What Cause Stiffness In Ford Fiesta Gears?

Ford Fiesta St ’56 – Stiff Gears when Warm

May be a stupid question but. To test if it is the clutch, basically get the car warm to the point where it is stiff, switch it off and just try and change gears (no need to depress clutch). If its easy to change gear, we’re looking at a clutch issue? | |

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Just tried changing gear when switched off. Made no difference – just as stiff Does this rule out the clutch as the source of the problem? | |

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I would think it probably does but I cant think what else can be causing it. Don’t know if it has rod or cable change, if its cable could possibly be tightening up when hot. You need someone to look at it I’m afraid. | |

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Yeah, GK Ford has recommended a cable change so its the next thing we were planning to try. Don’t understand how that would cause it to get stiff though; I assume they work under tension, therefore as they heat up and expand the gears would become looser? Hopefully that will solve the issue and I won’t have to sink any more money b***** money into the thing. I’ll let you know how it goes. Any more suggestions would be welcome | |

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Hi CousinElvin, Did you ever get to the bottom of this as I’m having the same issue on my 2005 Zetec S and was going to look into putting it in to a garage but thought it would help (and hopefully save some money) knowing what the issue was first!? Cheers, Dave | |

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I saw this thread and since i have found the answer thought i woudl sign up to help my fellow Fiesta drivers out. very recently this started to happen to my car and not wanting to spend a fortune paying mechanics to check things out and formulate possible fixes i decided to try out some suggestions from the ST club i frequent and the fix i found there resolved the issue. The issue appears to be related to the gear linkages on the underside of the gear box. The gear shift arm’s nylon bushes were dry/expanding which causes them to tighten up. What needs to be done is to re-lubricate the linkage and also clean up teh nylon bushing then refit or get ford to replace/repair this. From what i have seen it appears to be a common fault and can easily be rectified. I am a member of an ST forum and luckily there is a self help guide on there. but for those who are not confident mechanics then i advise a trip to the garage and explai this to them to help get this resolved. Hope you all benefit from this and it solves the gear change issues for you. | |

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I am a mobile mechanic had a customer with a 55 reg fiesta 1.25 zetec, would drive absoulutly fine when cold. get it hot and you had a right fight to get third and forth gear. clutch seemed fine easy to get reverse no aparent other problems just poor gear selection when hot. removed the gear box linkage/cabels, removed gear box selector arms. cleaned them all up lubed them with grease. now works fine selects all gears fine when hot!! the funny thing is they didnt seem tight when cold, if I hadent reserched the issue I would have probably ruled them out. it seemed like a recon box was needed but thankfully not!! 🙂 | |

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just like to add my similar problems 2006 ST, it was fine when cold but stiffened up when driven / hot even in winter. heavy selector lever under plastic cover was feeling fine when disconnected cable etc but ! discovered that the plastic bush in arm was barrel shaped, tight in center loose at ends, hence rocked at ends giving appearance of being fine. removed the arm to find this tightness as it was reluctant to come off but delicate persistance paid off, polished the pin and borrowed a 12 mm reamer to carefully open it and parralell the bush, refitted and its been fine. Nylon / Acetal or plastic bushes expand dramatically with little temperature from pivot pin so hope this can save mega £ s uneccessarily, a very cheap first effort / check Dave O | |

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Just had the same issue on my son’s 55 plate 1.25 Zetec Fiesta. The nylon bush was grabbing a little when cold, but an hour into a journey it became very hard to change gears. Removed the arm, and pivot pin from the fron of the gearbox. Reamed the nylon bushes out to give a slight rocking clearance on the cleaned up pin. Reassembled with moly grease. He reports the gearshift now as “really, really good”. | |

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Yes, it seems to be a common fault. There are many threads on this forum asking for a solution, and I suppose some Fiestas must be worse than others. Not having access to a pit or a lift, when my linkage gets stiff I just get on my back and stick my arm under and squirt an aerosol can of Duck Oil around, and that clears the problem for a good few months! | |

Ford Fiesta St ’56 – Stiff Gears when Warm
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What causes the gear shift to get stiff?

“The Clutch Systems – The clutch system of a vehicle is responsible for disengaging and engaging power to the transmission while in between the flywheel of the engine. There are 6 main parts on clutch systems:

Clutch master cylinder Release cylinder Clutch cover Clutch disc Release bearing Release fork

The clutch disc and input shaft transmission are engaged together. And the clutch cover is connected to the engine’s flywheel. When you press down on the clutch pedal, the “power pressing” will transmit to the clutch master cylinder and to push the release cylinder then push release fork to disengage between clutch cover and clutch disc.

That means at this moment the engine spin does not transmit to the transmission. This allows you to easily change gears with the manual shift stick. However, if the clutch master cylinder or release cylinder is damaged or leaks, it will make it harder to shift gears. This happens because, if the master cylinder and/or release cylinder is damaged or leaks, it can cause loss of pressure on the fluid, this can make the clutch not disengage properly.

If the clutch and engine do not disengage properly, the manual transmission will be hard to shift all gears, or fail to shift entirely.
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Why is my gear stick stiff when cold?

