2003 1.8 petrol Freelander, Gearchange notchy

Hi.

I have a problem with this car in that changing gear is quite notchy unless you have the revs up to the 3k range. It's like a worn linkage issue but I've had the flimsy UJ linkage right under the gearstick changed because of worn bushes but it's no better.

Someone told me that they are high revving engines so you have to rev them high to get a smooth gear change. Someone else said that there is a slide in the gearbox that dries out so a dash of engine oil sorts it out.

There isn't much play in the gearstick though.

Any advice please.

mediaseller said:

Someone else said that there is a slide in the gearbox that dries out so a dash of engine oil sorts it out.

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The clutch release lever bush dries out, causing the lever to go stiff. This normally causes bad gear changes, clutch slave cylinder bracket cracking, and eventually the slave cylinder breaks too.

So you need to check the clutch release lever is free, and lubricated.

If you look on the front side of the gearbox you'll see the clutch slave. It pushes the release lever and its where it goes through the bell housing that you need to drop a few drips of oil on. All quite visible and accessible when you lift the bonnet.

When I first began driving my K series FL1 the gear changes seemed to catch - not very smooth, but was good if you weren't in a hurry to change up. Changing the gearbox oil did make a noticeable improvement. Pretty easy to drain but a bit fiddly to refill.

htr said:

When I first began driving my K series FL1 the gear changes seemed to catch - not very smooth, but was good if you weren't in a hurry to change up. Changing the gearbox oil did make a noticeable improvement. Pretty easy to drain but a bit fiddly to refill.

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lol, You put me to shame with what you do to you're car - picking it up with a slipped belt and rebuilding the engine, engineering the manifold to make it breathe easier, setting up a kiln to forge some lift brackets, not afraid to take of any job... then you say its fiddly to refill the gearbox

BTW I just got back from a couple of post lock down nights in Twizel Was great to get out into the high country again and hit the canals. We (me, my son and his girlfriend) didn't catch much, but the smoker will be lit this morning and saw some great 20lb Trout caught.

The Freelander went superbly again, all up about 700kms, but I did lose a cover off a wing mirror, so looks like I'm now forced to drill some holes in the doors to fit the parts car's mirrors.

Lots of talk about the same thing here
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/stiff-gears-petrol.359339/