Slicker shifting
02-16-2002, 11:48 AM
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Slicker shifting
There's been an annoying squeak from somewhere below the shifter when changing gear lately, so today I lifted the shifter boot, stuck the nozzle of my trusty can of rubber & nylon lubricant inside the rubber gaiter around the lever and gave it a few squirts. Cured the squeak, I'm happy to say, but what I wasn't expecting was an improvement in shifting. The gear shift has always been great on this car ('96 C4), but after those squirts of lube it is amazingly good, zero effort and super slick. If your shifter isn't moving like a hot knife though butter you might try a few squirts of lube, quick and easy and superb results for me. <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />
02-18-2002, 04:22 PM
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Sean: I used Holts Rubber & Nylon lubricant, which is a silicone spray.
Tim: I have to admit to taking a shortcut when I saw that I would have to take the console out to get under the boot and do the job properly, so I just tried the "spray and hope" technique
- but it worked great!
Tim: I have to admit to taking a shortcut when I saw that I would have to take the console out to get under the boot and do the job properly, so I just tried the "spray and hope" technique
- but it worked great!
02-19-2002, 06:36 AM
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Are there any dangers in trying this? If you lift up the boot and spray at random, is it possible to spray the wrong thing or cause any problems?
(PS I have a 965 but I'm guessing the "dangers" - if there are any - will be the same)
(PS I have a 965 but I'm guessing the "dangers" - if there are any - will be the same)
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02-19-2002, 09:56 AM
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Don: nothing fancy about it, silicone sprays generally are fairly easy to get hold of, e.g. there is a version from AMSOIL (cryptically called AMSOIL silicone lubricant spray 
) which is available online from <a href="http://www.buyrc.com" target="_blank">buyrc.com</a>, but I would think similar products are available from local hardware stores.
jg: As I was too shiftless (sorry, couldn't resist ) to take out the centre console you can guess how likely I am to do it all again and take some pics 
. Timothy seems like a much more upstanding citizen who might not be averse to helping out, but I'd guess you could also find relevant stuff in DIYs for short shifter installs or changing the shifter (Gert has one on changing the shifter at <a href="http://users.skynet.be/fa032321/cpx_p93080_inst.htm" target="_blank">Gert's MY02 shifter install page</a> (P.S. I installed the MY02 shifter and Al/leatehr handbrake recently, they look great).
Greg: silicone spray is pretty benign (they even allow it to get sprayed on your food though I wouldn't recommend it). Leaves a "dry film", can't imagine it causing any problems.
) which is available online from <a href="http://www.buyrc.com" target="_blank">buyrc.com</a>, but I would think similar products are available from local hardware stores.jg: As I was too shiftless (sorry, couldn't resist
) to take out the centre console you can guess how likely I am to do it all again and take some pics . Timothy seems like a much more upstanding citizen who might not be averse to helping out, but I'd guess you could also find relevant stuff in DIYs for short shifter installs or changing the shifter (Gert has one on changing the shifter at <a href="http://users.skynet.be/fa032321/cpx_p93080_inst.htm" target="_blank">Gert's MY02 shifter install page</a> (P.S. I installed the MY02 shifter and Al/leatehr handbrake recently, they look great).Greg: silicone spray is pretty benign (they even allow it to get sprayed on your food though I wouldn't recommend it). Leaves a "dry film", can't imagine it causing any problems.
02-21-2002, 02:32 PM
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Hmmm.
Tried it myself today... got very excited.. but it doesn't seem to have made a noticeable difference.
I couldn't find Holts R&N Lubricant but there was Halfords Rubber and Nylon Lubricant which presumably is the same stuff..?
Maybe I didn't squirt far enough down past the rubber gaiter... although I borrowed a longer nozzle (from the even-more-trusty WD40 can) and shoved that down, so I figured that ought to get far enough down. I also squirted quite a bit higher up too.
My gear change still feels like a blunt knife through a mixture of frozen lard and gravel.
OK maybe I'm exaggerating slightly but it's not slick and effortless, that's for sure..
Tried it myself today... got very excited.. but it doesn't seem to have made a noticeable difference.
I couldn't find Holts R&N Lubricant but there was Halfords Rubber and Nylon Lubricant which presumably is the same stuff..?
Maybe I didn't squirt far enough down past the rubber gaiter... although I borrowed a longer nozzle (from the even-more-trusty WD40 can) and shoved that down, so I figured that ought to get far enough down. I also squirted quite a bit higher up too.
My gear change still feels like a blunt knife through a mixture of frozen lard and gravel.
OK maybe I'm exaggerating slightly but it's not slick and effortless, that's for sure..
02-23-2002, 09:14 PM
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Let me describe the mechanism so it will be clear why the "spray and hope" method would have serendipitous results.
Yes, I know I should get a digital camera.
Picture a 1 inch diameter, 8 inch long tube fixed at both ends. This tube is aligned front to rear.
Picture a 3 inch long tube with just a slightly
larger diameter so that it can slide along the
8 inch tube.
