Gear shift lever and rod — removal, inspection and installation (Nissan Bluebird T12)

Gear shift rod

1. Apply the handbrake, lift the front of the car.

2. From the bottom of the car, in the gearbox, unscrew the bolt and nut that secure the rod to the yoke of the selector mechanism. Be careful not to lose the O-rings, bushings and bearing, as they are not accessible separately (photo).









3. Remove the bolts from the underbody heat shield, remove the bolts from the exhaust system mountings to provide sufficient space to work. One of the four bolts on the heat shield secures the exhaust system ground.



4. Disconnect the rack from the lower end of the gearshift lever by disconnecting the return spring. Again note the position of the O-rings, bushings and bearing on the lower end of the gearshift lever (photo).



5. Remove the rod, check it for damage or distortion, replace if necessary. Check both ends of the connections, they should move easily and smoothly, without excessive play. Remove the bushings and bearing from the front end of the rod and from the lower end of the gearbox control lever. Replace worn parts if necessary.



6. Installation is carried out in the reverse order. Lubricate the bolts before installation, tighten their nuts to the tightening torque specified in the Specifications. When installing the heat shield, do not forget to connect the ground of the exhaust system. Support rod.

7. Apply the handbrake, raise the front of the car. Remove the heat shield, disconnect the shift rod from the gearshift lever as described in points 3-4 above.

8. Unscrew the nut securing the rear end of the support rod to the bracket hanger. Move the support rod down as far as possible, unscrew the two nuts that secure the gearbox control lever socket to the support rod; note the separate return spring hanger. Separate the gearshift lever from the support rod, being careful not to damage the protective coating.

9. While moving the front end of the support rod, unscrew the nut and remove the large disc washer; note the rubber bushing and bearing (photo).



10. Remove the support rod, check it for damage or distortion, replace if necessary. Check the rubber bushing on the front end of the rod. It should be replaced if necessary.



11. Installation is carried out in the reverse order. The Belleville washer on the front end of the support rod should be placed with the convex side facing the rubber bushing. Lubricate the bearing elements of the gearshift lever before installation. Install the rod and heat shield as described in step 6 above. Tighten all nuts and bolts to the tightening torque specified in Specifications.

Gear Shift Lever Assembly

12. Unscrew the lever handle.

13. Apply the handbrake, raise the front of the car. Remove the heat shield, disconnect the control rod from the gearshift lever as described above.

14. Disconnect and pull down the end of the support rod, unscrew the two nuts, release the gear shift lever socket from the support rod. See item 8 above.

15. Remove the gear shift lever, freed from the support rod and the holder suspension.

16. Remove the gearshift lever socket and bearing elements, inspect them and replace them if they are excessively worn or damaged.

17. Installation is carried out in reverse order.

18. Note that if the hanger bracket needs to be removed, it can be unscrewed and removed from underneath the car after the gearshift lever assembly has been removed. Note the rubber seal installed between the car's undercarriage and hanger bracket (photo). When installing, the center console must be removed to allow the bolt plates to be inserted from inside the car. See Section 11.