, gear change could become sloppy?
No idea how big a job it is to access/replace.........
I think the gearlever comes through from the left and into the bit circled (the new parts you have identified), if that bush thingy is worn, which seems a common problem, gear change could become sloppy?
No idea how big a job it is to access/replace.........
Edited by phillpot on Saturday 28th June 20:19
Mike - As always - suspect your on the money with that. I reckon i'm getting out of my league here though. It's not a sloppy gearchange exactly, but more like difficult to locate sometimes and very hard to engage. Replacing it could have the same effect I guess and make it easier to locate. Either way, I think this might be going to a professional.
Deeman said:
It's not a sloppy gearchange exactly, but more like difficult to locate sometimes and very hard to engage.
I've only driven a V8s a shortish distance but that one had a lack of "feel" to the gearlever, hard to describe but coming out of second, for example, it was difficult to tell if it was heading for third (desirable) or back to first!!! It does seem to be a common problem. Worn bushes usually result in a lot of play in the gear knob. Mine doesn't have that at all - I just have to be incredibly precise when selecting gear otherwise it'll grind and jump out.
I'd always assumed it was more wear in the box than the linkages and bushes.
I'd always assumed it was more wear in the box than the linkages and bushes.
Stuart - that's more the problem with mine - on occasion (not always) you have to be very precise in selecting the gate for 3rd. There is a thread on the wedge forum, which seems to talk about similar symptoms and how the pivot ball can be adjusted to help locate each time. However it also goes into more details about nylon bushes and replacements. To be honest, there's things i'm happy to tinker with and others i'm not - as I could be wasting a lot of time when someone familiar with it, will deal far more quickly. I think this one's going to the shop and i'll update once done..
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