Backards is a problem..any suggestions??

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alan s
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Backards is a problem..any suggestions??

Post by alan s »

Just got a BX mobile that was damaged in an underbonnet fire; not a big blaze but bad enough.
As far as I know, the car was going OK up until it caught fire and from what we can see, nothing has been damaged by tow trucks and/or forklifts and although it goes like a top forwards, it refuses to go into reverse.
My son who owns & has done the restoration so far has had a good look under & everything seems OK. It seems nigh on impossible that a fire under the hood would cause any problems to the gearbox. When it is pulled in the general direction of reverse, the engine actually moves on its mounts due to the leverage on the gear lever. All the forward gears feel perfectly normal.
Any suggestions short of ripping the gearbox out? Doesn't really cause any real big problems until you try a reverse park.
Alan S
Jon

Post by Jon »

Hey Alan,
The easy way out would be to set fire to it for a 2nd time then get rid of it!
Seriously though. Can you engage reverse with the engine turned off and the clutch down? If so, can you then start the car and it stays in reverse?
Sounds like either 1) Clutch adjustment ( adjust cable so that clutch pedal height is slightly above height of brake pedal? 2)In the fire, maybe one of the 3 selector rods (on top of the box towards the bulkhead) has become bent, or the plastic inside the one of the ballcups at either end of the rods has melted.
Nothing moves you like a Citroen. Allegedly.
Jon Wood
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Dave Burns
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Post by Dave Burns »

Well I think the previous owner had allready torched it because of the gearbox fault <img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>
I once unscrewed a plug on the front of a MK1 Golf box thinking it was the oil level plug, that B*****D wouldn't go into reverse afterward's, needless to say it wasn't the oil level plug.
You live and learn.
Dave
alan s
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Post by alan s »

Dave & Jon,
Thanks for your thoughts and help.
The first thing I thought of was something similar to what Dave spoke of with the VW. I was about to crawl under the car and beginning with the plastic bits on the rods, systematically work my way through until I ran out of ideas or patience. However, as it was very dewy and about 5 or 6 degrees (yes it does get that cold in the Tropics) I came inside & did one last check of my e-mails and there was one, off list from the previous owner with a suggestion.. We tried it & sure enough he was right! <img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle> <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> <img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>
We were trying to put it into reverse in the same position as all the other BXs we have ever been in contact with. This one is a series one and possibly the only one in the country - so instead of being right and down, it's left & up!!!
To quote Dave "You live and learn."
Ya can say that again - proves a point about asking questions before embarking on major projects; I had one of my fellows determined that the gearbox was going to have to come out this weekend. Now he can go & drive the car instead. <img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>
Thanks again,
Alan S
Edited by - alans on 25 Jul 2002 22:19:06
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Post by JohnD »

For a lot of years the wife and daughter ran two Pug 205's, one with a BE3 box, the other with a BE1 box. Being used to a BX and Xantia, the younger 205 was never a problem when I came to drive it, but I am always caught out with the reverse in the older Pug. With a bit of luck she'll maybe say 'Goodbye' to it in a couple of weeks.
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