2CV Stiff Gear Change

Inspector Clouseau

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Fellow Frogger
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Dec 8, 2002
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Location
North Coast NSW
Can anyone advise how to lubricate the 2CV gear change, please? I'm pretty sure it's sticking in the tube that goes through the firewall. Rubber grease, perhaps??
Thanks
Martin
 
Rubber grease or door seal lube (which can be had in stick form and is a lot less messy). You may need to finally replace the shift tube, which fortunately is cheap and easy.
 
M L'Inspecteur,

Gaston's gearshift began to exhibit the same symptoms and it turned out that the rubber bush at the inside end of the tube had broken and was turned "slightly sideways" thereby adding some friction to the mix.

I was able to first of all remove the offender with needle nose pliers which solved the stickiness at the expense of floppiness and rattliness.

Using the removed bit I cut a replacement from some other, slightly firmer, rubber and by dint of patience, careful insertion and liberal quantities of verbally expressed profanity, was able to insert said replacement successfully. Problem solved, at least for the nonce.

Cheers, Pottsy
 
Martin and Pottsy,
the bushes consist of an inner nylon sleeve and a rubber surround and Citroen's recommended 'lubricant' for the gear slide assembly was talcum powder. ;)
Unfortunately, if someone wasn't aware of that advice and used mineral-based oil or grease as a lubricant, the rubber surround will swell, pressing the nylon sleeve tightly against the rod.

Replacement bushes are available, however they are very difficult to install.
https://www.ecas2cvparts.co.uk/bush...81.html?WSid=9860793e73e1be1acfdb880863c6dce0

For that reason, I've developed an alternative 'low friction' setup, which uses teflon-lined bushes with plastic caps as retainers...
 
Difficult to instal! That’s an understatement. I just ended up purchasing a new SS shift from der Fransoze. Worth every cent. It transformed the car.


Sent from my iPhone using aussiefrogs
 
It must be CACTUS :headbang:
 
Looks like some/most of the problem is self inflicted. I did use some oil or WD40 - can't remember exactly - a while ago, and am now aware that wasn't a good idea. Thanks for the advice on using talc. Too late for this one, it seems. But I'll know next time.

Sent from my E5823 using aussiefrogs mobile app
 
Martin,
maybe not too late, since a set of teflon bushes & plastic retainer caps, plus postage for the 33gm package to Australia, would be 'about' 10 ukp.
Tools needed? A heat gun or small blowlamp and an engineer's pick to get rid of the old bushes.

Video to demonstrate how easily the rod moves with these fitted; a brand new original Citroen gearslide needs to be tilted to more like 60* before it starts to move... :wink2:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/30132857@N06/41623664851/in/datetaken-friend/
 
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