Replacement gear Lever for RS2000 Type E gearbox

[Rally Pack 2000]

The original plastic ball and socket joint on the standard gearlever shattered on the way home yesterday, limped home in 2nd gear. I see a number of steel/alloy replacements on that unnamed auction site but they do look alot longer? The original RS2000 one is 300mm from tip of the forlk to the tip of the lever. How much longer are thse all mental replacements? Do you notice the extral length? I dont want it sticking out of the orgial console and gaitor and looking odd. The orginal also has a very slight bend in it to rake it backwards while the replacements look straight. Any users thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[Rally Pack 2000]

Unfortunately no one replied to this thread so jumped in hoping all would be ok and I think pretty much is has. So I thought I would let others know what the end result was. It seems most tend to favour the 5 Speed type 9 gearbox these days so most may not remember the many failures of the Type E levers with its plastic thread base and ball/socket construction in the years before the type 9 was available.

 

In my search I did find an original lever from one seller at at an exceptional 150 pounds. I am not a concourse person where everything has to be as it came out of the factory but I do try to get original standard parts if I can. I try to avoid all the group 4 type parts for my road Mk2 Escort, they are just too hard to tour with on long trips. Whenever I inquire about parts its always the Group 4 upgrades that are thrust upon me with the almost blind assumption that since I still have an Escort I must be using it for track days or something. I believe one poster on here called it Group 4 Madness and it really is just that. So I was tempted just to stick to the original stick however even if new it is 30 years old and the plastic parts that failed could be just as brittle as that in mine. The plastic ball and socket arrangement literally turned to powder and what was left of the ball could no longer hold the stick together.  (See photo) It looked just like the Osteoporosis in my nans hip. Referring to the Escort as "the ol girl' is now officially true! Anyways I though in this instance that replacing the lever with one without plastics parts was warranted in this instance.

 

 

I found three complete alloy / steel gear levers one generic that alot of sellers seems to have and the cheapest around 40 pounds, then there was one from Rix Engineering with a distinctive blue base at 60 pounds and the Quaife at the top end at 80 pounds. Since the car will most likely be inherited by somebody than sold by me I didnt mind looking at the more expensive levers and Quaife was a name I was familiar with using one of their diff centres. The alloy base of the Quaife lever was more squared off than the Rix on and it seem to be more open at the top where grime and crud could get in on top of the bearing. It also had those horrible tabs like the standard levers have that you slash your fingers open with when your trying to screw the lever on. So too If you press them down they are very hard to lift again through the lever hole in the transmission tunnel. So the Rix one looked like the better bet and cheaper too and that was the one I ordered through Motor-Sport Tools in the UK.

 

I ordered it a week before Christmas. With weekends and boxing day adding to days that the postal service doesnt deliver and the congestion the Christmas holiday season creates for the Postal Service here in Australia I was most surprised to see the lever arrive in my hands all the way from the UK before NewYears. Excellent fast and trouble free service.

 

 

The quality of the lever is exceptional, almost a work of art really although once on you will never see it. Over the years I have seen almost all of the standard levers let go when the plastic thread or plastic ball joint fail. I have also seen a standard lever snap in half from aggressive gear changes in a road car. With robust nature of this lever neither of this failures are ever likely to occur again and dare say it will see the car to the end of its life.

 

 

The lever accepts the Original RS2000 Gear knob if you wish to keep everything looking original on the outside. Its quickshift like travel seems just slightly longer than that of the original. The lever is the same length of the original and all the original rubbers boots that reduce sound coming through the hole can all be used and one in place you would never know there was any change. The downward force needed to engage reverse is alot more than original. The most important change for me is that the new lever is perfectly straight while the original is ever so slightly raked rearwards. That few mm just brings the lever within my fingertips when in first and third. The new lever I find myself leaning forward to make up the difference. Some brave person maybe would have a bash at it with something heavy to get the backward rake but I would botch it and destroy the stick most likely so will just have to get used to it as it is.

 

Oh now looking back what a long waffle about gear levers. Maybe someone will find it useful if they ever do a search in years to come!

 

 

 

 

 

[Vista]

A useful and interesting reply, thanks

 

For info, the T9 also has plastic components in the selector that can fail and leave you gearless, it's a different set up to that one you've pictured though. It's the component on the right in the pic below

 

[Rally Pack 2000]

A useful and interesting reply, thanks

 

For info, the T9 also has plastic components in the selector that can fail and leave you gearless, it's a different set up to that one you've pictured though. It's the component on the right in the pic below

 

 

That plastic saddle in the type 9 gearbox is the same as that in the Type E. You can actually get a brass replacement for it however from a seller on the infamous high fee auction site #390594397455

 

The the Type 9 though bolts onto the extension housing which is a completely different arrangement to the Type E. they clearly learnt their lesson. The Type E gear levers are held on with thin plastic threads which fatigue and simply let go. More than once I have been in a car being slammed into 2nd to see the lever fling off between the seats. The complete redesign and quality of finish of these alloy replacements cry out as a design born of desperation by the dedicated who clearly got fed up with the standard levers. I see that same great design born out of frustration  in those elongated washers for the pinto cam cover. An ingenious person gets so frustrated with something they come up with a wonderful unique design. My oil leaks are certainly gone.

 

[Rally Pack 2000]

A useful and interesting reply, thanks

 

For info, the T9 also has plastic components in the selector that can fail and leave you gearless, it's a different set up to that one you've pictured though. It's the component on the right in the pic below

 

 

Vista that saddle bush is different from the one thats on both the gearboxes that I have (see photo) and with the type that i have it doesnt matter which way its clipped in. The type you have though looks like it can only go in one way, which way does it go in? Thanks