strange one,
but when i got in my car today (After a rainy damp night) (car lives in a garage normally but as i was away from home was under its cover, oh yes i spoil it!!)

when iwent to put it in gear one it was very difficult, as was reverse, gear 2 and 3 was fine, and gear four was also stiff...

it loosened off a bit after the engine had warmed up (or could of been after a few gear changes or both) wondering if there is anything i can do to "loosen" it off a bit, because i remeber reading somewhere not to lubricate the column for the gear shift, or might i of read that for something else ?

thanks

It's fine to lubricate the column, but dont use oil... Talcum powder is good...Dont know anything about the gearbox workings but it shouldnt be that difficult to get into gear, especially not all of them...

just talc powdered it

seems to be better,

however i will find out for sure tomrow,

just out of interest, why does it tell you not to "grease" the column?
thanks

i think its because it eats the rubber inside it

Have you checked under the bonnet? sometimes the heater tubes drop off and get in the way of the gearlinkage. If you've an Ami the spare wheel does the same.

im with Russ id be looking at saggy heater tubes, then the alignment of the linkage rod on the top of the box

then id be wondering if the box had been "peened"

was it just stiff in to the gears or was it accompanied by crunchy sounds?

Sean

That's a point, the pinch bolt on the lever on to of the box could be loose. That's mean the simple pushing/pulling for snd and 3rd would probably be ok, but when trying to twist the lever into 1st, AR or 4th, the lever's just spinning on the spigot.

there was no crunching, (it always crunches when i put it into first just after putting the clutch down, so i put it into second then into first to pull away (hastle but saves the crunching!)

it seemed to free itself off a bit today, but this morning it was accompianed by a very loud squeeking sound when going into first,

drove me mad

it soundled like the squeeking was from the tube.....

seems to be free ish now but still not quite how it was.....

Have you checked your clutch adjustment?

just recently did that..... its fine if you put it into gear 2 doesnt crunch at all, just when you put it into first, ( think the plates still spinning i geuss....?

not sure it doesnt bother me just wanted to know why it did it!!

but anyway the gear shift isnt so bad now... but still not perfect.

i checked the heater tubes (Well i didnt but i would of noticed it when i talced the gear shfit, as i did it from both inside and out side....

(also strggled up that hill outside the london to brighton today!!! made it though!)