Clutch issue-hydraulics?

[Johnwindwood]

Guys

Unusual gear selection problem yesterday. Background is that master cylinder failed in France last year-replaced with new, all fine since.
Went for a long drive yesterday, car was brilliant. On the way home we got snarled up in traffic for 30 mins in real heat. The car didn't overheat however.
Shortly after pulling off, I noticed that the gears became more difficult to select/notchy/rubbery in much the same way as when the master cyl failed.
Continued driving and after a few minutes of airflow, gear selection started to get easier again and we were able to complete the journey.

Took the car out for a run today from cold. It now selects gears fine but remains notchier than it was before-no longer slick.
Any ideas what this could be? Slave cyl is about 5 years old so I'm wondering......

Cheers.

[Pete Boole]

How old is the gear oil John?

Pete

[Johnwindwood]

No idea Pete-it's on the list to be done soon.

[Pete Boole]

Get a good synthetic oil in there first to see if it makes any difference. My wife's old Audi had all the same symptoms, which disappeared on changing the oil. It may make no difference of course, but it sounds like it will be a good job done.

Pete

[richardw]

I couldn't engage some gears on my daughter's Twingo (nor could she) and changing the gear oil fixed it. The car had only done 48k but the oil must have been 8 years old.

Cheers, Richard

[MetBlue]

Any change to the bite point?
If your problem is clutch related, I'd expect it to be bitting very early on the lift.
Mine was, but a turn on the clevis raised the bite point and transformed the gear selection.
Tony

[Johnwindwood]

Thanks guys

Two questions:

What oil do you suggest, and
how easy is it to change?

Cheers

[Pete Boole]

I usually set up a funnel with a length of hose connected to it suspended in the engine bay to re-fill the box. You could phone Opie Oils for a recommendation for oil.

Pete

[Lotus-e-Clan]

The hardest part is removing the fill and drain plugs (fill plug 1st - obviously).

[CHRISYD]

the oil level being low might cause funny things to happen. oil wise, ive got fuchs titan gear 90 high performance gear oil from opie. seems to like it. they also did gulf competition 75w90 .

[Alan_M]

I seem to recall a post, possibly by Bryan Barker? that an easy way to refill is remove the gear lever and pour in from the top. Hopefully someone can confirm this.

[CHRISYD]

The hardest part is removing the fill and drain plugs (fill plug 1st - obviously).

couldnt agree more..cos if you cant undo it, you will have to lay car on its roof to refill!!

[Johnwindwood]

Thanks for the advice guys. I think as a first step I'm going to change gearbox and diff oils (Uncertain age)-recommendation for both is Castrol Syntrax 75w 90 full synth- sound OK?

[Pete Boole]

That should be fine John - let us know how it affects the gear change.

Pete

[tonypoll]

FYI - I found the diff plugs particularly hard to shift. Rather than mangle the plug heads I eventually took the car to my local garage who put it up on a ramp and had to use a long, strong breaker bar.