Not wanting to sound 'weak', but does anyone else find it difficult to move the gearstick over to the left to select reverse on the MMT6 boxes? It moves around and goes into gear nicely, but you need arms of steel to get it past the first stopping point inline with 1st and 2nd..

I've took the gaiter off to have a look to see if anything is causing an obstruction but all i could find when digging around in there was a black o ring seal which had split. Can't see where it was from, but not sure whether something has failed making it extremely hard?

You do know you have to pull the collor up on the gear knob?

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thats for reverse :P

Mine doesn't have a collar?? It's just move over to the left as if you were going into 1st, but move it a bit further over and then up?

ah I thought all the mondy's had the collar? are you sure it shouldnt have a collar and its been replaced incorrectly?

Easiest way to test is to take the gear knob off and remove the gaitor. Then you can check if there is a collar in place that just isnt connected?

I was reading through the manual and that says that there should be a collar, thought it was strange i never had one! I'll have a look tonight!

That's how my old BMW used to work. Push the stick hard over to the right, no collar, push through some kind of high powered force field and then down to get reverse.

Exactly what mines like Rocco. I'm gonna try and get the selector cables adjusted if i can't find this collar jeebo mentioned. Embarrassing doesn't come close when you got a car full of ya mates and your trying to fight to move the gearstick over to the left!

It doesn't have a collar...final facelift (55plate onwards) 6 speeds (on the ST at least) had a collar for lift-up reverse, and early pre-facelift 5 speeds were also lift-up reverse. Your 04 is just push over and up, no lift-up collar.

There's obviously gonna be a bit of resistance to prevent selecting it accidentally instead of first, but if it's so tight that you struggle to engage it, something isn't right. Gearbox oil change, check the linkages, or clutch master cylinder are all possible diagnoses/fixes...or a can of spinach before each drive.

Are first and second ok? Is it only when the car's running or is it just as stiff with the ignition off?

Hi gforce,

It's exactly the same whether the car's running or not. It's booked in for Monday to get the linkages adjusted so i'll get some oil and ask them to drop that in while it's there. Hopefully that'll sort it!

Hopefully so mate, good luck with it and let us know how it turns out.

Only reason I asked is my old ZS got really stiff in reverse, 1st and 2nd, to the point I couldn't select them, but only when the car was running. Turned out to be the clutch master cylinder but it was a few 'interesting' days driving before I got it fixed...switching the car off coasting to junctions, select first, start back up again, and a lot of 3rd gear take-offs!

Out of curiosity how much is a new Master Cylinder likely to set me back?

Mmmm...can't fully remember, somewhere in the region of £100 new from Ford I think, £10-20 from ebay/breakers used, anything in between for an aftermarket version from a motor factors. Not labour intensive either as it's just behind the clutch pedal in the footwell.

I think you'd have more problems than just reverse though in that case. Seized linkage cable could be ticket so you're right to start with looking there.

Cool. Alright, cheers matey. Will let you know what happens!

All sorted! Getting the linkages adjusted has helped and made all the other 6 gears easier to select as well! One more question though, the master cylinder was mentioned last week and i wonder if this has something to do with what i've found..

Over the weekend i caught myself sitting in traffic holding the clutch down (something i don't do), when i realised i put the car in neutral and let the clutch out.. only thing is, when i did, i could feel a 'clunk' though the brake pedal. Is this normal as brakes/clutch share fluid dont they?

Could just be a pressure balance, but I can't remember if they do share it on the mk4,all indications are they do, but when you change brake fluid you don't empty and fill the clutch....