gear shift linkage

[SLR]

This is a simple fix I hope!
About 11 months ago I had for some reason to adjust the gear shift linkage behind the front seats. A bit of time getting it just so, and got it in the end and tightened it all up bloody tight. I have done about 5000 miles with no problems, then last night I got out the drive and the gear shift went wonky, the only gear was reavers and that is where neutral is. And yes there was some one coming in the opersit direction, and yep blond very good looking and in a Merc convertible. She was yelling at me to get out of the way and I tried to explain , that didn't work. My German is not good, yet. I fiddled about with the adjustment and got it ruffly. Why did the thing move with just normal driving? because it was tight.
Steve.

[timmy2]

Bushings in the coupler may have failed. Take a look under the floor hatch in the back seat area.
Bushings at the base of the shifter rod and the tunnel rod bushing can fail as well.

[SLR]

Thanks! I happen to have though's parts in my tool box so I will change them.
As I was coming from my garage to the house, coming up the road and around the corner was the girl in the Merc, so I gave her a small and a wave. Cheesy hu!
Steve.

[timmy2]

She'll take a shining to you once you show her you can handle your stick again...
Post up your results, for both the car and the girl!
Pictures too...

[SLR]

Yeah I will do that,
It is pretty good here in Germany with 36°c plus each day, I have spent a lot of time on the car getting it to the German standard of road worthiness, it was in very good condition any way. but they are so hard on cars coming into Germany. I had the car in the UK so it is RH drive, and the lights plus change the rear indicator lenses to orange from red, plus lots of other stuff. Which included suspension bushings steering arms, I think I have rebuilt the enter car, I even court my self polishing the under side of the engine lid. I need a life. Or a girlfriend.

[timmy2]

My wife calls my car my mistress. So having both is nothing but trouble anyways...

[Skip1]

I had a similar issue a couple of weeks ago, but it wasn't the gear shift linkage, nor the bushings. Had a new engine put in, and last week (also in Germany) with hot temperatures, I couldn't get it into 1st, 2nd or reverse. I thought it was the tunnel coupler or something else, but in the end, I put the car on ramps (once the transmission was cool, I found reverse, 1st and 2nd), and looked at the clutch cable (mine's an '84 with 915 transmission). The clutch cable was beyond too tight, so I expect the pressure plate and heat had something to do with this. Adjusted it within tolerances / specs and now shifts like butter, no grinding and no problem. Just a thought.

Where abouts in Germany are you?

[SLR]

Hi Skip
thanks for that, I do have to change the clutch cable at some stage But I think I'll wait till I do the clutch. I have all the parts,
I'm in Erlangen near Nuremberg. I so love this hot weather we are having it makes me fell like I'm home in Perth Australia.
I like it here except for the endless paper work.

[Skip1]

Yup, know where that is. A little too far for a beer though. Understand the paperwork. So is your car on the road right now, or still waiting for final German go ahead?

I'm from Ottawa, so know the temperatures as well - although Perth (was there in 2010) is definitely hotter....