Firstly, let me start this off by saying, of ALL the things I've done on my 6/7 whatever aircooled cars, this job has never been done previously, and let me say, it will NEVER, EVER, be done by me again.. I'm seriously getting to old for this
. F*%k me!
Here's the start of the pain. approx 13:00 midday. easy access hole, for a 5 year old!!! So we start. Linkage is held onto the Gearbox shaft with a weird square bolt, wire through it and wrapped around the shaft for safety.
Once rear shaft is off, then to get this long no: 10 bolt out the Coupling is another story. It's not really a "nut" on the end, more like a long, hollow soft metal shaft with two ears on the end. You have to hold it with a Longnose while you battle to turn out the long bolt, one angle turn at a time.. Here's the new kit.. You can see the shaft.. this will SERIOUSLY screw me up 6 or 7 hours later
Eventually I get the biaatch off..
At this point, my hands are already greased up and black, so photos slowed down. I'm also borrowing pics from some other peeps who have done this, and help to explain the process. Right. Next surprise, gear lever off. Below the lever is a plate which helps to center the spring and selector when bolted down. Mine's in 2 pieces!!!
Remove it all, and this is what I can see...
I poke around the "gear selector rod", and in the bottom of the tunnel, I find the rest of it.. Kaput is an acceptable word yes..
At least I know my diagnosis was right. The Bush was knackered. Ok, so now to get this cow Rod OUT.. All the other guys who have done this all go about it more or less the same way. Hook up the rod, and ease it forward mm by mm using a long-nose. Check. I'm lucky to have the previous owner's mechanic having butchered the tunnel in the footwell, and I have another hole down there, obviously to have repaired the pedals hinge system.. So I "hook" the pole with a piece of wire, and using the long nose method, I start shoving.
I then moved this hook down to the hole in the footwell to help the process.
Now, at this point, you'll all know how much space we have to work in.. Keep in mind I'm 6.3, and weigh around 120 Kg's! So it's a bit of a challenge for me just to get into a reasonably comfortable position to do this, and trust me, it takes an hour, possibly less if you don't get caught up in other pipework..
I'd estimate half way along, it all jams up, to the point where I'm blistering my hands squeezing the longnose so tight and trying to lever the rod forward. So, start going backward.. eventually it comes loose, and I manage to roll the rod with my fingers, and continue to push forward, and it goes.. must have gone the wrong side of the fuel feeder pipe or something.. This pic shows whats going on inside the tunnel.
I'm now dripping with sweat, and seriously taking strain with this.. What's supposed to be an hour job is well through 3 hours on this bloody chassis! Eventually I hit a solid "DONK".. I can see backward in the tunnel from the gear level hole at the metal plate which this bloody bush sits in, and the rod is still in there.. This means the inspection plate. FOK!
It is now located in between the two torsion bars in the front of the chassis, 2 x 10 mm bolts, and this plate is off, and I swear, the inspection hole is HALF THE SIZE of the cover plate.. WTF!! Inspect what, if you can see daylight in there.. FFS....
Now, on these speedster's, immediately in front of the torsion bars, is a low nosecone that the Battery sits in. I have the Speedster up on chocks, and I don't car how much I can bend my pinky finger, I cannot get my hand NEAR this hole.. Give up...
Missus comes back from work, and after some sweet talking, and swearing at how kark this design is, I talk her into getting under the car. My hook in the footwell has the front of the linkage rod near the hole, but obviously, it must twist a certain horizontal way then it fits through.. try ask a woman upside down under a car to explain which way to twist the rod!!! It was almost world war 3! I started cramping in legs and one wrist, had to jump out and grab some air.. frustration now through the roof! Ok, we try again.,. and this time I manage to twist it and it slides forward and out with her guidance.. VOILA! The back of the rod comes out the metal housing and is clear.
Dave at Flat Four suggested I not worry about the metal ring, as once this is properly pushed into that metal frame, it's in for life.. So I stuck it on the end of my finger and fingered the metal hole, and in the bush went. Pressed a little, and pop, in it popped.. Done.
Threw a bit of Grease all over it, and then grabbed the rod in the tunnel, hooked it up with my hook, asked the missus to push gently, and the rod went through the bush. Now it was a matter of reversing the process.. Bit by bit it comes back at me, hands are seriously cramping trying to grip the bloody long nose.. Here about 30 cm's from it's resting place, it jams up.. VAS!! Now I'm knackered beyond belief.. It's close to 7:00 PM, been going for 6 hours at least.. Jurre, and you can't get your hand in from the rear inspection hole, or from the gear linkage!! Like, the point of no return.. So, I start to reverse the process.. EVENTUALLY it slides forward and is free.. I look under the carpet buy the handbrake, and I can see it's right up against the passenger side of the tunnel.. It was running to one side of the handbrake cables.. So bit of one-handed steering with a screw driver through the handbrake slot, and other hand with the pliers in the gear lever hole, and the pole eventually reaches home..
Here, the last hurdle is putting the new rear Linkage and bushings on with the daft bolt! It is KAK difficult to get the rod into a new, tight coupling. and then to fiddle in there with the bushes, and then the long shaft thing and the bolt, and to reach in that hole on both sides and turn a spanner, angle by angle, I swear I was almost in tears!
It eventually tightens all up, and then pop the linkage onto the gearbox selector, and screw in the square bolt. then lash it all with new, fresh grease, as well as the ball joint.. I'll have to get another of those plates which help to alight the gear lever and spring, but it's all back in for now. Managed to close up the inspection plate and tried to drive it into the garage.. No throttle!!! So It's parked now. hoping I just un-clipped the accelerator pedal from the throttle cable in the side of the tunnel, hope it's only that.. If not, I might throw a match in the tank!
Seriously, I don't wish this task on ANYONE, unless you have a body off the chassis.. I also recommend anyone doing a chassis up build, do this BEFORE you drop any body on the chassis.. It will so much easier without a body on, and once done, you know your selector and gear linkage is good for another 30 years..
So gonna punish my pillow tonite..
