Dispatch stiff gears

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Peter Palmer
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Dispatch stiff gears

Post by Peter Palmer »

This is a strange one, I've owned a 2015 Dispatch van for about 4 years now, when we first got it the gears were slightly stiff to operate, up and down not side to side. It got gradually worse but not too bad. I decided in the end to change the gear linkage cables, sure enough one cable was rusted up and the new linkage made it like driving a new van. I changed the linkage in June 2021 with this part.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153030890418

But less than 6 months later its exactly the same problem but ten times as worse, you practically need two hands to operate the lever now, again up and down, side to side is free and easy. Could it possibly be the same problem again, could a cable really rust up so much in less than six months and is this a common problem for Dispatch vans. If it can get through next week I'll have time over Christmas to take it off the road and have a look at it.
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Re: Dispatch stiff gears

Post by Dormouse »

It probably isn't rust this quick but a cable chewing into a plastic ferrule. Check for mounting alignment issues as well. If it is not alignment you have a duff cable and it should be replaced under warranty. PS. The seller will claim you mounted the cables wrongly.
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Re: Dispatch stiff gears

Post by GiveMeABreak »

No, shouldn't be doing this in 6 months (incidentally they have a 5 year guarantee for that one you bought - have you got them to replace it?), Are you going through flooded areas in it? That's all I can think of - excess water ingress as in going through deep water / floods.
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Peter Palmer
Donor 2023
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Re: Dispatch stiff gears

Post by Peter Palmer »

I did think it was too quick to rust, but it worked perfectly for a few months, its only in the last month or so that its been playing up but its way worse than the original cable now that was in place for 5 years. I don't think I've fitted it wrong, apart from having to dismantle everything to get to it, it was quite a straightforward job and there wasn't really a wrong way to fit it.

Like I say we are off for a couple of weeks over Christmas so I can afford to have the van sat around whilst I await a new cable if thats the score, I have sent a message to the ebay seller asking how he wants to go about replacing it if its faulty before I leave any bad feedback on the product.
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Re: Dispatch stiff gears

Post by GiveMeABreak »

To rust as bad as you imply, it would have to be a lot of water ingress which is sitting in the guides rusting the metal. Were the sleeve stops properly locked when refitting?
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Peter Palmer
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Re: Dispatch stiff gears

Post by Peter Palmer »

What do you mean by sleeve stops? I just fitted the cables as they came, no instructions said do anything with the cables before you fit them.
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GiveMeABreak
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Re: Dispatch stiff gears

Post by GiveMeABreak »

I meant the cylinder (7) - which acts as the lock. The sleeve stop (8) is just wedged into the bracket to keep it in place as it's pulled. This is on the 6 speed box which I assume you have.
Dispatch gear cables.PNG
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Peter Palmer
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Re: Dispatch stiff gears

Post by Peter Palmer »

Yes I think I did everything right, you pull part 7 back to get the cable on and off the bracket and then make sure its forward again to lock it to the bracket. Our van is a 5 speed but it looks exactly the same as your picture.

I've thrown the old cable away now but I seem to remember thinking the cable was a loose fit into the outer sleeve, it must wear this away over the years and let water into it. Not sure how it could do this in six months though.
Peter Palmer
Donor 2023
Posts: 69
Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 14:00
Location: Manchester
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Re: Dispatch stiff gears

Post by Peter Palmer »

We have finally had time to fix this today, the gears were really getting bad, to the point it felt like they were going to break at any minute. So I took the faulty cable off and it didn't feel that bad, one side was a bit stiff and some white powder/oxidisation came out as you moved the cable back and forth, the other side was fine. When I originally changed it six months ago one side was completely rusty and it was obvious what the problem was, this time not so much. We put the new cable on and it was absolutely fine again though. I think its when the cable bends slightly it locks up if it gets water in, if its straight its not so bad.

Thats not the end of the saga though, as we were struggling fitting the new cable we managed to pop apart one of the ball sockets at the gar box end, what a crap design, they just seem to clip back together but not very successfully once you have had one apart, ended up holding it all together with self tapper screws to get the van back on the road, not sure if it will last or not. Gears move free and easy now though.
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