203 - overdrive selection - nay!

[James Gelido]

Hi guys,

Not too sure whats going on, but I can almost never seem to be able to select overdrive in the Pug. I have tried almost every technique in gear selection under the sun! Next thing you know, I'll have one hand tied behind my back, using my foot to draw the selector in a 42 degree angle towards the left

There is a very rare occasion where I will have some luck and with a slight pull of the selector towards me and up, it miraculously goes into over drive. Then I will take her out, do the exact same thing and will just keep going into 2nd and overdrive doesn't exist. I mucked around with the nut near steering column that adjusts the linkages, didn't seem to make much of a difference. Goes into 1st, 2nd, 3rd and reverse well with no issues.

I read something on a previous post about a loose nut that holds the overdrive gear that may cause selection problems, but I can't see anything in the parts manual or in the bay itself that resembles this.

Any advice would be awesome!

Thanks :jiggy:

 

[pinnaroo]

The gearbox selector tops on the 203 used to wear. The whole linkage system had play. We sometimes had tops resleeved. Get under the car, disconnect the linkages and see if you can reliably engage overdrive by hand. If the box has been left alone it may be ok, they were very reliable but not when backyard mechanics opened them up. If it's linkage work backwards from the box up to the column.

 

[James Gelido]

The gearbox selector tops on the 203 used to wear. The whole linkage system had play. We sometimes had tops resleeved. Get under the car, disconnect the linkages and see if you can reliably engage overdrive by hand. If the box has been left alone it may be ok, they were very reliable but not when backyard mechanics opened them up. If it's linkage work backwards from the box up to the column.

Cheers! So you would say it's almost certainly in the linkages? I'll give it a go, bit of an amateur question but, which direction would I be going to try get over drive manually and which lever on the gearbox?

 

[Commerciale]

If you have a parts book go to page 24A. You'll see a nut (6934.06) which screws onto the bottom of the gear selector rod (2414.08). This nut holds a raft of springs, washers and spacers around the rod. If the nut is not tightened correctly, spacer 2419.02 can jam in the collar 4132.01, preventing selection of overdrive. Try tightening the nut until all gears are easily selected.

If you don't have the book I can send you a scan or you can just look at the assembly next to the steering column. The collar holds the selector rod against the steering column and the nut is below the bottom spring.

 

[James Gelido]

If you have a parts book go to page 24A. You'll see a nut (6934.06) which screws onto the bottom of the gear selector rod (2414.08). This nut holds a raft of springs, washers and spacers around the rod. If the nut is not tightened correctly, spacer 2419.02 can jam in the collar 4132.01, preventing selection of overdrive. Try tightening the nut until all gears are easily selected.

If you don't have the book I can send you a scan or you can just look at the assembly next to the steering column. The collar holds the selector rod against the steering column and the nut is below the bottom spring.

Beginning to think the selector problem isn't as uncommon as i thought, haha. I do have the parts manual, but it's over at my parents house. I'll take a look later this evening. Thanks for the help, much appreciated! :wink2:

 

[Steven King]

2419.02 = 14, 2414.08 = 8;
https://photos.app.goo.gl/mixiYUtrajsjCuw49

4132.01 = 17;
https://photos.app.goo.gl/G3utjePYt2jRuR7f8

 

[GRAHAM WALLIS]

If the nut holding the gear on undoes you will just lose drive in that gear. Works on the overrun though!

 

[James Gelido]

If the nut holding the gear on undoes you will just lose drive in that gear. Works on the overrun though!

Thanks Graham. Stupid question but, which nut is this? (part number)

- - - Updated - - -

If the nut holding the gear on undoes you will just lose drive in that gear. Works on the overrun though!

Cheers!

 

[GRAHAM WALLIS]

2356.02

 

[lo203404]

Cheers! So you would say it's almost certainly in the linkages? I'll give it a go, bit of an amateur question but, which direction would I be going to try get over drive manually and which lever on the gearbox?