Stiff gearchange especially when cold

I’d like to add to the discussion about the cause of your issue, as this page is indexed highly in google:If your problem is only when the engine and gearbox are cold, and the ‘box performs fine in all other respects then it may be that the synchromesh’s in the gearbox are starting to wear.The reason this causes poor cold gear changes is thus: when the gearbox oil is cold, the increased viscosity of the oil, combined with the worn frictional surfaces of the synchromesh will prevent the generation of enough frictional force for the syncro’s to do their job; that is to match the speed of the input and output shafts (which then allows the selector forks to slide the gears effortlessly together).Warmer oil is thinner and allows the frictional surfaces of the syncro’s to perform properly.To rectify this you could look at changing to an oil of the same type, but with enhanced viscosity additives that help reduce the viscosity of the oil at lower temperatures.Simply replacing the oil may not help as the high performance synthetic oils used in modern car gearboxes (and engines) are less prone to wear (hence most gearboxes are sealed for life).Accordingly, you may be able to find an additive to add to the original spec oil that may improve cold performance.

: Stiff gearchange especially when cold
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Why are my gears not shifting smoothly?

1. Cable tension and limit setting – The most obvious and common causes for poor shifting are down to poor adjustment and the most common thing to go out of adjustment is cable tension. Indexed drivetrains rely on correct cable tension so that the shifters pull the derailleur to the intended spot.

Cable systems wear and ‘stretch’, and will inevitably lead to a loss in shifting precision. In the simplest of terms, sluggish upshifts can be caused by too little cable tension; while slow downshifts could be too much tension. Limit screws set the extremes for which a derailleur can travel. Too often people wrongly play with these screws when shifting goes bad.

Another to consider is B-tension, which adjusts the rear derailleur body angle (or more simply, the height gap between the derailleur and cassette). It’s something that Dylan Coulson of sees as a common cause for poor shifting on 1x drivetrains. Notably, a bent derailleur hanger is common cause for what can seem like a wacky limit adjustment (more later).
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Can low oil cause stiff gears?

Late engagement – Low levels of gearbox oil usually result in 2-3 second delays when shifting between gears.
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How do you fix a hard shift on a transmission?

Cold weather can lead to a transmission that shifts hard – When the temperature drops, transmission fluids with poor cold-flow properties can thicken and cause elongated and hard shifts until the fluid has warmed up enough to flow properly. Switching to a high-quality synthetic transmission fluid will help.

Synthetics don’t contain waxes, as conventional fluids do, meaning they remain fluid at lower temperatures for improved shifts during cold weather. The best transmission fluid available won’t fix a broken transmission. But using high-quality synthetic fluid can help improve shift quality and maximize transmission life.

Originally published June 5, 2017.
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How do you fix a stiff grip on a shifter?

Follow the gear cable to the back of the bike until you come to the nut that holds it, pinch the cable with a set of pliers and undo slightly the nut. Let it off a tiny bit and retigten the nut to hold the cable. Try the gear shifter on the handlebars, if it is still tough to shift, repeat the process.
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What causes a Ford transmission to shift hard?

2. Rough Shifting or Jerking Transmission – A car that is experiencing rough shifting may have trouble accelerating, struggle to change gears, or lack a smooth transition. Rough shifting is often described as a clunk or a thud feeling when the vehicle shifts from one gear to the next. Causes of rough shifting include:

Transmission Fluid Low or Poor Condition – Vehicles low on transmission fluid or that are operating with worn out or contaminated fluid are likely to experience hard shift conditions. Lack of adequate lubrication within the transmission can cause several problems, including hard shifting. The fluid in your transmission should appear clean, light red in color, and somewhat transparent. Vacuum Troubles – On older vehicles, the transmission would know when to shift based on the assistance of a vacuum modulator valve. The valve determines the load of the engine via a hose, called the vacuum line, that connects to the intake, measuring the amount of vacuum within the engine. A bent, blocked, or detached vacuum line can alter the pressure in the transmission producing a rough shift. Faulty Sensor – Many vehicles today are equipped with loads of sensors that communicate to their internal computers, including some that influence the transmission to shift. If the sensors are not functioning properly or receiving the incorrect data, it can cause rough shifting. In some cases hard shifting could be caused by a sensor transmitting the wrong data from the engine. A failed speed sensor may signal that the vehicle is traveling at a higher or lower speed than it truly is.

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Why does my car shift hard from 1st to 2nd gear?

Conclusion – Whenever you notice other troubles in transmission, not just transmission shifting hard from 1 st to 2 nd or between any gears, make sure you get your vehicle inspected by a mechanic for any faults and get the fault fixed as soon as possible.
View full answer

How do you fix a hard shift on a transmission?

Cold weather can lead to a transmission that shifts hard – When the temperature drops, transmission fluids with poor cold-flow properties can thicken and cause elongated and hard shifts until the fluid has warmed up enough to flow properly. Switching to a high-quality synthetic transmission fluid will help.

Synthetics don’t contain waxes, as conventional fluids do, meaning they remain fluid at lower temperatures for improved shifts during cold weather. The best transmission fluid available won’t fix a broken transmission. But using high-quality synthetic fluid can help improve shift quality and maximize transmission life.

Originally published June 5, 2017.
View full answer

How do you fix a stiff grip on a shifter?

Follow the gear cable to the back of the bike until you come to the nut that holds it, pinch the cable with a set of pliers and undo slightly the nut. Let it off a tiny bit and retigten the nut to hold the cable. Try the gear shifter on the handlebars, if it is still tough to shift, repeat the process.
View full answer