The gear shift lever attaches to the side of
the 3 inch tube and extends below and connects
with three or four point linkages.
When you move the gear shift lever left/right
in neutral, you are rotating the 3 inch
pipe around the 8 inch pipe.
The sliding tube surface area is many times
larger than the rest of the linkages combined.
By sliding a tube down the lever, you are
missing this surface. Even if you happen
to get it, its not the best given what was
put there in the first place, grease. You might
get some of the spray lube onto the linkages
and that will help some.
I got good results by taking it apart, cleaning and it lubing it. I also got a much better appreciation of how the thing works. Its actually a pretty cool mechanism.
tim
Yes, I know I should get a digital camera.
Picture a 1 inch diameter, 8 inch long tube fixed at both ends. This tube is aligned front to rear.
Picture a 3 inch long tube with just a slightly
larger diameter so that it can slide along the
8 inch tube.
The gear shift lever attaches to the side of
the 3 inch tube and extends below and connects
with three or four point linkages.
When you move the gear shift lever left/right
in neutral, you are rotating the 3 inch
pipe around the 8 inch pipe.
The sliding tube surface area is many times
larger than the rest of the linkages combined.
By sliding a tube down the lever, you are
missing this surface. Even if you happen
to get it, its not the best given what was
put there in the first place, grease. You might
get some of the spray lube onto the linkages
and that will help some.
I got good results by taking it apart, cleaning and it lubing it. I also got a much better appreciation of how the thing works. Its actually a pretty cool mechanism.
tim
02-24-2002, 06:15 AM
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I got most of the centre console off pieces, but I just couldn't get the shifter boot off (I think I know how after reading another post recently) and I couldn't get the rubber boot off either. I could see the two metal clips holding it in place, but I couldn't seem to get the rubber boot to pop out of the clips. I thought if I pushed any harder it would tear the rubber...
Presumably even after I get the rubber boot off, there's more to it? Or will that get me enough access to the linkages?
BTW part of my "less than slick" gearchange is a "kick" I get as the gear lever selects the next gear. So even if the shifter is moving smoothly, I get this "kick" back from the lever as the next gear is engaged. It's less obvious in the higher gears. Any idea what this is likely to be, or is it a normal feature on the 964/965 gearboxes??
Presumably even after I get the rubber boot off, there's more to it? Or will that get me enough access to the linkages?
BTW part of my "less than slick" gearchange is a "kick" I get as the gear lever selects the next gear. So even if the shifter is moving smoothly, I get this "kick" back from the lever as the next gear is engaged. It's less obvious in the higher gears. Any idea what this is likely to be, or is it a normal feature on the 964/965 gearboxes??
02-24-2002, 09:59 AM
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[quote]Originally posted by greg1234:
<strong>I got most of the centre console off pieces, but I just couldn't get the shifter boot off (I think I know how after reading another post recently) and I couldn't get the rubber boot off either. I could see the two metal clips holding it in place, but I couldn't seem to get the rubber boot to pop out of the clips. I thought if I pushed any harder it would tear the rubber...
Presumably even after I get the rubber boot off, there's more to it? Or will that get me enough access to the linkages?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Greg, two things:
have you already changed the tranny oil? If not, that's easily the FIRST thing to worry about. It's quite easy, check <a href="http://p-car.com/diy/" target="_blank">http://p-car.com/diy/</a> for a walk-through.
Second, the rubber boot is held in place by that brass perimeter plate/hold-down that you've already seen. The brass bit is secured by four 10mm bolts at the corners. You just have to pull the carpet gently away from the brass to see them. I used a ratchet w. a long extension to make it easier to remove them. The two clips on the passengers side of the brass are just there to hold the e-brake sensor wire in place.
RNH
<strong>I got most of the centre console off pieces, but I just couldn't get the shifter boot off (I think I know how after reading another post recently) and I couldn't get the rubber boot off either. I could see the two metal clips holding it in place, but I couldn't seem to get the rubber boot to pop out of the clips. I thought if I pushed any harder it would tear the rubber...
Presumably even after I get the rubber boot off, there's more to it? Or will that get me enough access to the linkages?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Greg, two things:
have you already changed the tranny oil? If not, that's easily the FIRST thing to worry about. It's quite easy, check <a href="http://p-car.com/diy/" target="_blank">http://p-car.com/diy/</a> for a walk-through.
Second, the rubber boot is held in place by that brass perimeter plate/hold-down that you've already seen. The brass bit is secured by four 10mm bolts at the corners. You just have to pull the carpet gently away from the brass to see them. I used a ratchet w. a long extension to make it easier to remove them. The two clips on the passengers side of the brass are just there to hold the e-brake sensor wire in place.
RNH
02-24-2002, 11:05 AM
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Doh!
You're right - in fact I now remember that I had worked out the clips are just for the cable. Somehow I forgot that when I posted earlier.
And I remember seeing the bolts too. Thanks.
You're right - in fact I now remember that I had worked out the clips are just for the cable. Somehow I forgot that when I posted earlier.
And I remember seeing the bolts too. Thanks.