Auto box - selector adjustment - I'd swear if my mum would let me...

J

JP6

New Member
Question... I replaced my engine not so long ago and after the work was done the gearbox selector "gates" seemed to be in the wrong places (e.g. you could go from D to N without pressing the button which isn't as useful as you may first think!)

Forgive the non-technical description here but I understand there's three rods used in gear selection on a BW35; two long horizontal and one short vertical. My understanding is that each rod has a set length and the selector can be fine-tuned by adjusting the short vertical rod. Unfortunately my short vertical rod has no apparent way of being adjusted. There's no screws, nuts or sticky-tape; just plastic caps top and bottom.

Am I missing something?
 
Hi JP6

When I converted from a BW65 back to a BW35,I am sure the plastic caps themselves are threaded and adjust up and down to fit onto the lever on the box. With the short rod diconnected from the selector lever on the box,place the gearlever in park,move the selector lever on the box to the park position,then adjust and attach the short rod. Make sure the plastic hinge point on the box is well lubricated with WD or another good lube oil "3 in 1" is what ive used.
Dave
 
You should have an adjustment on all three rods, but these cars are so old (mature?) and the plastic wears on the ball joints, anything could have been fitted as a replacement.
The problem with being able to go from D to N without depressing the button will be a fault in the lever, not with the linkage.
 
The old cave paintings I have showed a nut at each end of the rod and given the absence of these I was reluctant to proceed until I'd floated this on the forum (I'm in no way an experienced grease-monkey!). The plastic end caps both look to be intact and complete. Plenty of lube under there given the old egine couldn't hold it's oil...

Harvey – makes sense given that before the works were done the “gates” were very positive. I could put the car in D and rest my palm on the selector and it would stay put, rock solid. Now it just feels like the gates are there, not quite in the right place and unable to hold the selector. Any ideas on how to adjust this?
 
Did you remove the lever from the floor when the work was done, or remove the knob and detent button?

(All of which is unnecessary for what you did IIRC)
 
The two horizontal rods were disconnected from the selector during the gearbox/engine removal and the knob/detent button was removed at a later time as work was being done inside the car.
 
The selector was never removed, the two horizontal rods were disconnected from the bottom of the selector during the engine/gearbox swap. The knob/detent button was removed at a later date during work on the inside of the car.
 
I'd disconnect the two rods from the bottom of the gearlever again, then try all the detents purely on the lever. If it was OK before you removed the knob etc. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions as to where the problem originated. :;):
Then when that's OK readjust the rods.
 
So what you're saying is I got the rod lengths wrong....

Could someone confirm my measurements please. 18 1/2, 13 1/2 and 7 15/16.
 
They are the correct measurements from the factory book.
I'd set them to that, then do any final adjustment if needed to get it spot on. There's always a bit of wear in the ball joints. I assume you haven't dismantled the compensator, or altered the adjustment on the bottom of the lever? Remember there's a bit of spring loaded extra movement on the lever on the gearbox in the Park position.
 
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