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Hi guys,

Does anyone have any tips on servicing gear linkages? My gear stick is quite wobbly and I would like to tighten it up. I am currently only going to attempt the "service" from the gearbox end as I don't feel like removing the exhaust pipes just yet.

I had a look in HBOL but it's speaking to me in code - like, what the hell is a "bellcrank pivot"? Is it that horseshoe shaped thing the linkages attach to?

Any advice appreciated.

I'll post a picture howto tonight

Ooh Looking forward to it

Hehehe, 'bellcrank'

Sorry I'm too wound up and knackered at the moment for the howto, but here's a quick textual guide:

1. Find the 2 balljoints on top of the gearbox.
2. Make sure you've got something that can grip and squash hard about 1/2" wider than the bigger balljoint+arm. My biggest mole grips *just* managed
3. Big screwdriver, pry one of the ball joints apart
4. Get some grease into the cup (I used about 2 small pea-sized lumps delivered by flat screwdriver)
5. Use the tool mentioned in step 2 to crush the balljoint back together
6. Repeat for t'other
7. Wiggle the gearstick

Can't hurt to change the oil too. Easy job if you're not a muppet like me and try to fill it via the filler I'll do a howto on that too

Whee! Thanks Matt, you're a star!

Now I have 2 things to do following your guides: the clutch bleeding, which is still odd and the pedal sometimes doesn't come back up all the way (in stop-start traffic only strangely enough) and the gear linkages. Weather prediction is good for tomorrow so will try to attack this then.

Incidentally, how much brake fluid do I need to flush the whole system (brakes+clutch)? Will 1L bottle be enough or will I need one of them 5L jobbies?

2 litres did mine. What I *strongly* advise is jacking the car up high to bleed the brakes. It's much easier to do it from underneath instead of taking all the wheels off in order

And don't forget about what I said about brimming the reservoir and jacking up the nearside when bleeding the clutch. The fluid intake point on the reservoir is ridiculously high

steve_earwig wrote:I've been nosing through my mate's shop's data sheets: brake fluid capacity of 1.9/2.1 td D8 = 1.2 litres (yeah, I know it's not the same for other cars but it gives a ball-park figure)

Gah! Too slow again

mjb wrote:What I *strongly* advise is jacking the car up high to bleed the brakes. It's much easier to do it from underneath instead of taking all the wheels off in order

Yeah, I can actually see the bleed valve on top of the calipers (they are on top, right? ) on the front wheels if I turn the steering wheel all the way to the end. But I have to rotate o/s tyres anyway so that'll be a job in itself

Pah! A big, fat FAIL!

Removed the air box, removed the linkages from their joints... then what? I tried to remove the yellow cap thing with a big screwdriver but it wouldn't come off. Is there a method to prying them apart? Put it all back together and it's just the same... In 5th gear, it could pass for being in neutral, it's that loose. No real problems actually selecting gears though (which is good )

Didn't get around to bleeding the brakes clutch, because:

a) Local Halfrauds didn't have a bleeding kit (but they did have a tube + a one way valve thing for window washer things, which would work)
b) Spent most of the day installing the iPod all neatly. Put the radio back in and it developed that annoying bang/crackle symptom. Had to take to radio apart and go over all the joints with a soldering iron - result.

What yellow cap thing?

How about you get someone to sit in the car and wiggle the gear in 5th and you have a look at the cables and see if it's them or in the box?

Btw now I'm back driving the '9 I remembered what you said about the gear change when I selected 5th instead of 3rd

steve_earwig wrote:What yellow cap thing?

On top of the actual joint.. there's like a plastic cap on top which I assume you pry apart to disassemble it.

You can disassemble them? Didn't look like it on the '8, I just popped them off, put a dob of grease on the balls and popped them back.

steve_earwig wrote:You can disassemble them? Didn't look like it on the '8, I just popped them off, put a dob of grease on the balls and popped them back.

mjb wrote:3. Big screwdriver, pry one of the ball joints apart

Apparently....unless I am misunderstanding this completely....