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MG MGF Technical - Gear Selector Cable

On my way home from Reading last night, I went to change into third while applying power, and I think my gear selector cable has snapped. I am now stuck in second and the gearstick has alot of free forward and backwards movement.

Has anyone experienced this before. Is it an easy (ish) diy repair, or should I take it to a garage. Also any ideas of garage charges for this.

Any help / comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Roger.
Roger

Yep you cable has snapped, search the archives for 'a box full of neutrals' It can be DIY, but proper fitment by a grage will cause the _entire_ car to be taken apart ( the DIY method skips a lot of this), again search the archives for the DIY method.

Will
Will Munns

When this happened on my VVC it was just a broken clip -
less than two pounds for parts, 30 quid all in for a main dealer to fix.

Steve
Steve

It may not be the cable. Look under the rear of the car where the to cables connect to the gearbox bell crank. One is low and easy to see the other is a bit higher. The original rubber joints are not a very tight fit and tend to pop out if worn. If that is the case just push it back in. If both joins are connected OK then you can pull at the cables and see if one of them is broken. If both cables and joints are OK then it could be the plastic clip at the lever end as Steeve says above.

Maybe it is a good opportunity to fit one of Mike Saturs slick shift kits.

Spyros
Spyros Papageorghiou

Hi.

I never heard of a snapped longer cable, Spyros. Normally when it's snapped, it's the shorter one, the one that passes under the engine and makes the bak and forward movement. But you might see both if you want. Aparently they tend to snap near the gearbox, so disengage the cable and pull it free if you can. If you get a piece of cable in your hands, then look at Rob's site for DIY informations.

HTH,

Valter.
Valter

Thanks for the help guys, I will check the connections tonight. Does anyone have any information on the "plastic clip". I tried searching on the archive, but i couldnt find anything.

My local dealer cant do anything for two weeks, so it looks like a DIY attempt!!

Roger.
Roger

Three possibilities, easiest/cheapest to hardest/expensive:

1, As Spyros says, could just be the bottom cable come loose, inspect and push back into place.

2, METAL 'C' shaped retaining clip on bell housing bracket snapped, missing. This clip retains the outer sleeve of the lower selector cable ensuring that only the inner part moves when the gear lever is operated. Replace clip to cure.

3, Lower cable snapped. Expensive(ish) as cable needs to be replaced. Upeer cable 99% of the time is OK, only the lower one that is vulnerable, the top cable (IIRC) does the left to right movements and the lower one the front to rear so it sounds like the lower cable or cable clip is where the problem lies to me. It is DIYable, but is quite a tricky job, check archives and Dieter's web site for more info on this. MG-R will drop the rear subframe to replace this part entailing a lot of extra chargeable man hours, so if you are up to the job, then i recommend giving it a go.

SF
SF

@ 3,
had a closer look to the dismantled cables the other day.

The lower one with Part No. ULS 100070 is about 147.5 cm long.
The other that never breakes is ULS 100060 and about 190cm long.
Availiable should be single cables and as well a kit of both including the front gear switch assy with part No. UKD 100610.

Regarding the DIY it was me who lowered the subframe only at the inner side by 5cm to get to the flange plate. Good car jack equipment is vital to keep the car AND the loose subframe in place.
It was Valter who has best experiance about how to change 'as ist is'.

Was s sh*t job in any way.
Dieter Koennecke

Well I have now confirmed my fears, it is a snapped cable. After popping the higher cable out of its socket it fell straight onto the floor!. Not good, but i think its diy-able. I have removed most of the console and other bits to get good access to the cable. Anyway thanks to Valter for his instructions so far. I am just about to try and order a cable (which should be a major task in itself!!)

Rog.

PS Anyone going to the Abingdon works car show on monday?



Roger

After reading comments, I am slightly concerned as to which cable has snapped. Looking from underneath the car it is the highest cable out of the two. I am a little concerned about this as people are suggesting that normally the other one breaks. Has anyone had the top cable break?

Thanks,

Roger.
Roger

Hi, Roger.

Are you sure that it isn't the cable that passes under the engine? As I said, never heard about a longer cable snapped. Try to engage the car in neutral (with your hands, not with the gear lever...) directly on the gearbox from underneath the car. Then check which movement do you have in gear stick: the left-right or the back-forward? That should give you the answer on which cable is snapped.

Cheers, Valter.
Valter

Higher cable is higher cable, and that is the long one.
Seams like you are the first.

The cross mark shows the lower.
http://www.mgfcar.de/gear_select/geargearbox_cp_2621.jpg

Anyway, please check for me whether the cable broke as well where it gets into the 6mm shaft.

http://www.mgfcar.de/gear_select/index.htm
and @ Rob is Valters description.
http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/gearbox_cable.html

Dieter


Dieter

This thread was discussed between 15/08/2002 and 22/08/2002

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