Gear Lever base to change shaft rod..Bushed?

[SirD66]

1. My understanding.....80% of the way down the gear lever sits in a ball and socket joint to allow movement. Below this the remaining 20% of the gearlever ends in a knobby end. This end sits in a loop which is connected to the gearchange shaft . Movement of the knobby end making contact with the inside of this loop moves the shaft. I dont have aproblem making gearchanges but then i have always been fairly adept..Try the gear change on a Berkely T60!

2. With the car (1966 SC 2000) up on the ramp today the MOT tester believes that the knobby end should go into a bush within the shaft loop. I could see his point as at present there is metal to metal contact. With the gear lever in neutral there is an air gap of about 3mm all round the knobby end within the loop.

3. I have a Rover 2000 workshop manual ( page 31D) and parts book. From these I cannot glean whther there is a bush here or not? Any ideas?

 

[Demetris]

What you describe as knobby end, should really be a black plastic bush that fits tight over the lower part of the gearlever. It is this bush that makes contact with the loop, although not really tight, as it should allow for a free movement. The 3 mm gap that you mention is probably a result of a worn out gearlever/bush.
You probably need to change the whole gearlever to address the problem.

 

[SirD66]

Thanks Demetris, I have a box full off varios grommets, neoprene bushes etc collected over 30 years of vehicle ownership so will see if i can make do and mend!

 

[KiwiRover]

This is what you're aiming for:

The one on the left is shagged and is probably what your one looks like. The one on the right is what it should look like. I have fabricated a repair in the past by welding a sleeve over the end of the stick and grinding it back to the appropriate teardrop shape which does work but it can rattle. I have seen bodges with bits of rubber hose and such fitted but that doesn't last long. Neoprene might be good though.