Can anyone help we have just bought a MK4 escort XR3I from e bay in australia, and the gear linkage is sloppy it is also hard to get into reverse gear. Is there a way to strip it down and repair the sloppyness or is it a change out job. The drama is that there are not a lot of them over here so finding one in a scrappy is neer on impossible. I was looking on the web and you can get a quick shift kit for them would it be a good idea to fit one of these, could this sort out the problem.

 

I remember from my mk3 escort days the linkage has to be adjusted whenin a certain gear, depending on wehter it is 4 or 5 speed box.
I am sure it would help just with a bit of adjustment, and that someone who knows what they are talking about will be along to tell me my memory is getting worse and it is not this way at all!!
tabetha

 

they have got springs on the inside that go slack with time, if i were you i would order a quick shift kit for it, soo much better than wasting your time adjusting it, it comes apart really easily. chances are you wont find a mk4 over here in the uk or in perth with a good linkage so thats what id do, hth, cheers mark.

 

Hi there,

This should be a case of adjusting the selector on to the protruding shaft on the gearbox.
The 13mm tightening nut does have a tendancy to loosen causing the rod to not push the selector shaft into gear correctly.
Another way of lining up the selector rod onto the gearbox shaft is by looking at the shinyness on the gearbox shaft where the rod used to be. The other piece not covered will be dirty and the section that was covered will be bright and golden coloured.
I have 3 spare selectors here should you need one.

 

They were still available from Ford last time I checked.

What happens with most it the universal joint at the gearbox end gets worn and sloppy, hence you feel like its too sloppy. If thats the case fitting a quick shift will just give you a positive quicker shifting sloppy linkage

A quick fix is to peen the joints back round to tighten them up again or carry out a more permanent solution as described here

http://www.zetecinside.com/xr2/gearbox.htm#linkage

HTH

 

me & my stepdad rebuilt my linkage using new bushes that we made using the old ones as a pattern.

the old ones are on the right hand side as you can see we made the new bushes longer so that they went further into the linkage its self to stop it floating around so much which now its back on the car (although ive not had a chance to drive it yet) it goes into every gear spot on with a nice positive feel.

 

The wear on those plastic bushes is usually the problem

By peenng the pin tighter you just nip them up again. but yep your right once worn they need replacing.

 

gkandr4ch

hi.jus bought a escort rs turbo today and it is really hard 2 get into the gears .wen driving it jus wont go into gear or wen parked.been told the clutch was just wondering wat u think m8? wen u drive along and push clutch and then push throttle it still drives along normal ,help plz

 

I have pm'd you.

 

is there anyway to adjust the cluch cable or is it a ratchet type. when i drove it the other day the clutch seemed to be dragging.