Rattly gear knob syndrome

[paulandpat]

We've just acquired a red 845cc 4 - not sure if its a TL or an L, the badge has gone walkies!, which suffers from rattly gear knob syndrome - amongst other things. It looks to be a two piece item but how do you get it apart - I had a quick go at it with the screwdriver this afternoon but I don't want to make too much of a mess of it or I'll be in trouble with the boss!:roll:

Will try and send some pics of them both soon.

 

[angel]

Try to remove the plastic bush first then the rubber grommet. The same goes for re-assembling, first the rubber part, then the plastic. Liquid soap or rubber grease is great help.
This goes for both the bush on top of the radiator, and the connecting bush between the gear stick and the gearbox lever. Especially for the latter, don't remove it unless you have the replacement, if old the rubber will probably tear on disassembly.

 

[paulandpat]

Thanks for that Angel, but we might be at cross purposes - its the plastic gear knob that you hold to change gear (with the change pattern printed on the top) that whizzes round and round - and although its a long time ago I'm sure my driving instructor told me off for holding on to the gear lever all the time!!

Its really irritating - the sort of thing that makes all the difference between enjoying driving the car and driving you mad!

 

[claude van rouge]

I had the same problem with claude (the van) and ended up replacing the section of the gear change rod with the gear knob on the end - it did help that I was at Clementine's Renault 4 garage at the time and was able to root around his box of bits.

They seem to come in a variety of lenghts - presumably depends on age/model.

 

[malcolm]

I had the same on Yvette the scruffy Renault. The knob doesn't seem to come off the shaft (maybe would with a really big pull) so I unbolted the shaft, turned the knob upside-down, then filed it with araldite.

Didn't work for long, but I ended up finding it therapeutic to spin the knob around while waiting in traffic.

New shaft is the ultimate solution.

 

[roodini]

Mine rattles too!
Though I tend to treat it as something of a revcounter and when it gets REALLY rattly, change up.:twisted:
Funnilly enough it goes all smooth at 90mph, but by then the doors are shaking so bad that the gearknob rattle's faded into insignificance anyway!:eek:

Rudi.

 

[angel]

Sorry i read too quickly and didn't mention the word "knob" !
Well I was always wondering how it comes off!! I solved my question on a scrap lever, it needs to be pulled really hard (it is actually a two-piece component but it comes off at one piece). I have tried hot melt glue too and it seems to be OK provided you plug the hollow end of the gear lever tube.

 

[gregoryw]

Thank you one and all for all advice. And I thought a hub puller was just for wheel hubs!!
GregoryW