Left work this morning and all was fine until I tried to reverse into the garage... Err, no reverse ? come to that no first or second either and lots of side play in the gearstick ...:bang:

Good news is after a bit of crawling around under the car and some rtfm I think I've narrowed down the problem to the reaction strut lever should be connected to the steering rack via a ball joint.... mine seems to have disconnected itself.



I'm trying to work out what should hold it in place? has anyone had this apart?

Looking at eper I think it should be a rubber bushing (item 4)? which would make sense as I can see the remains of some rubber but what more resembles a dust cover than a bushing....



This part can be seen from under the bonnet roughly on the centreline of the car just below the rear engine bulkhead. (would be alot easier to spot with someone sat in the car moving the gearstick)

Has anyone replaced this or anyone fancy popping the bonnet and seeing if it really is just a rubber bushing that I need to buy?

I'm relying on the B as a daily driver at the moment as aothers are off the road / being used by spouse so I've done a bit of a bodge job on it for now and it seems to be working. but will need to order parts from UK. They normally take a week or 2 to get here....

Many thanks

Wayne

Good thing it happened in your garage and not on the road. You would be stranded.

Hope you got it sorted soon enough, Let us know if the rubber helped, then I will replace it myself just for sure.

Just a bit of an update... Finally recieved the so called "rubber bushing" It seems the new onme is now a hard plastic bushing.....

Had the car up on garage ramps for a gearbox oil change... and although the oil change made a remarkable difference to gear changes I was unable to simply pop in the new bushing.... !!

With alot of leverage I can force it onto the ball joint... but am unable to get the reaction strut in the correct position.... I think I have to remove the strut from the car and it was a little more work than the garage was willing to accept.....:bang:

Damn it, it looks loke another laid on my back in the dust job!!!! I just hope it all comes out from the gear change lever in the car and it does not nvolve engine removal???? anyone changed one?