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MG MGF Technical - Gear selector cable - specialist job?

Judging from the archives I have probably snapped a gear selector cable. [All is connected at the gearstick and gearbox ends but the stick has no positive action and no gears can be selected. I can swap between 1st and neutral from pushing and pulling the exposed linkage under the back of the car.]

Mr RAC man acknowledged that it is a fiddly replacement job but is not something worth troubling a MG dealer/specialist with. Any competent spanner man should be up to it. I should point out that my breakdown cover does not extend to recovery to remote locations. I'd have to factor in a hundred quid to get the car to my preferred specialist.

Anyone like to offer an opinion either way? Is spares availability going to be an issue in any case?
Trevor Hobden

Same happened to wifes car a month ago, cost me about £300 but I did have both cables replaced and they are £60 each.They had no trouble sourcing spares at the time
Local garage not MGR replaced mine
stu

It is a DIY-able job - Valter put some instructions together here: http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/group2/common_problems/gearbox_cable.html
Rob Bell

Well, I let the local garage sort it.

Since I picked it up, however, I've noticed a new notchiness especially from 4th to 3rd. Lifting the gaiter around the gear stick I can see play in the mechanism (sorry, don't know the techie term). A metal C shaped piece is held by a pin just in front of the gear stick. This pin runs front to back and is secured by a bolt at each end. There is rotational freedom around this pin that allows the C piece to move around it. However, there is a 2-3mm gap between the bolts and plates that means the C piece can slip along the pin. At the same time, a ball joint to the offside set in a white plastic/ptfe block is moving the white block within it's own metal housing.

Is this to be expected? Could this be a consequence of the linkeage change or am I being hypersensitive to the gear change now work has been done to it? Would some sort of spacer on the pin help?

Apologies for my non-techie description. Pictures would help but I can't track any down.
Trevor Hobden

Found a pic. (Thanks to Dieter's site)

http://www.mgfcar.de/gear_select/gearstick_2281.jpg

The pin is the one to the right of the picture. The ball joint is at the bottom.
Trevor Hobden

Hi guys,

Mine went a few weeks ago but on close inspection it turned out to be just a retaining clip holding the cable to the bracket. £5.00 later new clip fitted and all ok now

don
don k

This thread was discussed between 11/05/2005 and 18/05/2005

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