Better gear linkage set up

[KitsonRis]

After my track session at Combe yesterday I think the next thing that needs doing is sorting my gear linkage out. I kept missing gears, struggled to get it into second going into Bobbies and ended up going through it one handed, coasting trying to get any gear. Not ideal. And I also got 2nd gear going for 4th from 5th at about 90mph, again not ideal. I think it just needs stiffening up to remove any play in it. I am thinking a solid dog bone mount (probably the Evol Engineering one) and the PMS shifter. Will these help? Any other ideas are welcome

 

[notfastnotfurious]

I have the evol dogbone and gear changes are much easier, first to second is best. Mine is the street version, unsure about track, i do have loads morae vibration though

 

[KitsonRis]

I've read that there isn't much performance difference between the track and street versions, apart from the extra vibrations. But tbh with lack of interior and a stiff ride I doubt it could be any worse!!

 

[Fletcher]

Somethings not quite right IMO, I never had any problems with my 172 selecting gear on road/ track with the OEM set up.

 

[KitsonRis]

It could be my inability to change gear. But I was struggling at times to get a gear. But the 5th to 2nd was definatley my fault, I just lent on the gear stick too much going into 4th.
I have not touched the gear linkage/bushes/mounts on the car. I am not sure any of the bushes have ever been changed, I can't find any receipts of them being changed. I am hoping it is the dog bone mount that needs replacing as it has got tired. Think I'll do that first as it seems like the cheapest option before I have to splash the cash on something mega.

 

[Fletcher]

It may well be the dogbone mount mate. I now have a PMS shifter and powerflex dogbone mount and my gearshift is great.

 

[KitsonRis]

That is the only thing I can think that it can be. Was just wondering if there was anything else to look at improving.

 

[bloke]

bin the standard shifter and fit a pms one, even at there best standard set up is mediocre at best.

 

[green]

At least change the dogbone mount for power flex or evo, I found it really sharpened up gear changes. It's a quick cheep mod to try before spending on a pms type shifter :up:

 

[Ads29]

I've just fitted the motorsport version of evol engineering's dogbone, it's made a huge difference IMO. My original one had a lot of play, exhaust was banging off subframe and gear changes weren't ideal.

Having changed it over there's no more knocking of the exhaust on subframe, gear changes are 100% better also, yes there is a lot more vibrating (only done 8 miles this evening to try it out) but it's a small price to pay for a lot less movement

 

[RS Charlie]

If it were me I'd do the following:

Dogbone mount of choice after research
Small lever and bush off the gear linkage that goes to the bottom of the gearbox (mine is not great and many are not here; the PMS replaces these bits which may be why people notice such a difference...)
New gear stick or Yanoo stiff shift.

However, my opinions may change after I sample a car with a Yanoo stiff shift or PMS. Mine is not bad as it is but it does want a new gear lever and small linkage up front.

 

[plees]

I'd look at the simple and cheap options first:

Dogbone
Rubber bushes at the gear shifter linkage
Nylon shifter bush located on the box

These are cheap to do before you go buying a new shifter and should be easy to see if they are heavily worn.

 

[RS Charlie]

I'd look at the simple and cheap options first:

Dogbone
Rubber bushes at the gear shifter linkage
Nylon shifter bush located on the box

These are cheap to do before you go buying a new shifter and should be easy to see if they are heavily worn.

Precisely. In comparison to a tired setup where at best most may only change part of the issue a PMS will appear amazing since it will also change the entire gear linkage!

I have to ask, how tricky is it to change the gear linkage bushes on the lever? I am debating the following:

Getting either a new Megane Scenic/Clio lever from Renault
Yanoo Stiff shift on either my existing lever or a Scenic gear lever
Rubber bushes on the above ; My experience of pattern bushes however has not been great in the long term...

 

[Bear Head]

Precisely. In comparison to a tired setup where at best most may only change part of the issue a PMS will appear amazing since it will also change the entire gear linkage!

I have to ask, how tricky is it to change the gear linkage bushes on the lever? I am debating the following:

Getting either a new Megane Scenic/Clio lever from Renault
Yanoo Stiff shift on either my existing lever or a Scenic gear lever
Rubber bushes on the above ; My experience of pattern bushes however has not been great in the long term...

