***********************************UPDATE***********************************
Ok so yesterday I had another crack at the gear linkage and trying to work out why the right hand bush keeps slipping when pushing the stick over to 1st/2nd. I made good use of my newly purchased impact wrench and whipped the entire linkage from the underside of the car (in order to reassemble it and test it away from the car so that I could see what was happening) Anyway so once back together, tested fine. So back on the car it went. Once secured in place, tested fine. Excellent I thought, I've cracked it.... So I lowered the car off the jacks, went inside the car and tested her again, fine!!! So I started putting all the interior side of the linkage back. The surround, the rubber spring that gives the 'push down for reverse' effect. Once all in place, tested again - and the bush slips. I couldn't believe it.
But then I noticed it was the rubber spring that was causing it. As it sits behind the gator, it's secured in place by a c clip on the shaft of the gear stick. The spring pushes against the c clip Pushing the gear stick upwards by about 1cm.... Causing it to slip above the bush when moved to the left. Now with the spring removed, it doesn't slip. So I'm not sure what the actual cause of this is. Naturally the rubber spring is meant to be there. So unless anyone with a bit more knowledge can give some idea, I may have to swap the entire linkage out and replace it altogether. Which is a bit excessive in my mind. Pictures to follow...
Ok so yesterday I had another crack at the gear linkage and trying to work out why the right hand bush keeps slipping when pushing the stick over to 1st/2nd. I made good use of my newly purchased impact wrench and whipped the entire linkage from the underside of the car (in order to reassemble it and test it away from the car so that I could see what was happening) Anyway so once back together, tested fine. So back on the car it went. Once secured in place, tested fine. Excellent I thought, I've cracked it.... So I lowered the car off the jacks, went inside the car and tested her again, fine!!! So I started putting all the interior side of the linkage back. The surround, the rubber spring that gives the 'push down for reverse' effect. Once all in place, tested again - and the bush slips. I couldn't believe it.
But then I noticed it was the rubber spring that was causing it. As it sits behind the gator, it's secured in place by a c clip on the shaft of the gear stick. The spring pushes against the c clip Pushing the gear stick upwards by about 1cm.... Causing it to slip above the bush when moved to the left. Now with the spring removed, it doesn't slip. So I'm not sure what the actual cause of this is. Naturally the rubber spring is meant to be there. So unless anyone with a bit more knowledge can give some idea, I may have to swap the entire linkage out and replace it altogether. Which is a bit excessive in my mind. Pictures to follow...