Why’s my gearchange tough?

Q I often have trouble getting gears easily in my MGF. The lever seems to need a lot of force and sometimes the changes are ‘crunched’. Could the gearbox be failing? Marcus Hughes, Aylesbury

Ed says

A Here’s a generalised faultfinder, broadened to cover most classics. Make sure the gearchange linkage or gearshift ‘turret’ of the ‘box is properly lubricated and not excessively sloppy or worn – also check engine and gearbox mounts are not sagging or broken. Check the gearbox oil level. Unless the linkage is worn, the gearchange has been abused or the ’box has had substandard repairs, it’s probably fine. Some gearboxes can be improved by filling with a certain grade or type of oil – or replacing old or incorrect oil with the right stuff. Check the clutch operation. It should ‘bite’ somewhere reasonable – not right at the bottom of its travel. Make sure thick mats are not obstructing it. Most clutches – whether hydraulic, cable or linkageoperated – are provided with adjustment, which should sort the problem. Your manual will tell you how. Some cars have self-adjusting cables – so inspect the mechanism. If it’s at the end of its travel the cable (or its supports) may be stretched or incorrect. Some clutches cannot be adjusted and rely on using correct and serviceable parts.

Check hydraulic fluid and inspect master and slave cylinders for leaks. Occasionally, air can be drawn in despite no fluid leakage so try bleeding the system. Check a flexible hose for ‘ballooning’. Some modern classics use a doughnut-shaped slave cylinder that acts directly on the clutch. In this case the engine and transmission need to come apart if it’s faulty. Another awkward customer is the spigot bearing or bush (where fitted) that supports the gearbox input shaft in the end of the engine crankshaft. If it seizes, the gearbox continues to rotate even with the clutch depressed. Crunching into first or reverse gear from rest is a symptom.

It’s engine or ’box out to fix this.

Lastly, how’s your gearchange technique? Engaging a gear is a two-stage process. Try using two fingers to push the lever. Feel an initial pause as the synchromesh does its work, then feel it ‘let in’ the gear when it’s ready. Rushed changes encounter resistance and ruin the transmission.