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stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:38 pm
by madmadmax
hi
ok so i have a stiff reverse and need sum ideas, i am going to bled the clutch and then replace the gear box oil and see what that will do
all suggestion will be looked in to
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 8:46 pm
by Ares
Mine is also stiff,i have to play a little bit with stick to get it into reverse.
Recently changed gear oil,same result.
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 8:50 pm
by jonsowman
When cold, mine's difficult to get into first especially, second and reverse are also a bit difficult. I've had new gear oil put in, and a new Valeo clutch, it's still no better. My best guess at this point is worn selector forks or synchros

Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:31 pm
by Doggy
Mine does it when cold and is otherwise faultless, (fairly sure the other one was the same too).
Nowadays, I just select 2nd, then 1st, then reverse the first time I use it in the morning.....
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:33 pm
by lozz
Hard one to guess on.
but your idea of bleeding the clutch is worth a try,
thats what id do anyway, and work from there,
put it in 3rd gear and try to set off if it stalls,alls good
if it drives, the plate might be low, (youve probably tried that so ignore if so )
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 10:12 pm
by madmadmax
ye she will stall in 3rd so the clutch is fine, i am wandering if the selector cables have stretched is there an adjuster for them.
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 10:21 pm
by lozz
idont think the selector cables adjust, icouid be wrong, (perhaps diagram off service box might help?)
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 12:56 am
by madmadmax
ye i had a look on service box and there is no indication of an adjuster but i would expect on to be there as all cables stretch as they get used and age
i hae to get the 306 back on the road before i take alook at this so maybe in a week or two
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 7:05 am
by Ares
I see a dosen of us have similar problems.
I have recently changed clutch,gear oil but the result is same so i am also interested in this post.
When cold,its difficult to shift,specially 2nd and reverse,all others go.
Upon warming up,its more or less ok to shift.
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:55 pm
by madmadmax
ye it looks to be a common problem i also think is a gate fault rather than the sector fork so i will pull it apart
i have nearly 200,000 on the clock are mots others with this fault over 150,000
i will also look at designing a short shifter for the 406 to improve it a bit but not too much
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:17 pm
by Ares
yyep,my has also over 250 000km on the clock.
Keep us posted,im curious what the problem is,fingers crossedi ts a cheap thing.
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:30 pm
by Doggy
But mine is not yet run in at 94k.......
Never touched 406 gear selector cables, but changed a set on my daughter's 307 recently - they don't have adjusters.
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:30 pm
by lozz
one thing iused to do with cars that where abit hard to go in gear on its first run of the day:
press the clutch pedal 3 times before starting,
worth a try:
Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:58 am
by Ares
I do that sometimes Lozz,press few times clutch and shifts a little bit easier but still,in reverse i have to play a little bit in gears before put it in reverse.
Also when driving and putting in 2nd,often i hear that sound of grinding so to avoid destroying gearbox i pull it from first in neutral,and than put in 2nd,it works.
If i pull from 1st to 2nd imidiatly than that sound appears.
This is for now,emergency actions until i solve this problem

Re: stiff selecting reverse
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 3:02 pm
by lozz
ive not had alook at the pedal on the 406s.
but on some pugs you can adjust the pedal travel,
anyone got a diagram of the 406 pedal layout ?
might be worth a squint at one
