ducato/boxer stiff gear change

Hi all.

Can anybody help? The gear change on my boxer 2.2 hdi is awful. The gear stick goes back and forth ok, but is very stiff going side to side and is a real pain to get into 5th.

Has anybody had this problem? or does anybody know what it is?

Thanks. Marc.

my 2lt jtd ducato is a bit tempremental going into 1st and second sometimes been told it could be the gear selector but while it is still working i will leave well alone (dont want unforced bills)
" if it aint broke don't try to fix it."

Hi Marc, I had a Relay 2.0 HDI on a 53 plate Had a similar problem with it had to have the pivot on the selector changed and that solved the problem hope this works for you to.

Good Luck - Shaka.

This is for a 2003 Ducato 2.8:

The gearchange works with two cables; one for fore/aft and the other left/right. There is a nylon block in the dashboard fitting under the gaiter to which the top ends of the cables are attached, and the other ends go to separate attachment brackets on the gearbox case. The nylon block can distort under force, which doesn't help.

You may just have a failing cable (possibly just needs lubrication), or one of the brackets on the gearbox could be bunged up with crap (I had this initially, and it may be the root cause), making 5th hard to get. My problem (which started like this) gradually got worse so that having got 5th, getting 5th again was easy, but 1st & Reverse then became really difficult. What happens is that a selector inside the gearbox getts bent slightly each time this happens, as as this is a light casting it eventually fractures, requiring replacement, which isn't particularly cheap, but cheaper at a transmission specialist rather than a normal garage (who would probably farm it out anyway).

I ended up with a rebuilt gearbox and two new driveshafts...

Sorry if this isn't great news, but it's better to know the potential worst before it happens!

There is a stabiliser bracket at the bottom of the cables underneath that keep the main selector steady. If the locking nut for this comes adrift, this can give the same problem getting 1st, 3rd and 5th engaged. Replace locking nut usually solves. If you take a look from underneath at the gearbox from the rear (behind the front wheels) where the selector cables come down, you may see an open thread. If there is no nut on there, this maybe the issue.