Hi James, Here's a pic of the box with the lever in question. To check and see if it will go into 'overdrive' by lever alone, just chock the wheels, put the car in neutral (motor off), time to get dirty,wriggle under the passenger side, might have to jack her up a fracko, but with your 28" waist you'll make it, and going by the picture shown, release the short arm selector rod off the lever that comes out of the top of the box. Now grab the lever, pull it out as far as it will go and down to you, that is the 'overdrive' slot. If it goes in and out of that overdrive position by hand without any dramas that's 1 item less off the list, so what you have to do now is to re connect the rod to the lever, and then work your way back along the train of linkages to see if anything there is amiss. Are the 2 short and 1 long rods at their correct lengths? If the hole on the top cover of the box where the lever moves in and out is a bit flogged, you might have to compensate for that by slight adjustment on the lengths of those rods, bit of trial and error. Are the springs for the bellcrank lever on the steering column at equal lengths, (see picture), and locking nut secure? . Is the Covir 'yoke' measurement correct? (Go back to your previous post on clutch diagnosis). Also thrown in is a pic of the 'overdrive' pinion with it's lock nut, as Graham said, when this nut goes for a walk you'll only get overdrive on overrun. A drop of oil with an eyedropper on all ball sockets, and bellcrank lever pivot point. Most of the time, it's usually somewhere in amongst of all these little suckers which is the culprit, also, gotta consider the wear and tear she's most likely had in her previous life!

 

[James Gelido]

Hi James, Here's a pic of the box with the lever in question. To check and see if it will go into 'overdrive' by lever alone, just chock the wheels, put the car in neutral (motor off), time to get dirty,wriggle under the passenger side, might have to jack her up a fracko, but with your 28" waist you'll make it, and going by the picture shown, release the short arm selector rod off the lever that comes out of the top of the box. Now grab the lever, pull it out as far as it will go and down to you, that is the 'overdrive' slot. If it goes in and out of that overdrive position by hand without any dramas that's 1 item less off the list, so what you have to do now is to re connect the rod to the lever, and then work your way back along the train of linkages to see if anything there is amiss. Are the 2 short and 1 long rods at their correct lengths? If the hole on the top cover of the box where the lever moves in and out is a bit flogged, you might have to compensate for that by slight adjustment on the lengths of those rods, bit of trial and error. Are the springs for the bellcrank lever on the steering column at equal lengths, (see picture), and locking nut secure? . Is the Covir 'yoke' measurement correct? (Go back to your previous post on clutch diagnosis). Also thrown in is a pic of the 'overdrive' pinion with it's lock nut, as Graham said, when this nut goes for a walk you'll only get overdrive on overrun. A drop of oil with an eyedropper on all ball sockets, and bellcrank lever pivot point. Most of the time, it's usually somewhere in amongst of all these little suckers which is the culprit, also, gotta consider the wear and tear she's most likely had in her previous life!

Thanks for that descriptive response mate :wink2: Legend!

I managed to work on the gears today and as per suggestions, started from the bottom of the linkages and worked my way up.

Good news, I am able to select overdrive manually, through the linkages, by pulling lower ball head lever, attached to steering column (2416.02) up, while also pushing a bit of pressure on the longer linkage below (2454.07). Then I will let go of lower ball head lever while still applying pressure on longer lower linkage and pulling the lower ball head lever up, and bingo, overdrive!

I first traced the problem to a loose 'change speed gear rod' (2450.03). I did my best to tighten the bolt attached with an open ender, but was just too awkward, way behind the bell housing, and couldn't get it near tight enough. Ended up drilling an access hole through the gearbox shroud, only to patch up later (photos attached). Sadly, bit of a waste of time, as tightening didn't make any difference. On the plus, now have a clear access point to bottom end linkages, covered with the original rubber matting.

Continued, scratching my head, and on further study, the bar lever (attached to steering column) was missing out by about 2 - 3 mm when pulling on gear shifter, and as stated before, it needed manual hand pressure to press it up and get it in a position where overdrive could be selected.

I then had a light bulb moment and removed the bell crank lever (2435.05). I quickly discovered that the stud was completely worn. Around 4mm worth. Enough to prevent it from getting the correct push to select overdrive.

I have attached photos, can anybody suggest a quick, easy method of somehow sleeving or filling wear points? If easier said then done, would anyone know where to source one?

Thank for the replies everyone, muchos gracias!