The leatherette gaiter on the gear stick has got a split and feeling through it I can tell the underlying rubber gaiter has disintegrated. Also below these two items I understand there are to other parts that fit over the gear stick shaft as it leaves the gear box, which are fitted to reduce vibration and noise.
So hoping to replace the old parts with nice new ones myself I was hoping that more technically knowledgeable members might pass on a word or two of advice about hoe to go about the process. In my innocence I am hoping that it will be a fairly straight forward job, however am I going into dark and greasy areas that require a great mechanical knowledge?
Remove the screws under the arm rest, ash tray and at the front sides of the centre console.
Lift up the centre console and unplug the wiring connectors.
Remove the centre console and place out of harms way.
Remove 4 bolts securing upper gaiter.
Remove upper gaiter. Cut the nylon retaining ring with side cutters if you are scrapping the gaiter.
Remove 3 bolts securing lower gaiter.
Remove gear lever complete with gaiter
Cut the nylon retaining ring with side cutters if you are scrapping the gaiter.
Inspect the nylon bush at the bottom of the gear lever and replace if it looks worn or damaged.
If the oil in the gear lever turret is dirty then syphon it out with a turkey baster and mop up as much of the remaining oil as possible with kitchen towel.
Refill the gear lever turret with 90ml of fresh, clean gearbox oil.
Reassembly is reverse of removal, as they say. Use silicon lube to help ease the new gaiters over the gear lever.
Hi, I am hugely grateful to the two of you who replied. I ordered up the parts required and have just finished fitting them with the aid of the great instructions from both of you.
The job went ahead very straightforwardly (for me anyway!). I was worried about the reinserting of the gear stick, but low and behold it popped into place first time. The other good thing was the “heads up” about the gear stick turret needing oil. The advice was spot on as it was virtually bone dry, so the newly bought but unused Turkey Baster is now in the kitchen drawer eagerly awaiting Christmas.
I also took the opportunity to add a nice black leather gear stick gaiter and a matching leather handbrake sleeve. Also being a none smoker I removed the ash tray insert, stripped it down and trimmed the edge all around the top of the now open odds and sods tray with some teak wood strip, it looks quite the part even if I say so myself.