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MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

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MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby pmc » Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:43 am

Hi guys

I'm hoping for some advice here as I'm a little stuck as to which route to take 1st, I know its been covered a million times before but just wanted to see what you guys thought to my problems with the Transit.

I 1st got the van at approx 40000 miles, its now on about 121k, it had always had what I thought was a notchy gear change but had gradually been getting worse, I had put a solid flywheel and clutch on a few thousand after getting van due to slave cylinder leaking and this never changed gear change at all. Then 2 weeks ago I suffered gearbox failure and have just put a reconditioned box on and a new clutch kit (£££!!!!) hoping I'd have a slick change afterwards with new box but that slick change never came.

The problem only really seems to be on the forward gears, I struggle with 1st and my driver struggles with 1st and 3rd, I have disconnected the cables and I can freely move the selector into all gears, also when the cables are disconnected from the gear lever control box then the gear lever is free to move all over without any roughness. All though when everything is connected together 1st gear can sometimes go straight in and other times its like it just clicks in at the last second, can kinda feel a click and crunch in the gear stick when engaging 1st, I always keep 1st gear pressed forward as letting clutch out just in case its not fully in. I also noticed when disconnecting the grey cable off the selector that some of the orange plastic tabs inside had snapped off, it fits tight and without play but could it be at fault? The blue cable has been adjusted correctly but I noticed that the linkage in the gearlever control box has some left to right play in the joints, is this normal or a possible fault?

I have been into fords and they said I'm looking at £125 per cable and about £90 for a gear lever control box which they say they never have any issues with, (but then again they did tell me you cant replace the selector bearing and I've seen a few posts stating otherwise) I have seen the cables at £75 each with Transitpartsuk on Ebay who I've had several parts off with no trouble, anyone used these cables with or without sucess?

Any advice at all will be greatly appreciated as after just spending 1K on box and clutch etc I dont want to see this one crunched away but dont fancy going out and buying a selector,2 cables,control box. :(

Anything I've missed then please shout up and thanks in advance guys.
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby pmc » Tue Feb 28, 2012 2:16 pm

Also forgot to mention, when in 5th and reverse gear the gear stick feels normal, when in 3rd and 4th there is a load of play left to right in the stick and a fair bit when in 1st and 2nd, is there something that can fail in the control box? It has got a strange notchy feel to the gear stick that is not present when opperating the selector on the box by hand. :?: :?
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby redvanman » Tue Feb 28, 2012 2:48 pm

I can t help you with this but have the same problem with 1st not quite engaging. In fact I put up a thread about it last week - usual reply is gear cables not that i'm for a minute disputing this but alot of the time with these vans or perhaps any vehicle, it seems theres more than one answer to a problem and you then get into replacing one bit after another until you hit it lucky and fix the problem, well thats the way I see it anyway :wink: My way of thinking is this issue about 1st gear not quite engaging is a very specific problem as i've read about it many times but to date I havnt read anywhere of someone who has had that problem, fixed it and reported back with exactly what they did and until that happens I'm loathe to start changing all sorts of bits with no gaurentee that it'll fix it..

just trying to help your thread along pmc :D

I would hate to run a repair garage :cry:

a crystal ball would be nice I suppose :wink:
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby pmc » Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:12 pm

Cheers for reply Redvanman :D

Watch this thread as I'm going to replace every single part if need be as I cant go on with it like this and it may end up helping you out :D - already done the expensive bits with the gear box and clutch so that has wiped out all funds :x so it will be a case of buying 1 part at a time and seeing what fixes the problem, just wanted to see what people thought might be the offending parts based on what I'd described so I have more of a chance of getting it right 1st time.

Paul
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby pmc » Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:16 pm

redvanman wrote:I can t help you with this but have the same problem with 1st not quite engaging. In fact I put up a thread about it last week - usual reply is gear cables not that i'm for a minute disputing this but alot of the time with these vans or perhaps any vehicle, it seems theres more than one answer to a problem and you then get into replacing one bit after another until you hit it lucky and fix the problem, well thats the way I see it anyway :wink: My way of thinking is this issue about 1st gear not quite engaging is a very specific problem as i've read about it many times but to date I havnt read anywhere of someone who has had that problem, fixed it and reported back with exactly what they did and until that happens I'm loathe to start changing all sorts of bits with no gaurentee that it'll fix it..

just trying to help your thread along pmc :D

I would hate to run a repair garage :cry:

a crystal ball would be nice I suppose :wink:


Just read your post, exactly the same as mine with 1st , and as someone else said with all that free play in the gear lever. Def reluctant to start throwing money at parts but sick of grinding that 1st gear when I think its in there and it isnt quite there :(
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby El transito » Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:40 pm

A very quick and simple test, with the engine off can 1st gear be easily and fully selected both looking at the gearstick and selector arm on the gearbox? If yes it's not the cables or selector mechanism, if no it is.
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby pmc » Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:07 pm

El transito wrote:A very quick and simple test, with the engine off can 1st gear be easily and fully selected both looking at the gearstick and selector arm on the gearbox? If yes it's not the cables or selector mechanism, if no it is.


