Gear shift issues (with photos)

[Phil Peters]

Hi all,

As part of the restoration work on my car I'm trying to sort out the horrible gear change. I never had to do any gearbox work on my last DeLorean other than changing the gearbox oil so even after 10 years of DeLorean ownership, this is a new one on me.

I'm not quite sure what the issue is but I found that the shift action was very stiff going into all gears and that 5th gear was absolutely impossible to find in the 'box.

I decided that while the car was being reduced to its component parts in other areas, I might as well remove the linkage in order to give it a check over and a clean up before going on to test the cable itself. The first step was to release the cable, and undo the pivot bolt and the four bolts holding the shifter mechanism to the frame:



Next, I crawled underneath the car to start undoing the relevant pivot bolts etc. I immediately noticed that the rear link rod seems to be bent at the threads:



The whole linkage removed:



I extended the 'line' of the shift rod in Photoshop and it really shows the extent to which the rod is bent:



A close-up of the rod:


I assume this isn't normal? Despite the 1982 build date, this is actually a very early car so possibly it had a duff early component fitted at the factory?

However, if you look at this picture, again with the 'line' of the shift rod extended in Photoshop, if the rod was straight then it wouldn't be able to connect to the bracket on the gearbox.



Has anyone else experienced this before?

Cheers,

Phil

[Rich H]

Yes, the end of the shifter rod is bent like that IIRC. Yours maybe a little more so than I remember mine.

Check the stiffness of you gear change mechanism at the box.

You should be able to clunk all the gears using just the small lever by hand....

If you cant get fifth, that's the cable (left right selection) that needs adjustment

Myself and Rich Hanlon have become the DOC gear stick masters at these now

[Phil Peters]

Nice one, thanks Rich. I'll give it a try when I'm next working on the car.

IIRC there was a factory service bullet-in about chamfering the edges of the pivot bushes to 45 degrees. Can't remember the exact details off the top of my head (I'll have to have a look in my tech notes folder) but having initially disconnected the rear shift rod and the yoke bit which connects the cable to the gearstick, the action felt fine so I think all the relevant pivot bushes are okay.

I think prime suspect here then is either the cable or, as you say, something to do with the gear change mechanism at the 'box itself.

[Rich H]

If the cable isn't pulling correctly, you may find yourself fighting a badly aligned selector at the box.

Definitely first thing to try is the selector at the box....

[Phil Peters]

Good stuff, will do.

Is there much room for adjustment on the selector?

[Rich H]

The selector on the gearbox, no, none. You have to adjust the shift linkage to conform the the gearbox...

Giz a shout once you've had the opportunity to take a look at it...

[Phil Peters]

Thanks Rich, will do.

The gear shift rods are at the powder coaters currently, should get them back in around 7 - 10 days.

Cheers,

Phil

[stunned_monkey]

The rear most rod has a kink in it which goes inside the tunnel, yours is bent badly and needs to be replaced.

The left/right and front/back movements are entirely independent. If yours is stiff left/right, replace the crossgate cable and ensure the engine has a good ground because if it hasn't it'll ground itself through the crossgate cable which will get very hot and seize. Also ensure you have free movement of the little pivot thingy on the gearbox to which the end of the cable attaches. I've never seen a stiff front/back movement unless the pivot bolt is seized.

A little video for you which I posted today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng6-l2fhPXw

[Rissy]

stunned_monkey Wrote:The rear most rod has a kink in it which goes inside the tunnel, yours is bent badly and needs to be replaced.

The left/right and front/back movements are entirely independent. If yours is stiff left/right, replace the crossgate cable and ensure the engine has a good ground because if it hasn't it'll ground itself through the crossgate cable which will get very hot and seize. Also ensure you have free movement of the little pivot thingy on the gearbox to which the end of the cable attaches. I've never seen a stiff front/back movement unless the pivot bolt is seized.

A little video for you which I posted today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng6-l2fhPXw

This an excellent video Martin. So just to clarify with myself. when "The Two Richard's" had to adjust LEX, in Wales, in 2010. Is it that large double bolt on thread which they would have had to adjust (more left or right with the hard to reach bolt with spanner, as described in your video) to then allow for me to get into 2nd gear properly again? That's the first time I've seen the infamous pivot bolt, and for whatever reason, I thought it was that which they needed to adjust, with a cable coming off that!? I've obviously been confused all this time...

We need more of these videos on youtube, so keep um coming while your taking all these cars apart.

Maybe if people could give you an idea, or a short list of items wishing to be investigated, or explained in video enlightening depth, this could form a small library of stuff you could slowly populate as and when....?

P.S. I've sent you a message yesterday on FB.

[Rich Hanlon]

Hi folks, ages since I've been on and seems I'm mentioned in dispatches!

Yeah, yours does seem more bent that others I've seen (ooo-err), but once that's sorted it's a simple job of someone in the car trying to get all the gears and someone else underneath it adjusting one way then the other until satisfied noises can be heard from above. Doable on ramps or even (just) with one side up on a kerbstone!

Good luck Phil, long time no see!