M40 shift lever play
 

Hi — new to the forum and 544’s…

I have a question about play in the shift lever on my 544. Shifting feels precise and the gears all work properly, but when I am in gear, the shift lever can swivel within the transmission housing quite a bit. Because of the bend in the shift lever itself, this creates an swinging arc of around 60 degrees at the knob and gives the impression that there is a ton of slop while in gear. If I could keep it from rotating inside the housing I think I’d enjoy it a lot more. Does anyone have a fix for this?

Thanks in advance!
Jake

You probably have a weak spring,Have you tightened down the big nut?

To confirm, you have a late production 544 with the B18 and M40?

This is a diagram of the shift lever arrangement on the early M40 / M41 on the 140. Should be the same as a late 544

https://www.skandix.de/en/installati...60265/2000715/

On my M41 (and on the limited number of other M40 / M41s that I have seen) the threaded opening on the top of the transmission has slots cut into it on the left and right side of the opening. Pins on the shift lever drop into the slots and should prevent the the lever from rotating (it can rock; but, should not rotate). However, that diagram from Skandix does not show the pins or the slots in the top opening which leaves me wondering if there is a different / older version of the top cover and shift lever.

On my style of shift lever, the slots in the shift lever opening and the pins on the shift lever itself can wear leading to a lot of slop / play in the shift lever. The fix for this is to grind out the slots a bit and then fit bushes to the pins so that the pins are a tight fit in the cover. On the Swedespeed forum I remember a thread from perhaps 5 - 6+ years ago describing this process.

If there is a shift lever that does not have those locating pins I don't know what mechanism restrains the lever from rotating. I suspect that you will have to pull back the shift boot. This should allow you to access the top of the transmission cover and unscrew the retaining collar (big nut that arcturus refers to) and see what is going on. As shown in the diagram, there is a ball socket 'down there' that can wear and a spring; but, I don't remember it being adjustable.

Also be aware that the shift lever is two piece, inner and outer with the outer attached to the inner by two rubber bushings. These bushings wear and can allow the outer lever to rotate on the inner lever and add a whole lot of flex to the the shift lever; but, they would not allow the shift lever to rotate on the top of the transmission cover.

You have a new and interesting problem. Report back on what you find.

A quick summary of the trans cover shift lever tower repair, as mentioned above…

Amazon Cars UK can supply reconditioned GB tops at I think a rather more reasonable price than Scandix. The fix shown will work for a while if kept well greased but not a long term fix for a car that is driven frequently. The splits in the roll pin aren't a good idea as they will move round and increase the wear.

[QUOTE=The splits in the roll pin aren't a good idea as they will move round and increase the wear.[/QUOTE]

Au contraire Mon Ami…

3/8” roll pin bushings need to be pressed in place (best in a vice) and have zero tendency to “move round”.

And because the geometry and lines of force are subtly improved, NO slot wear unless perhaps continued heavy-handedness.

“The splits in the roll pin aren't a good idea as they will move round and increase the wear…”

Au contraire Mon Ami…

3/8” roll pin bushings need to be pressed in place (best in a vice) and have zero tendency to “move round”.

And because the geometry and lines of force are subtly improved, NO slot wear unless perhaps continued heavy-handedness.

Thank you all for the advice. I will investigate this weekend. I did notice that there is no “big nut” — just a smooth cap there. I assume that pries off?

Thanks again!!

Check again,M40 has a "big nut" about 2.5 " accross flats.which screw down over the cap which covers the spring. I think that you have "lost" the big nut.
Can you confirm which model you have and year. If possible a photograph

It's always more helpful when asking for info' to give as many details as possible. Saves a lot of time and leads to more accurate diagnosis of problems.But don't hesitate to ask,there is no such thing as a daft question,we are here to help.