Gearshift linkage adjustment

[hspeck]

HI, is has been a really long time since I came to this site, as have mostly been on FB. I think this is a topic that has been discussed many times, but some of the photos are no longer able to view.

I have an 89 2.2 NA with the renault box.

Although I can get a lot of advice on FB, I found that as the topic is pushed further and further down the page, the responses gets lesser and lesser. I guess this is how the system works in FB, which is not exactly ideal for an ongoing work being done on the car.. Though I do appreciate all the advice I had on FB during the years 

After owning the Esprit for nearly 5 years, it is time to refurbish the gearbox. I was having issues with the 2nd gear and 3rd gear for some time. As I do not have the capability to refurbish the gearbox, I had a workshop replace my synchros for me. I replaced the linkage parts at the gearbox end at the same time.

Although I did passed the writeup on how to adjust the linkage to the workshop, I doubt they read it, as the gearshift now is worse than before. The job was done last year whilst I was on a month's long year end holiday, and when I called the shop to tell them the problem after our local holidays (Chinese New year from 21st Jan till 3rd Feb), the owner told me he has retired and has since closed the shop ..

Long story short, armed with the manual, I decided to adjust the linkage myself.

The 1st to 3rd pictures is how the translator end looks like when I removed the floor board. It does not seem to be adjusted to offset to 4mm to the right.

The 4th picture is after I adjusted the translator tie rod 4mm(or close to) to the right (inboard). 

In the manual, Point 3 indicates that I am to "hold the gear lever leaning backwards approximately 7.5° in this crossgate plane" (picture 4). My understanding is to pull the lever backwards at an angle of 7.5°, as illustrated in the 5th picture. Is it correct?

The manual also states that the cables are to be connected to the translator without preload, which I assume to mean that I pull the cables as much as I could without feeling any tension before I adjust the ball ends to connect to the translator.

I do know that the manual is the very basic adjustment procedure, and I may need to do a few more adjustments to fine tune the gear change. Please advise if I am right in my understanding of the instructions in the manual.

Thank you. 

 

 

   

I forgot to add that I realised that the translator can be adjusted for/aft in 3 positions.

I did not take note of the original position before disconnecting the cables.

Am I right to assume that the cables should be connected with the translator in the middle position? 

Thank you.

[hspeck]

Video for reference regarding the 3 positions of the translator 

Thank you 

 

 

[Escape]

You seem to have a correct understanding of the procedure. You already have the translator set up correctly, that is the main thing.

For the cables, just follow the manual:

- have someone hold the gear stick back ca 7.5°, in 3-4 with the translator in the middle position (not strictly necessary but easiest)
- adjust the cable ends so they fit the translator without having to pull or push (= no preload)
- try the car and fine tune if needed. You should feel it if some gears are hard to select and which side you need to apply the extra force to. That will determine how to make the final adjustments. A bit hard to explain, it's mainly trial and error but just following the manual should give you 95% of the result and be perfectly usable.

Filip

 

[hspeck]

2 hours ago, Escape said:

You seem to have a correct understanding of the procedure. You already have the translator set up correctly, that is the main thing.

For the cables, just follow the manual:

- have someone hold the gear stick back ca 7.5°, in 3-4 with the translator in the middle position (not strictly necessary but easiest)
- adjust the cable ends so they fit the translator without having to pull or push (= no preload)
- try the car and fine tune if needed. You should feel it if some gears are hard to select and which side you need to apply the extra force to. That will determine how to make the final adjustments. A bit hard to explain, it's mainly trial and error but just following the manual should give you 95% of the result and be perfectly usable.

Filip

 

Thank you Filip.. 

I also discovered that the cables were connected wrongly. 

When i shifted the gear lever from right to left, the right cable moved forward. 

I hope i am right that by 'right' the manual meant looking from the rear towards the front of the car.. 

The video was the original which i think is wrong.. 

 

[hspeck]

Should be correct now?

[Escape]

A car has only one right and left, that's looking from the rear. 😉

So yes, it would appear to be correct. Mind you, it's been a couple of years since I had to do the adjustment, but I recall it was straightforward following the manual. Have a little faith in your own work! Easy enough to check even when stationary, if you can't get 2nd but seem to have 6th, the cables are the wrong way round.

