Technical Shifter Help

[AlP38]

Hello, I am new to the community and just picked up a 1978 124 sport 1800. The shifter was working okay and then out of no where I was able to rotate it. Not the top part, the bottom. I'll attach photos, any help is appreciated. Maybe just a bushing?

 

[bugsymike]

That layout looks very similar to Lada 1200s (Fiat124) that I used to work on in the 1970s apart from the stick being shorter, there is a plastic cover 8mm screwed to the transmission tunnel, that when removed allows more access to the top of the gearbox.
Just a thought could there be a broken spring below the gear stick in top of box that isn't holding lever away from reverse selection possibly. See if gear lever still rotates if held up a little.
I seem to recall removing that cover and the rocker cover and ex front pipe to drop gearbox down to do clutch jobs in half the book time. No bonus sadly.

 

[AlP38]

That layout looks very similar to Lada 1200s (Fiat124) that I used to work on in the 1970s apart from the stick being shorter, there is a plastic cover 8mm screwed to the transmission tunnel, that when removed allows more access to the top of the gearbox.
Just a thought could there be a broken spring below the gear stick in top of box that isn't holding lever away from reverse selection possibly. See if gear lever still rotates if held up a little.
I seem to recall removing that cover and the rocker cover and ex front pipe to drop gearbox down to do clutch jobs in half the book time. No bonus sadly.

Thank you for your response! Very helpfully, the 8mm cover is also on the fiat as well. I also read that about the clutch, very interesting!

 

[AlP38]

SOLVED: So the shifter that was installed in the car had broken the circular "sphere" that goes around the shifter. This meant that there was much play in between the shifter and the linkage, as well as making it near impossible for the spring to tension the shifter. I will post some pictures so that anyone experiencing the same issues can learn from my troubles. I had purchased a new shifter for $60, so not too expensive of a repair, took me about 20 minutes to replace it. Hope this helps!!

(also does anyone know how to change the name of a thread. on the rover forum I could edit the name to say "solved" so people are aware?) Thanks!