Mk3 Cavalier Owners Club | Vauxhall Cavalier Dot Com

I need some help / advice please , i have fitted a f28 and its a good solid box and drives lovely with no crunching ect but i can not engage 6th gear at all? ive tried all sorts but am stuck now ? is there anybody close to chester who could help me please

Have you checked the linkage? Yours might be worn. Was it sliding into sixth without issues in the donor car?

Usually if you can get 5th ok then there should be no issue with 6th.
I'd take the linkage off and see if you can engage 6th from the selector on top of the box.
If not take the selector housing of the top of the box and check the sliders. Trying to remember the box is tricky lol

the linkage seems good but im guessing thats the problem, i bought the f28 as a good one not from a donar car. the first 5 gears are all very good and drives lovely.

Maybe you got ripped off and it's a five speed box?

planetc wrote:Maybe you got ripped off and it's a five speed box?

Did you watch the top gear programme tonight where James May's merc had a 5 speed knob stuck on his 4 speed box ?

yes I did Goes for the overtake.. Oh hang on....

planetc wrote:Maybe you got ripped off and it's a five speed box?

Haha i did think that too

Maybe the linkage is hitting something when trying to move to 6th?

The linkages do have to be setup perfect on these or you can easily loose gears, sometimes you might get all 6 but no reverse etc...


Then again a few years back when i had my blue turbo in 1 mont i went through 3 differant F28 boxes all bought second hand as mint boxes, fitted each one and each one had a problem so all came back out and i got my money back, eventually i found a working one and that was back then so i would take any advert that says its in "Mint" condition with a pinch of salt these days as none of them are.

So yeah try all other options first but keep in mind that it could be a faulty box, they are a pain in the arse these boxes and not worth the hassle in a 2wd car i'd say.

Most f28s have been leathered. Naths on his 3rd after blowing 3rd on the last

i bought it from a very good source but that doesnt mean to say its not the box itself.
il probably end up going back to using the saab gearbox and finding a different final drive

right ive managed to find 6th gear . gear box is smooth and selects all forward gears perfect but now i have no reverse ? looks like a worn linkage as quite a few suggested . Question is can i buy a new linkage or a repair kit ..

Normally it's the pins that wear which you can buy.

Use the tightest drill bit you can find in both the gearbox and the lever, make sure theres no movement at all in them whilst lining it up.

I take it you are lining it up the proper way and not just holding it.

I thought they were dead easy to align. It's odd that you can get 5th but not 6th as this is straight in front. Tells me the linkage is not right

i used the tightest drill bits i could, 5.5mm i think or maybe 5mm, as btcctroy says its looking like a worn linkage as there must be play. its a bloody nightmare, dropping the saab engine in was easier than this lol ..