[hspeck]

1 hour ago, Escape said:

A car has only one right and left, that's looking from the rear. 😉

So yes, it would appear to be correct. Mind you, it's been a couple of years since I had to do the adjustment, but I recall it was straightforward following the manual. Have a little faith in your own work! Easy enough to check even when stationary, if you can't get 2nd but seem to have 6th, the cables are the wrong way round.

Thank you for the confirmation! 

[hspeck]

Joke of the day.. 

The nylon inhibitor on the gear lever lift tube is missing... 

Apparently the stud broke.. 

SJ sportscars sell the nylon bush which i assume is this

https://www.sjsportscars.com/parts-and-accessories/SJ082F0020.htm

I wonder how to fix the bush to the tube.. Any suggestions? 

Thanks

 

[jonwat]

3 hours ago, hspeck said:

I wonder how to fix the bush to the tube.. Any suggestions? 

Give SJ a call & ask, I always found them helpful.

[hspeck]

43 minutes ago, jonwat said:

Give SJ a call & ask, I always found them helpful.

Yup... Emailed both SJ and PNM.. 

If non available i will probably need to bring to a machine shop to try to modify the lift tube.. 

But this is the lesser issue.. 

I have set and adjusted the linkage according to the manual... But..... My reverse gear is now on the right end below the 5th gear! 

I can still select 1st to 5th gear normally, although 2nd gear is a little vague, as in 1st to 2nd is ok, but i have to search for 2nd if shifting from 3rd to 2nd. 

As the gear cables are identical, i believe it does not matter which cable is connected to the right or left at the gearchange mechanism end below the gear lever, as long as i can identify which moves 'forward' when i shift the gear lever from right to left as in the video in my earlier post. 

I am totally baffled! 

Anyone has any idea what may be the issue? 

Video for reference.. 

Thank you. 

 

[Sparky]

They're quite simple to make; I turn my own from nylon rod.  However, you need to get that broken stud out, or drill & tap.

[Escape]

Have you verified it's actually reverse when you select 'something' under 5th? Have you been able to drive the car, even if just a few meters to check which direction it wants to go? Internally, the selector shaft for reverse is on the far right of the gearbox. So the gear lever has to be to the far left, as happened in you previous movie after you changed the cables. This should help you identify the different positions.

[hspeck]

2 hours ago, Escape said:

Have you verified it's actually reverse when you select 'something' under 5th? Have you been able to drive the car, even if just a few meters to check which direction it wants to go? Internally, the selector shaft for reverse is on the far right of the gearbox. So the gear lever has to be to the far left, as happened in you previous movie after you changed the cables. This should help you identify the different positions.

I can drive the car, it moves forward on the first 3 gears, no chance to go higher as was testing in a car park, and when i engage the gear below 5th the car was able to reverse.. Hence i am really baffled... 

[Escape]

That is strange! As you've actually driven it, I take it 1 to 3 give the expected ratio between engine revs and road speed? You can try setting off in 5th. Not in anger of course but you should be able to feel the car wanting to creep forward as you let up the clutch.

I'd also try selecting each gear and then looking at the translator. The positions should correspond to the above drawing. I've looked at the schematics again and can't think what could 'move' R to the other side...

This is for a later model, with the translator on the right side of the gearbox, but the functionality is identical (just a more efficient routing for the cables).

[Sparky]

Cable placement does matter.  Swap them.  Apols if that's already been discussed, but I'm currently under one so haven't read it all.

[Steve V8]

5 hours ago, hspeck said:

when i engage the gear below 5th the car was able to reverse

Then swap the cables back, that will put reverse back to where it should be.

[hspeck]

14 hours ago, Escape said:

That is strange! As you've actually driven it, I take it 1 to 3 give the expected ratio between engine revs and road speed? You can try setting off in 5th. Not in anger of course but you should be able to feel the car wanting to creep forward as you let up the clutch.

I'd also try selecting each gear and then looking at the translator. The positions should correspond to the above drawing. I've looked at the schematics again and can't think what could 'move' R to the other side...

This is for a later model, with the translator on the right side of the gearbox, but the functionality is identical (just a more efficient routing for the cables).

I did not drive at speed as i was trying in a small car park, went through the first 3 gears but was moving slowly.. Below 40kmh..

Engaged reverse to park the car. 

Will check the position of the translator. 

10 hours ago, Sparky said:

Cable placement does matter.  Swap them.  Apols if that's already been discussed, but I'm currently under one so haven't read it all.

