How to replace Gear Stick Balll

When the Imp was new one thing it was praised for was the directness and slickness of the gear change "like a big switch", however over time the gear stick pivot 'gear ball' which is made of hard rubber and steel wears away and you are left with a sloppy feeling gear stick. It also makes the gear change poor...

So what can be done? Well a replacement 'gear ball' made from nylon is available for Imp Club Spares and other Imp Specialists for about a £5 - but how do you fit it.....

Tools and Supplies Required
Hammer, 4.5mm Drill Bit, 6mm (1/4") Drill Bit, Centre Punch,Pop Rivet Gun, 4x 4mm (5/32") pop rivets, Molygrease, Drill

 

 
1. Remove the carpet, rubber matting in order to get access to the bottom of the gear stick.
   Remove the rubber gaiter fig 1
   
   Fig 1
   
    
2. Centre punch each of the 4x rivets as arrowed (fig 2), try to be accurate and punch the middle of the rivet heads, it will help lots with the next operation
   
   Fig 2
   
    
3. Using the 6mm (1/4") drill, drill off the just the rivets heads (fig 3), DO NOT drill all they way through! You are just trying to remove the rivet heads, you might need to chisel the remains of the rivet head off after drilling..
   
   Once you have done these use a punch to knock the remains of the rivets though the hole.
   
   You can retrieve bits of rivets by clambering under the car and once removing the under tray, you can pull the rubber boot of the bottom of the gear stick assembly and pick out rivet remains
   
   Fig 3
   
    
4. Once the rivets have been removed the part arrowed(fig 4) will spring up.
   
   Fig 4
   
    
5. As will this part which is under it!
   
   Fig 5
   
    
6. You can pull the gear stick up out of the car. and give it a good clean!
   
   Fig 6
   
    
7. Erm well there should be a rubber ball thing at the end of the arrow! (fig7) The might explain why the gear stick was a bit sloppy!
   
   Fig 7
   
    
8. Put the gear stick in the vice and knock the pin out using a punch. You do not need that metal ring (fig 8 ), but it is worth putting it in the bottom of your toolbox - it may come in handy for something one day!
   
   Fig 8
   
    
9. This is how the assembly should look once it is finished (fig 9), but before the pin is fitted.
   
   Fig 9
   
    
10. Use the 4.5mm dia drill (note this is slightly smaller the existing hole in one side of the new plastic gear ball and also the pin).
    You may have noticed that only one side of the gear ball is drill, this is normal. Assemble the new gear ball as shown and line up the hole in the new gear ball with the one in the gear stick. Carefully (slowly) drill through the assembly (fig 10) so as to drill though the other side of the new gear ball, it is very important that you do this carefully and also to use a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the pin.
    
    Fig 10
    
     
11. Push the pin through the new gear ball from the side that had the existing hole towards the hole that you have just drilled
    I used a bit of loctite on the pin for good measure. MAKE sure the pin sticks out each side evenly, and it is tight so it doesn't fall out. (fig 11)
    The red arrow points out the spring ball which locates the gear stick in the gear linkage. On this car this points towards the engine. (the Haynes manual diagram shows it being the other way! Put it back the way you found it.)
    
    Fig 11
    
     
12. Grease these areas well (white arrows on fig 12) with some moly grease. The ball should be self lubricating, put it won't hurt to put a small smear of grease on it.
    
    Fig 12
    
     
13. Before you refit the gear stick assembly to the car, wrap a piece of rag around a screwdriver and poke it down through the car and clean out the part of the car that the new ball pivots in AND down in the gear linkage that the bottom of the gear stick connects with.
    Refit the gear stick to the car, remember which way that spring ball was point as pointed out in point 11 above. Make sure the pin is in it slots, pop a bit of grease on the pin ends. The part at the end of the arrow should have some grease on it!
    
    Fig 13
    
     
14. You need to push this bit down (fig 14), against the spring.
    
    Fig 14
    
     
15. Whilst holding it down slot in 4x 4mm (5/32") pop rivets.Using a pop rivet gun (fig 15), fit this plate ensuring that plate is pulled down properly If the rivets snap before the plate is pulled down properly then you need push down harder!
    If the plate hasn't been pulled down quite properly you can use a centre punch to tighten them down by striking the centre of the rivet heads.
    
    Fig 15