Technical Gearbox thinks it's in 1st when in neutral!

[WildFeraligatr]

Hi all

One last job before I get the girl back on the road (I hope!)

When taking the engine/gearbox out I disconnected the gearchange levers, clutch slave and whatever the apparatus is on top of the gearbox, and I think I must have put it back in wrong or something because a couple of the gears aren't available (3rd and 5th) and upon starting the car in neutral she acts as though she's in 1st gear unless I have the clutch down (believe it's 1st gear as I can move her forward pretty easily)

I've been reading through the Haynes manual to try and figure out what I need to do to fix/adjust this but I'm not 100% clear on which bits are which and some of the pictures just don't seem to be on my car at all (unless I need to take the apparatus off the top and look inside the gearbox proper).

Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance!

 

[koalar]

When the tops off it should look like this before reassembly

Gear oil leak from selector shaft | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

I have had my 2009 Panda 1.1 manual for 6 months now and he has given me many thousands of trouble free miles already (if you ignore the broken exhaust hanger and worn drop links) but today I noticed an oil leak which appears to be coming from the gear selector shaft. Research, mainly on here...

www.fiatforum.com

 

[koalar]

The only adjustment is left to right

So if instead of 1 and 2 you get 3 and 4

It could be adjustment

You have more likely an assembly issue

I suspect this has jumped out somehow

It’s also not impossible for the roll pin to snap

 

[WildFeraligatr]

What's that exactly?

This is what I'm looking at with the selector box off

 

[koalar]

Yes there just slightly different design. Looks correct.

Without the cables connected and the selector on neural does all these line up

 

[WildFeraligatr]

Yes there just slightly different design. Looks correct.

Without the cables connected and the selector on neural does all these line up


View attachment 419760

I'll have to get back to you, the cables are a PITA to disconnect and I have to get back to work

 

[DaveMcT]

The problem is most likely the bias springs are wrongly placed in the shifter cover. The end with wings sits against a stop (see image above) so the spring cannot not push the whole way across the gate. The smaller spring (no wings) pushes all across the whole slide distance. This gives the gear lever bias to third-fourth with a spring resistant for 5th and another resistance for 1st-2nd.

 

[WildFeraligatr]

The problem is most likely the bias springs are wrongly placed in the shifter cover. The end with wings sits against a stop (see image above) so the spring cannot not push the whole way across the gate. The smaller spring (no wings) pushes all across the whole slide distance. This gives the gear lever bias to third-fourth with a spring resistant for 5th and another resistance for 1st-2nd.

How would i go about fixing this?

 

[koalar]

How would i go about fixing this?

This is not a left to right issue

If it’s in gear while in neutral

There’s two selector levers with ball joints on them the on top right is the left to right on the gearstick

The big twisty on at the back is the front to back

No gears are selected regardless of where the little lever is positioned

Only via the large lever that twists

I am hopping the it’s just the roll pin that’s snapped leaving it in first

Or the top was reassembled without everything in the neutral position

 

[WildFeraligatr]

This is not a left to right issue

If it’s in gear while in neutral

There’s two selector levers with ball joints on them the on top right is the left to right on the gearstick

The big twisty on at the back is the front to back

No gears are selected regardless of where the little lever is positioned

Only via the large lever that twists

I am hopping the it’s just the roll pin that’s snapped leaving it in first

Or the top was reassembled without everything in the neutral position

Just so i know what to look for - what's the roll pin?

I'd wager it's an assembly issue but if the car is currently in first gear then how do i get the gearbox back to neutral?

 

[koalar]

Just so i know what to look for - what's the roll pin?

I'd wager it's an assembly issue but if the car is currently in first gear then how do i get the gearbox back to neutral?

With the gearbox in the position as per your photo

And the top with the the bit at the back pointing straight down (neural) the cover should just push on freely.

The cables pop off if tight with something like a couple of tyre levers

There are better tools but this works

 

[WildFeraligatr]

View attachment 419773

With the gearbox in the position as per your photo

And the top with the the bit at the back pointing straight down (neural) the cover should just push on freely.

The cables pop off if tight with something like a couple of tyre levers

There are better tools but this works

View attachment 419775

Cheers.

If the cover doesn't just slide on when in neutral, what then?

 

[koalar]

Cheers.

If the cover doesn't just slide on when in neutral, what then?

Don’t force it something isn’t aligned properly. Try wiggling the levers a few mm

 

[DaveMcT]

I’ve done a few. They all had broken roll pins but were working fine. It’s a 4mm pin that stops the selector cam from sliding on the shaft.
If it is sliding, the small lever will turn but the shaft with the big lever won’t move in-out as it should.

 

[koalar]

@WildFeraligatr

Have you got it sorted yet ?

 

[WildFeraligatr]

@WildFeraligatr

Have you got it sorted yet ?

Not had a chance to go out and have a look yet, will be heading out tonight after work

 

[WildFeraligatr]

Righty - I've got the selector box off. Here's a pic of it in neutral attached.

With everything in neutral it slides onto the gearbox a-ok.

While the selector box is on the gearbox, the big lever at the back pushes in and out, but only seems to want to move right (when standing at the front of the car looking in)

 

[WildFeraligatr]

Hopefully this is clear but I took a video of my trying to move the lever to all 6 positions.

In this vid it appears to be 3rd and 5th that won't select, but now I've wiggled the lever around a bit more that appears to be changing

 

[koalar]

Looking at the first photo

This doesn’t look correct

 

[WildFeraligatr]

Here's a couple of pics of that area now the selector box is off