 

9 hours ago, Steve V8 said:

Then swap the cables back, that will put reverse back to where it should be.

Yeah.. Will try to do that and see what happens.. 

The gear shift positions were correct before i shifted the cables. But it doesn't collate with the instructions in the manual.. 

Thank you guys.. 

[Escape]

Even below 40kmh you should feel the difference between 1st, 3rd and 5th. Especially if the positions where reversed and you took off in 5th?

If the gear positions were correct, I would not have swapped the cables, just tried to adjust them better. But in the clips you posted of the translator linkage, the cross selector shaft is moving into the gearbox. You said this was when pulling the gear lever to the left, so that should be correct and allow you to select R at the far left. A bit puzzled here, so you definitely need to double check where the translator is for each gear.

Filip

[hspeck]

18 hours ago, Escape said:

Even below 40kmh you should feel the difference between 1st, 3rd and 5th. Especially if the positions where reversed and you took off in 5th?

If the gear positions were correct, I would not have swapped the cables, just tried to adjust them better. But in the clips you posted of the translator linkage, the cross selector shaft is moving into the gearbox. You said this was when pulling the gear lever to the left, so that should be correct and allow you to select R at the far left. A bit puzzled here, so you definitely need to double check where the translator is for each gear.

Filip

So i tried again this morning (Singapore's time), after considering what you have said, i realised that i could move forward in 1st to 3rd gears, but It moves off very slowly, even in 1st. Not like it should when the car is in 1st gear. Should have noticed this last week.. But was in a confused state of mind at that time i guess.. 

When i put the gears to the bottom right, reverse is definitely engaged, and it moves like it should. 

Oh.. And this time i can't find the gear above reverse. I must have selected the 3rd gear and thought it was 5th..

I will try to swop the cables again later and see what happens.. 

 

[Escape]

7 hours ago, hspeck said:

When i put the gears to the bottom right, reverse is definitely engaged, and it moves like it should.

If this is the case, the cables are the wrong way round. But that does not add up to the clip you posted earlier? You say you were moving the gear lever to the left, and the translator goes toward the gearbox, as it should.

Once you've switch the cables, select each gear and then look at the position of the translator. That will confirm everything is as it should.

[hspeck]

So i swopped the cables, and now reverse is where it should be, on the left.. Still need to search for it a bit as the nylon inhibitor is missing.. 

The actions at the translator looks right now.. The video shows me going from 1st to 5th and reverse. 

1st gear and 2nd gear definitely feels more power to move the car compared to earlier, i was also able to move the car on 5th gear... Reverse works fine too, after some searching... 

I do not understand why when i installed the cables according to the manual it works wrongly.. 

Will bring it out for a run and see what happens tomorrow.. 

Thanks everyone for your advise.. 

 

2 minutes ago, Escape said:

If this is the case, the cables are the wrong way round. But that does not add up to the clip you posted earlier? You say you were moving the gear lever to the left, and the translator goes toward the gearbox, as it should.

Once you've switch the cables, select each gear and then look at the position of the translator. That will confirm everything is as it should.

Yes, i was moving the lever from right to left.. 

I am really not sure why this happened.. If you look at the video in this thread, when i select 1st gear the cable on the right moved forward... 

Edited February 20, 2023 by hspeck
Additional comments

[Escape]

One of the mysteries of live. 😉

The important thing is that you've gotten things sorted, now you can go and enjoy your car! 👍

[hspeck]

28 minutes ago, Escape said:

One of the mysteries of live. 😉

The important thing is that you've gotten things sorted, now you can go and enjoy your car! 👍

Indeed...if the drive tomorrow proves to be trouble free i will just keep the gear cables as it is ..

noticed you have a XJ-SC V12 ..  i bought a 85 XJS V12 last year too ... amazing tourer ...

Thank you very much for your help 

[Escape]

Yeah, the Jag is a great tourer. But so is the Esprit. It might sound contra-intuitive, but the more involving drive in the Esprit actually means I suffer less from fatigue on a long drive than in the Jag. No doubt the refurbished seats in the Esprit also help.

I just got my XJ-SC out yesterday for the first drive after winter. The V12 is guaranteed to make you grin. The stop for fuel not so much. 😁

[Sparky]

That's the wrong bolt in the mounting, interfering with and slightly deviating the RH cable.  It should be dome-headed to aid clearance.