Technical Seriously, no gearbox fluid leaks?

[fiat500]

I've hit a snag with the selector housing replacement. Although it appears to be dimensionally the same as the 500 type, there must be differences. I have double-checked that everything is located correctly and moving properly but now I can't get into reverse and sometimes I only easily get 1st and 2nd and other times 3rd and 4th.
The housing has to be putting the selector fork in the wrong alignment; so back to square one tomorrow.

Success. I thought it fair to update. I must have tightened the special linkage bolt so that the shouldered part wasn't centralised in the hole in the linkage. this gave the impression it was tight but it soon came loose. Once I tightened it properly and retightened the other bolt..shazzan! great gear-changing again.

So the operation was a success after all with the bonus that the tight fit of the selector rod has stoppped my gear-stick rattle. The whole thing feels more precise even though I was happy with it before.

So I now seriously appear to have no gearbox leaks, (or engine ones for that matter).

 

[stevehg]

Result, and even better with the rattle gone.

cheers, Steve

 

[nzbobc]

Congrats, Peter.

I'm happy with my new housing, too and similarly, it also stopped my gear stick rattle.

Still struggling with other leaks. Still have one half shaft boot leaking. I've swapped the seal and other parts with new ones but the leak comes back in short order. I've glued and used gasket sealant to form bonds between the components and they've all held, so it's pointing to the seals themselves. I picked up high quality seals yesterday and will try those. The leak is only on one side, tho. I'll look at the half shaft itself again. One thought that my local 500 mechanic suggested is that the half shaft may be spinning eccentrically, throwing the seal off and causing it to leak. I'll look at that, too.

My two other leaks are between the block and the sump-right where the return oil comes thru the block into the passageway in the sump (I have the 4 liter sump).

And, the brand new silicon gasket at the timing end of the crankshaft (the one you just replaced) has given it up after 400 miles of use...

Glad that you managed to get yours leak free!

 

[mr500]

Just a photo for reference of the difference between the 500 and 126-type selector rod housings at the gearbox front end. Not much difference really considering these two items were made about 35 years apart. There is the bigger recess for the shaft seal and an additional tapping for a reversing-light switch.
PT1_2068 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr

Sorry to rake up an old post but this is somewhat interesting.

My 500 was fitted with two reversing lights from new and has a little flick switch fitted next to the screenwash pump. So one has to manually put them on. Which I never do!!

Obviously there was no 126 in 1972 so they had no option for this mod.

I may just get a 126 housing and switch to do a proper job. The question begs does the standard 500 box's selector shaft move into the right position to activate the switch? Or is the 126 different/longer? I can see me ordering all the bits. Fitting the housing. Redoing the wiring from front to back and then putting the car in reverse stationary. Then looking at the back of the car to see no lights on!! Classic tale of if it aint broke don't fix it!

Pic of my 500 and British Wipac lights for forum types peruse...

 

[fiat500]

A very nice rear end there! ;-) I simply fitted the reversing light switch as a blanking stopper because I have no reversing lights and rarely go backwards... especially in the dark. ;-) There were two switch rod lengths and I randomly chose the shorter one. In reverse I get no continuity between any of the three! Spade terminals, so perhaps the longer one would work. I got a secondhand housing off eBay...LP Garage; I am sure you would get advice there. Lovely car, please keep posting.

 

[mr500]

Ok. Thanks for your response. The 126 housing isn't going to work on a standard non sync box unless it's opened up and fettled with a later selector rod which may or may not work in harmony.

I'll thus leave it as it is!!

Thanks for compliment on my 500. It's a really special example. RHD and genuine 11k miles from new. Always garaged and was off road since 1979.

Has not a spot ot rust or snot anywhere. Original throughout save a bit of paint due to storage marks it collected over the years.

It is sublime to drive as nothing is worn out or baggy! It came with its original exhaust/clutch/wheel cylinders etc. The interior is timewarp.

I never used to be a big fan of the colour but sort of like it now. Taihiti yellow! Very 70's being a 1972 example.

Even has its period FM radio under n/s dash and tinny box speakers on rear shelf/aerial!

 

[fiat500]

Ok. Thanks for your response. The 126 housing isn't going to work on a standard non sync box unless it's opened up and fettled with a later selector rod which may or may not work in harmony.

I'll thus leave it as it is!!

Given that back-story to your car I think you should leave it as it is. But just to re-iterate, my 500 non-synchro operates perfectly with the 126 rear cover and the original selector-rod. I'm pretty sure that I could have made the reversing switch operate, possibly with an additional spacer, had that been my objective. The benefit I was looking for is the use of a proper lip-seal on the rod; the "O"-ring arrangement is pretty unreliable.