Hi

With engine off, I can stick it straight into 1st with my hand on the selector, but cant always do this with the gearstick, kinda feel the stick stop where you would think its in gear and then you can give it a slightly harder push and it will go that little bit further and feel a notchy click in the gearstick. Thanks for response :D
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby finnon » Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:50 pm

mine does this. i had been told it was cables.

mine has play in the gear stick both forwards and backwards and left and right. ie i can move it round in a square shape about an inch or so in any direction lol.
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby 75psT330lwb » Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:55 pm

compared to the rwd which has a tight, positive gear change i think the fwd is sh*t :roll: its like stirring custard :lol: i too would like to find out why :(
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby pmc » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:03 pm

75psT330lwb wrote:compared to the rwd which has a tight, positive gear change i think the fwd is sh*t :roll: its like stirring custard :lol: i too would like to find out why :(


I'd def agree with that! RWD has the gear stick straight into the box, the way it should be :D far too many parts to get worn and stressed between the box and gear stick on the FWD , never liked cable opperated ones, whats wrong with solid rods?
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby pmc » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:02 pm

I meant to mention about the cables - seen a few advertised on ebay, some genuine and some possibly pattern parts - they all state 2000-2006 mk6, mine is a 2005 plate and the grey cable has no adjustment like the blue cable, the ones I have seen online look like they have the same adjustability as the blue cables - I take it these will be fine to use? Has anyone bought one online and found the quality to be ok?
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby robbie.cee » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:40 pm

casnt be any worse than ford quality, reading this thread m8 :lol:
i used pattern parts on other vehicles with no probs.
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby redvanman » Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:14 pm

El transito wrote:A very quick and simple test, with the engine off can 1st gear be easily and fully selected both looking at the gearstick and selector arm on the gearbox? If yes it's not the cables or selector mechanism, if no it is.


on mine, using gearstick, 1st baulks at first but then it goes in freely with engine off - maybe a bit notchy now and again.. Selector seems to work smoothly with cables off but its some time ago I did that...

I think possibly my problem has eased in recent months. I've had the van 18 months and at first I was grinding first every other time. It wasnt just me cos when it went for an MOT last year the mechanic grinded 1st also. Since having the van, I've put a new clutch master cyl in as was getting alot of clutch drag. Also, I did loosen off the grey cable beneath the gearstick and it seemed to self adjust ie eased forward or back, I cant remember which. Nowadays, I hardly ever grind 1st gear but I'm very aware of making sure 1st is engaged so maybe I'm getting used to it. Proof of pudding would be to let someone else drive it I think...there are still times when if I'm not 100% sure 1st is engaged I reselect so I think I still have the problem...
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby pmc » Tue Mar 06, 2012 8:47 pm

Postman turned up yesterday with a brand new grey gear cable costing £70 delivered from Transitpartsireland (Ebay) :D

Visually it looks no different to the original ford part except this one is adjustable like the early model cables unlike my 2005 cable that was not adjustable.

1st thing this morning I was under the van and it fitted a treat, prob 1/2hr in total and I have to say its the best £70 I could of spent on the old girl, I was convinced something had broken down inside the gearstick control box as I could feel a crunch in the stick. The gear change is positive, no crunch , no 2nd attempt at putting in gear needed , its better than when I 1st bought the van at 42k, wish I'd of changed this 80000 miles ago!!!! :roll:

The gear stick is still loose when in gear, inch or so of movement left to right but I can see the gearstick control box has play in the linkage so maybe thats a future replacement but as it stands its a perfect gear change, if someone says change the gray cable then just do it, but I'd be in no rush to pay Fords £125 price tag when this one looks and works perfect for £65 plus postage :D

Thanks to everyone that read and took the time to post on here, appreciated and good luck with your gear change issues.
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Re: MK6 FWD GEAR CHANGE ISSUES

Postby jamesr8540 » Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:18 pm

hi, had problems with my 04 transit gearshift, getting 2nd, 5th and reverse, after adjusting the cables numerous times to no avail, i found the culprit. the bolt had sheered off on the counter weight that sits at the top of the selector, where the grey cable attaches to. this was allowing a small amount of movement when selecting gears, duno for why but it only affected those three gears . i took selector off drilled out what was left of the bolt retapped it, put a thicker bolt in. job done. Gears work perfect now.
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