Look away Deb, this is going to be boring.
Just Kampers delivered the gear linkage bushes as promised and I set about changing them this weekend.
Firstly I removed the Swivel head by releasing the two 6mm bolts that hold it to the Selector lever on top of the gearbox.
Once the Swivel head was removed it was obvious that the nylon ball on the end of the shaft was badly worn. The ball came off the shaft with little effort.
The old and new ball
Once everything was cleaned up and the replacement ball was soaked in boiling water to soften it. I managed to lever the new ball into place. (no photos as I needed both hands)
The Swivel head was refitted with a dollop of grease to aid lubrication.
A quick test drive around the area was a delight. The gear change was so smooth and easy. Better than it’s ever been.
To do the job properly I should have got underneath and removed all the gear linkage from the gear lever and methodically replaced all the many balls and bushes, but I didn’t have time to faff about with any major work as we are going away next weekend and I was looking for a quick repair.
I had checked the ball and the bush on the opposite side of the linkage rod for wear and it was Ok, so I just replaced the badly worn ball. A full replacement of the other bushes is on the cards for autumn/ winter.
Escape route 