Get the Yanoo kit 3 with all the uprated bushes etc and adjustable stiffness. It is bloody amazing.

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

 

[plees]

@RS Charlie do you mean your buying a complete new shifter from Renault?

I believe you can buy refresh kits on eBay. Might save you some pennies.

The rubber bushes i haven't seen available as an aftermarket part. I presume they are only available from Renault but yanoo manufactures brass ones which are a vast improvement.

It's a bit of a pain with the heat shield but its doable.

 

[KitsonRis]

I've just fitted the motorsport version of evol engineering's dogbone, it's made a huge difference IMO. My original one had a lot of play, exhaust was banging off subframe and gear changes weren't ideal.

Having changed it over there's no more knocking of the exhaust on subframe, gear changes are 100% better also, yes there is a lot more vibrating (only done 8 miles this evening to try it out) but it's a small price to pay for a lot less movement

You also having the exhaust knocking!! Well that is sorted then, swap for the Motorsport Evol dog bone mount to start with!
And then going on what others have said do a few more up grades before splashing the cash. Just the advice I was hoping for!!! This will be next months jobs :up:

 

[Ads29]

Mine was knocking horrendously at Combe, decided to bite the bullet and order one, especially as at the moment there on offer on the old ebay, there is still some movement from the upper mounts (will be doing these asap but apparently moving house is more important according to the mrs) but yeah a massive improvement, mine would even knock in reverse when moving the car on the driveway, but its all gone

 

[KitsonRis]

Mine was knocking horrendously at Combe, decided to bite the bullet and order one, especially as at the moment there on offer on the old ebay, there is still some movement from the upper mounts (will be doing these asap but apparently moving house is more important according to the mrs) but yeah a massive improvement, mine would even knock in reverse when moving the car on the driveway, but its all gone :smile: :smile:

I knew knew I should have done it last week as the my are not £25 any more! And I can't find an option for the stiffer one, not fussed about the vibrations as its a track car. I will have to see f I can buy direct from here.
Noooo, car is more important! Haha. Mine only knocks when pulling off or low speed manoeuvres, I also don't want to damage my new exhaust!

 

[plees]

If your looking on eBay, the one shown with black bushes is the stiffest they do.

The one with the blue or yellow one is the standard uprated one I believe.

Cheers

 

[imprezaworks]

I have had

Powerflex purple and black
Evol black and now blue. I prefer the evol blue. Black for a daily is harsh, I appreciate yours is mostly track?

I noticed a difference going back from the black evol to the powerflex, the evol is better for me. The blue evol is harsher than the powerflex but I have uprated mounts too. Wouldn't go back to standard. I am looking at trying the pms shifter so will have my scenic shifter with yanoo 1.0 kit for sale. No plug was just thinking out loud lol.

 

[KitsonRis]

If your looking on eBay, the one shown with black bushes is the stiffest they do.

The one with the blue or yellow one is the standard uprated one I believe.

Cheers

I had the black Ph1 saved in my eBay and it's now gone and can't find it anywhere. I can find the Ph2 but this is useless to me!

I have had

Powerflex purple and black
Evol black and now blue. I prefer the evol blue. Black for a daily is harsh, I appreciate yours is mostly track?

I noticed a difference going back from the black evol to the powerflex, the evol is better for me. The blue evol is harsher than the powerflex but I have uprated mounts too. Wouldn't go back to standard. I am looking at trying the pms shifter so will have my scenic shifter with yanoo 1.0 kit for sale. No plug was just thinking out loud lol.

Yeah the car is mainly track.....with the occasional drive to visit the girlfriend which is a 500mile round trip! It drives better on the motorway than the 1.4 Ph2 daily I have and surprisingly a lot more comfortable! She does not agree.
Oh really.....I could be interested in it if it comes for sale at the right time and price, got a few more "important" things that I need to spend money on this month. Assume there was a difference in gear selection? The scenic stick is just longer isn't it, so similar to the Yanoo fast road kit? And does it include the quick shift?

