Fitting Bob's gear cables

[epipete]

Sometime in the very distant past I acquired a set of Bob's cables (sadly without the instructions), given that I have the car stripped ready for new Samco hoses now is a good time to swap the old for new!

If anyone has the instructions in electronic format could they pm or email me a copy. I have looked at various threads on here regarding the subject however there seems no definitive process, the three points most pressing are:

How to determine which cable is which (gearchange and crossgate).
Are the cables the same lengths (mine seem slightly different). If this is correct then which is which?
Various folk seem to have tied them to the existing cables and pulled them through from both the engine side and/or the cabin side - which is best?

Pete

[lotos]

http://wikilec.9600.org/index.php/Stain ... ift_Cables

[epipete]

Thanks, I have no idea how I missed that!

[Peter_W]

Pete,

I just emailed you the instructions from Bob from ~ two years ago - it's the same text as the link above with a couple pages of photos. I haven't installed mine yet either - I think the instructions for John C.'s cables will be of additional help.

Pete

[Brit-Car-Nut]

How to determine which cable is which (gearchange and crossgate).
Are the cables the same lengths (mine seem slightly different). If this is correct then which is which?
Various folk seem to have tied them to the existing cables and pulled them through from both the engine side and/or the cabin side - which is best?
Pete

Pete: The long cable is the crossgate. you can look at the guide for my cables for some insight too:

I know the ends I used are different, but the concept is the same. You need to use the small cones to add space between the rod ends and the levers, the round hat bushes go into the square holes to center the bolts that go thru them. The tapered end goes toward the rod end (sorry if I am over-describing).

You will need to install the cables at the shifter end first and make sure you can put the lever in the right locations for each gear. You don't want the cable adjustment to be too short and run out of movement just as you get into gear. I suggest you don't button up the shifter end until you finish. I had to take it apart and readjust when I did my first install.

Best of luck. Be patient. You can do it...

[epipete]

John, a great guide which should help immeasurably.

Ok, courage has been summoned, a supply of coffee prepared and Nicotine replacement therapy is on hand, today I shall undertake this task, seems to me, with my current fortune, the main risk is those pesky bolts securing the bracket to the gear box - will they come out easily?

I shall report directly!

Pete

[epipete]

Right, have removed the cables from the bracket & the cables off the 'pins'. The bolts holding the bracket came out very easily.

I have removed one of the 'pins' but the other is a complete bitch, the problem is that once you have unscrewed it a short way the square flange is able to float out of the bracket thus allowing the whole pin to rotate as you try to turn the nut, even using mole grips I have been unable to get sufficient grip on the pin to hold it fast whilst I undo the nut.

Anyone have any ideas, I really don't want to cut it off?

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Two mole grips? One to hold the pin and the second to hold the first to the lever?

[epipete]

Aye , thanks. There is, I think, insufficient depth to clamp it to the bracket and still get a hold of the nut, I'll go and have a look.

[RayD]

Can you post a picture Pete,

Ray

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Aye , thanks. There is, I think, insufficient depth to clamp it to the bracket and still get a hold of the nut, I'll go and have a look.

Longer mole grips that will run into something to keep from turning? Which lever? The top is the crossgate and the lower is the fore-aft.

I have some small - 6 inch - mole grips or vicegrips over here. See if you can clamp the pin in a way that the grips run into the shifter housing. Obviously, this is a place where a helper would be useful. I assume you are working at removal from under the car?

[dapinky]

Would it be an option to just remove the selector housing from the gearboix and lift it to somehwere more accessible? (like your workbench - still attached to the cables).

The housing is straightforward to remove - just 4 bolts from the top.

For replacement, no gasket is needed - just a smear of instant gasket (or silicone!) - it's just to keep it oiltight - and there isn't much oil that gets to it.

(I had to remove mine in a dark layby one night when it jammed in 5th gear due to the cam inside slipping on it's spring - only took 15 minutes to sort it out.

Consequently, when I fitted the short-shift, I just took it out again to do the tricky work where i could get to it.

It would also have the advantage that you can trial-fit the new bits in relative comfort and fettle any bits which may need it before assembling it all in the engine bay.

[epipete]

Ray, I will provide a picture a little later.

I have tried, with some success, to file the pin so that it has some 'flats' to allow something to grip it and, indeed, this did allow some further turns of the nut, and although it is still not off I could get a hacksaw blade in the gap! Looking at it closer I am wondering if it is cross threaded, it seems a strange angle to the thread!

Dave, I wondered about dismantling further as you suggested but again fearful of disturbing old bolts/fittings, but I agree with the principle and will look at the manual to see how/what is involved.

Would like to finish in the engine bay tonight, I don't want to temp fate tomorrow - Friday the 13th

[Jeemy]

Some pics on my thread of the process, but unfortunately I had already a short shift kit fitted (the DeeAitch version) so I didn't have these difficulties, just tapping the pin out was the scary part for me. For that I used a needle point file on a dremel and ground the base of the shaft (ouch), then it tapped out easy.

But maybe some of the pics will be helpful roughly here onwards:

viewtopic.php?f=79&t=20848&start=200#p278380

[epipete]

Thanks Jeemy. I think you should be aware that your thread is for me, and I suspect others, a rich vein of information, I rarely undertake any work without reference to it! So thanks.

My problem is with the linkage at the gearbox end, I'm not sure when Dave describes above removing the item and doing it on the bench that he appreciates this, having looked in the manual, but not yet the car, it does seem to unscrew on 4 bolts my worry is what is inside and will I be able to get it back together - rather like dismantling a watch, the manual isn't clear

Another coffee and more nicotine methinks.

[dapinky]

Pete,

As you obviously don't trust me - and seem to think that upon half a turn of an unseen bolt, 1000 tiny parts will jump out of the gearbox and hide all arround your garage - I have just been and dug my bits out of storage and hereby deliver a picture (or 2!).........


OOOOps - no I haven't, I'll send them to you System wont let me upload pictures at the moment (I know Blair flagged this issue up yesterday, so hopefully Geoff will fix it )

Basically, the 4 bolts undo and the box lifts up and away from the gearbox - there is lots of bits inside the box (levers etc) for the gear selection, but the only thing which sticks out is a short 'pin' which engages in the selector rods of the gearbox..... And nowt to fall out!


....Simples!

Edit - Pics sent by email

[epipete]

Dave, I trust you completely but, admit it, there was room for some confusion in your earlier comment, that said, thanks for this and the pictures; so only 4 bolts to undo, eh? Hummmm! If you'd written a couple of minutes earlier you'd have saved me the cost of some (cheap) nut splitters

[dapinky]

Hummmm! If you'd written a couple of minutes earlier you'd have saved me the cost of some (cheap) nut splitters

You can always try and claim the money back from the Kitty Fidler - If he got his son to keep the forum running smoothly, then the pictures would have uploaded straight away, and my post would have been submitted 20 minutes earlier

[epipete]

Got the B*st*d!!!!!

Now, clean up the 20 yrs of crud and onto the other end of the cables, I'm having so much fun I might change the transmission oil whilst I'm here!!!

[epipete]

Right crud cleaned, well as much as possible!

I am thinking that since it is all in bits and access is good that I should change the transmission oil, but the guide advises that it is best done when the oil is warm! Frankly I ain't going to put it all together to warm it all up just so's I can take it all apart again

So I have a couple of choices: use a blow torch on the gear box to warm it up (joking ) or do it cold?

I guess I could warm it up with a fan heater for an hour or so! If I do it cold and leave the drain plug out all night do you think I would get most of the oil out. Is it worth doing or should I just go for the pain of rebuilding, running the engine to warm and the doing it.

Pete