[Mk2] [Turbo] Can't select 1st, 3rd and 5th gear. All the up gears!

[bungral]

Afternoon all.

Just come back from getting my Mk2 Rev3 tubby MOT'd.

When they were trying to get it on to the rollers for the brake test, they came and asked me how to get it in to 1st gear as they wouldn't work it out. I thought it was a bit odd as it's sometimes a little fiddly but nothing major.

Got in the car and all the upwards shifts 1st, 3rd and 5th were completely loose / floppy. They weren't engaging at all.

All the downward shifts are fine so I can use 2nd, 4th and reverse.

I'll take a look at the cables and the linkage at the gearbox end on the weekend but thought I'd check on here if these symptoms sound like anything obvious to those of you that have a touch more experience of the MR2 gearbox.

Oh yeah, just to note that the bushes were changed last year.

[MartinF]

Sounds like one of your cables have snapped to me.

[bungral]

Sounds like one of your cables have snapped to me.

I thought that initially but then thought wouldn’t that also effect the bottom gears too as one cable takes care of the up and down and the other the left and right.

Another thing is that when I got in the car to go home, all gears were selectable again. I was very gentle the whole way home and it was ok.

What issue could potentially be intermittent like that? Seems very odd.

[mr2garageswindon]

Bushes or more likely been replaced with bearings on the gear cable are loose is my 1st guess.
I've seen lots replaced by bearings and had too small or not enough washers to keep it tight when the "R" clip is refitted.
Prob no R clip instead a split pin been used.

[bungral]

Bushes or more likely been replaced with bearings on the gear cable are loose is my 1st guess.
I've seen lots replaced by bearings and had too small or not enough washers to keep it tight when the "R" clip is refitted.
Prob no R clip instead a split pin been used.

Yeah they were replaced by the bearing type.

They were replaced by Luke at what was Pacific Works as the top one just wouldn't come off when a friend and I tried at home. Assume he's fitted quite a few of those in his time so would have thought it'd be done right.

I'll have a check over the weekend but again today, it's shifting correctly.

Probably going to be easier to see what's going on when it's not working.

[Al-sw20]

Won't surprise me if one of the cables has snapped thanks to the bearing replacement. Bearings don't move like the original bushings do.

[MartinF]

I thought that initially but then thought wouldn’t that also effect the bottom gears too as one cable takes care of the up and down and the other the left and right.

Another thing is that when I got in the car to go home, all gears were selectable again. I was very gentle the whole way home and it was ok.

What issue could potentially be intermittent like that? Seems very odd.

I agree, if you were able to select gears later on it most likely isn't a snapped cable........yet

Have you managed to take a look?

[bungral]

Sorry for the massive delay in getting back to this. Didn't realise there was another reply but figured I'd pop back on and post what it ended up being in case anyone else ever has the issue.

So where the cable is clamped in to the metal sleeve at the end of the cable that connects to the gear stick, it had stopped gripping the cable properly. On occasion it obviously lost grip completely and came out which gave me a non existent 1, 3 and 5 shift when I pushed the gear stick up as it wasn't engaging the gearbox.

When I pulled the gear stick back down, the cable went back in to the sleeve and if pulled down hard enough, it pushed it back in enough for it to be clamped again for a while.

Found out the hard way when it completely gave up and wouldn't go back in leaving me a bit stranded a mile from home. Went back the next day in the light with some grips, hammer and blade of steel and pushed the cable back in and closed it up enough to give it a few whacks to clamp again.

Was fine after that. Still got another set of cables on the car since and will keep mine as spares.

Actually ended up with two sets of cables so I have one to sell at the moment!!

[msherry21]

Hi Bungral,

Are the shifter cables you are selling genuine Toyota ones that are new?

How much do you want for them and where are you based?
Cheers, Michael.