 

[imprezaworks]

The quick shift is in mine. It's better than standard but I've fancied a pms for a while to try.

My shifter allready has dibs on it. Sounded a bit odd lol

 

[KitsonRis]

The quick shift is in mine. It's better than standard but I've fancied a pms for a while to try.

My shifter allready has dibs on it. Sounded a bit odd lol

Damn too slow!! Lol. Even when it's not for sale yet I am too slow!

The PMS one does look nice too, and it is tempting me by that. But if there is an alternative I would be open to as well. Just didn't want to go the route of wasting money when it could be a simple fix. Hoping the dog bone mount will solve the majority of the problems

 

[imprezaworks]

Tbh I'd be happy to keep mine, more than happy. But I've agreed to buy a pms next week hopefully so will do that. The thing that put me off the pms is that mine is a daily. That and the scenic shifter is a third of the cost

 

[Ads29]

I knew knew I should have done it last week as the my are not £25 any more! And I can't find an option for the stiffer one, not fussed about the vibrations as its a track car. I will have to see f I can buy direct from here.
Noooo, car is more important! Haha. Mine only knocks when pulling off or low speed manoeuvres, I also don't want to damage my new exhaust!

Is this not the one for yours?

 

[LeeRS]

Scenic shifter ftw. Not as stiff as the pms but 100x better than standard.

 

[imprezaworks]

Is this not the one for yours?
View attachment 153083

No mate

 

[imprezaworks]

This one and mention cliosport

https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/162037050767

 

[KitsonRis]

@imprezaworks I've got a Ph1 so I think @Ads29 is right? And no wonder I couldn't find it again as I wasn't searching for rear gear box mount!!

 

[DCELEC 182]

Never had a problem getting gears with my standard shifter but first time out with PMS shifter at spring action day at combe it made a nice difference....feels really nice to use on track!
Shouldn't be needing 2nd gear anywhere at combe though, unless you've caught up someone slow

 

[KitsonRis]

Shouldn't be needing 2nd gear anywhere at combe though, unless you've caught up someone slow

I am never sure what to use through the chicanes, 3rd feels too sluggish pulling out and 2nd is a bit too low/lots of revs going into them. But I will admit I am not going full on through them to push for third really. I probably should just attack them a bit more and have more confidence and carry more speed with 3rd.

I have ordered the Evol dog bone mount. Will start from that and see what that does before I go on a mad one on the PMS website (which is sooo tempting at times!)

 

[DCELEC 182]

I am never sure what to use through the chicanes, 3rd feels too sluggish pulling out and 2nd is a bit too low/lots of revs going into them. But I will admit I am not going full on through them to push for third really. I probably should just attack them a bit more and have more confidence and carry more speed with 3rd!)

With clear track in front of you, on decent tyres you should be able to go through them in 3rd and still pull reasonably well out the other side.....is just a matter of building up confidence and going into them carrying more speed! If you can pedal a bit it's amazing how many people you'll catch up under braking/through the chicanes at combe or anywhere else on an average track day where people really don't commit at all.

 

[RS Charlie]

With clear track in front of you, on decent tyres you should be able to go through them in 3rd and still pull reasonably well out the other side.....is just a matter of building up confidence and going into them carrying more speed! If you can pedal a bit it's amazing how many people you'll catch up under braking/through the chicanes at combe or anywhere else on an average track day where people really don't commit at all.

Indeed!

Even at Castle Combe I was shocked at how well I kept up with people in the corners! There were Sierra Cosworths, Merc AMGs and a couple of lowered MX-5s there and I was hassling them in the corners! Eventually I ended up treating it like a country drive.

The wet track day at Cadwell was a shock My Contis at the time around around 2.5-3mm of tread on them and on the flying slow lap it was understeering into the corners and sliding ; I did think I'd have to get tyres that day or that the chassis was not a wet handler. How wrong I was. At speed and commitment it gripped and gripped with plenty of speed going into the corners! GT86s, an a couple of Audi TTs were being shown a thing or two! A Golf on R888s and a Scooby on Nankang NS-2Rs however did put me in my place!