Bedford cf 350 gearbox problem

[banjo]

hello there just need a bit of advice on my Bedford camper van, it's a 4 speed. The gears have gone a bit nuts, it's like stirring porridge to find a gear and seems like synchro's have wore out, any ideas?
Is it easier to change the gearbox or is it a common fixable problem?

 

[Mursal]

Funny shape gear lever if I remember correctly?
Bent to one side for the bench seat, or am I dreaming? If so the bend will pull the selector out of the dogs in the top of the gearbox as you apply pressure going for a gear. Try changing by grabbing the stick as it comes out of the floor? If its better, you have wear or looseness in the selector/gearstick in the top of the box.
Check box for oil (level bung on the side) and change if you want, to help the synchromesh hubs, a heavy oil is usually better for old boxes.

They were a pet of a van some were even diesel, I believe ..............

 

[banjo]

Funny shape gear lever if I remember correctly?
Bent to one side for the bench seat, or am I dreaming? If so the bend will pull the selector out of the dogs in the top of the gearbox as you apply pressure going for a gear. Try changing by grabbing the stick as it comes out of the floor? If its better, you have wear or looseness in the selector/gearstick in the top of the box.
Check box for oil (level bung on the side) and change if you want, to help the synchromesh hubs, a heavy oil is usually better for old boxes.

They were a pet of a van some were even diesel, I believe ..............

That's exactly what's happening and yes the gear-lever is bent, can I take the play out of the gear-lever?

 

[Thick Farmer]

Swan Vestas.

 

[Kidds]

We fixed ours with a Transit. Never regretted it either.

 

[Mursal]

Hopefully if you take the top part off the box you may well find a pin that the gearlever pivots on has worn, because of the excessive leverage the gearstick has over it. But probably find you have a little bit of wear in everything. Not sure if you can get it off with the box still in the van, but well worth taking the rubber boot off and see whats holding the stick in place. As you can see the selector is quite big on the top of the box, hopefully all your trouble will be in there. Image taken from E-Bay the box was £250 but no longer available .........


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[Mursal]

More stuff here click

Hopefully your trouble will be the pivots allowing the gear-stick to twist

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[banjo]

More stuff here click

Hopefully your trouble will be the pivots allowing the gear-stick to twist

............. View attachment 395348

Thanks Mursel, this forum is brilliant for getting advice on obscure things. I will have a look tomorrow and if that doesn't work I will start smoking swanvestas.

 

[banjo]

Well Mursel I had a quick look today and the lever was held in with a big nut tightening down onto a sphere attached about 4 inch up from the bottom of the gear-lever. I've pulled the gear lever out and there is a lot of wear in the sphere and on the fork that's on the bottom of the gear lever. I think I might cut the bend out of the lever and have a straight one instead to see if that will help.

 

[Mursal]

Excellent idea ...............

 

[banjo]

I've cut the gear lever bend out and made it straight and took the slack out of the ball n socket by moving a few washers here n there, it's shifting ten times better now.
there is still a notchy feeling to it but it's not bad at all, saves changing the gearbox so cheers for the advice Mursel