mega stiff gear changing

[stacks]

Got a 2006 Mini Cooper and had a full gearbox and clutch change about 8 months ago.

This week the gearbox has become really stiff, going side to side and getting it in gear is a nightmare and although I can just about do it my wife cant shift it.

Once it's in gear its fine and drives OK, there is no grinding it's just so stiff.

Any ideas whats gone wrong and what to check?

[The Nun]

It will probably be the selector mechanism which is partly bowden cable that will be stiff/seizing and need some lubrication?

[stacks]

that sounds quite simple and inexpensive. Where/how do I get to that to lube it up?

[stacks]

So any idea where/how do I get to that to lube it up?

[The Nun]

Bit awkward to lube the cables in situe, if they are seizing the assembly really needs taking out of the car to do a proper job.
You could try at the engine end spray the linkages there with some freeing oil whilst someone works the lever??
If the problem is at the lever end then that needs to be dropped out from under the car to check that end.
Again you could remove the gear lever gaiter and spray some oil down from the top to see if that will do the trick.

[kelv1962]

hi
my car was the same very stiff to change gear, first thing you need to do is take out the air filter box and you will see the linkages underneath just spray them with wd40 first then wipe with a dry cloth then put plenty of grease on them and work it in work a treat on my cooper now i can change gear with 1 finger job takes about a hour from start to finish

[kelv1962]

hi
my car was the same very stiff to change gear, first thing you need to do is take out the air filter box and you will see the linkages underneath just spray them with wd40 first then wipe with a dry cloth then put plenty of grease on them and work it in, worked a treat on my cooper now i can change gear with 1 finger job takes about a hour from start to finish

[98oilhead]

I have '03 JCW that when the temp dropped below 32f you could not move the shifter--side to side but not into gear. Removed the air box, peeled back the boots, took a piece of small tubing (as an extension) and filled the boots with WD40 a dozen times. This took several days to work itself back into the shift cables but it fixed the problem. I'll try any "fix" from a can before I start taking things apart--just lazy after all these years.

[mini-r-we]

Hi, I have just had new cables fitted to my 2005 cooper s, this solved nothing the gears are still so stiff my wife cannot select the gears, so its going back in about 7th January to have a new selector shaft. Evans halshaw was given the diagnosis but chose to fit cables instead of shaft so now its down to them, they have to pay now.
Hope this helps you.

Ron