Drilling 2 holes through the shift linkage lollypop and bolting it up sounds crazy but makes finding gears, especially reverse super easy and it feels solid and less vague. 20 years ownership 6 cars of experience here.
Yes, seen that done and it is quick and effective. I've still got a NOS rubber lollipop in the garage, but it is 25yrs old by now? Heck it might even be the one I removed from my Grand Finale when I fitted an upgrade.
I had the lollipop fail on my Fiat 128 over 30 years ago. The rubber disc in the middle perishes, and cannot take tension anymore. The bolts (placed near opposite side edges) handle the tension, while the rubber continues to handle compression. This problem means you can get 3rd and 4th, but when you push the gearlever to either side (for 1st 2nd, or 5th reverse) the lollipop just opens up instead. You have to use NYLOC nuts, and only just nip them up. Tighter just crushes the rubber, and does not stop it coming loose. My X1/9 then failed like this almost as soon as I bought it 3 years ago. Needed 4 bolts for that, since fore and aft had let go as well. 15k miles later, still perfect.
Thank you David. I was sitting in my garden enjoying the sunshine with a cup of tea when I see your post pop up. loved the video and the advice. I’m going to clean the oil pan on mine. I also like cigars even though I don’t smoke. I bought three Cuban cigars last year, one for me, my son and my dad, to smoke in celebration of my son’s success in passing driving test. I’ve been fowey. We stayed in poluran absolutely lovely place. I’m going to plan a drive in my X1/9 to Cornwall next year.
I have a 1982 X1/9. Midwest/Bayless in Ohio USA recommends redline MTL or MT-90 trans. oil. They are the experts on X1/9. You have a very nice X David!
What a lovely X1/9! Well kept & well presented. Two things: when you use ramps like that, please chock both the front wheels. If the car rolls off, it would spoil your whole day. Also: the gearbox oil is critical because Fiat transmissions used to use internal bushings made of phosphor-bronze. The wrong oils (like ones with EP additives) will chemically react with those metals and eventually destroy those internal parts.
David, great video and a happy reminder of my two x1/9s, a rough black 1500 'banger' while I was at university and some years later a lovely 4yr old Grand Finale (how time flies). I kept the Grand Finale for 11yrs and made quite a lot of improvements... A recent DVLA search shows it SORN, but it is still registered and so it might still exist, here's hoping...? 2m43s Nice view of the selector link piece. On some of the cars that single link piece is made up as two bits of steel that are joined by being bonded to opposite sides of a rubber bush (I think it is mean to reduce vibration and harshness). Similar story, the rubber goes soft and the bonding breaks down, giving too much free play and a very sloppy gear change. The motion of the gear lever is limited by the central tunnel. Eventually you get to the point where the motion of the gear-lever, doesn't translate to enough motion at the gearbox end, due to the soft connection. For my banger x1/9 I used to slam the lever to the right, hear it hit the tunnel and 60/40 I would / would not get 5th gear! I made up a new link with a universal joint, from an old 1/2" socket set, welded between two bits of steel flat bar. With the UJ there I could also get rid of the clearance bushing, that David is describing and tighten everything up. The result was very good, but it looked rough. The socket set UJ held up perfectly well in the time I had that car. The later Grand Finale gear selection was still fine, but as an upgrade I bought a stainless steel sealed UJ, from a well known motor-sport supplier and had a new link made by a skilled professional welder (much nicer looking than my first nasty prototype). Very crisp gear selection. Either way you can make a big improvement quite simply. If you have the solid link, as shown, look at the bushing and make sure the clearances are tight. If you have the bonded rubber take it off, stick one end in a vice and use a set of grips to bend and twist it, it ought to be very stiff, but if not that is a problem. NOTE: you cannot remove the bush and just bolt the link down tight. The engine / gearbox rocks and moves in the mountings, so there has to be some small flexibility between the selector rod and the gearbox input or something will bend or break. Hence the stepped clearance bush or, in my case, the UJ.
Great to see that you're loving you're Exy. Just a comment about the gearbox oil. X19 gearboxes should have a specific oil so as not to corrode certain metals that parts are made from. Fiat recommend an SAE oil and not an Ep oil. I use Castrol ST90 as it is an SAE oil. You're right about the gear change. The joint between the rod and the gearbox linkage is referred to as a lollipop and renewing it works wonders for the gear change.
3:59. I used to sell Fiats. The X1/9 was my favorite. Never owned a Spitfire but sorry, Spitfires had independent rear suspension (swing axels). Thanks for posting the video.
Have you thought of using Red Line Super Light Shockproof oil in the transmission? It has the film thickness of a 75 wt oil with the viscosity of ATF. I used it in the 5 speed transmission in my 3.9 L Rover SD1 and it really improved the shifting.
Hello, David. Cornwall’s quite nice and must be a great place to drive an X1/9. Not sure that your pasties quite live up to their reputations, though; I reckon the ones in Tasmania are better.
Not having the rubber spoon / lollipop vibration absorber must he nice. Mine has split in two and has been bolted together with a triangle of 3 M8 bolts and nylon stop nuts.
![Gearbox repair.. AGAIN! - Fiat x1/9 [Ep 4]](/img/n.gif)
Drilling 2 holes through the shift linkage lollypop and bolting it up sounds crazy but makes finding gears, especially reverse super easy and it feels solid and less vague. 20 years ownership 6 cars of experience here.
Very true, my car has no lollipop, just a metal connection . Perhaps they worked it out.
Yes, seen that done and it is quick and effective.
I've still got a NOS rubber lollipop in the garage, but it is 25yrs old by now? Heck it might even be the one I removed from my Grand Finale when I fitted an upgrade.
I had the lollipop fail on my Fiat 128 over 30 years ago. The rubber disc in the middle perishes, and cannot take tension anymore. The bolts (placed near opposite side edges) handle the tension, while the rubber continues to handle compression. This problem means you can get 3rd and 4th, but when you push the gearlever to either side (for 1st 2nd, or 5th reverse) the lollipop just opens up instead. You have to use NYLOC nuts, and only just nip them up. Tighter just crushes the rubber, and does not stop it coming loose.
My X1/9 then failed like this almost as soon as I bought it 3 years ago. Needed 4 bolts for that, since fore and aft had let go as well. 15k miles later, still perfect.
Thanks for sharing your X1/9. It’s great to see them on the road.
Glad you like them
Thank you David. I was sitting in my garden enjoying the sunshine with a cup of tea when I see your post pop up. loved the video and the advice. I’m going to clean the oil pan on mine.
I also like cigars even though I don’t smoke. I bought three Cuban cigars last year, one for me, my son and my dad, to smoke in celebration of my son’s success in passing driving test.
I’ve been fowey. We stayed in poluran absolutely lovely place.
I’m going to plan a drive in my X1/9 to Cornwall next year.
I will be here. I hope.
I have a 1982 X1/9. Midwest/Bayless in Ohio USA recommends redline MTL or MT-90 trans. oil. They are the experts on X1/9. You have a very nice X David!
Yes, they are right, I use Redline. Glad you like the car.
Made huge positive differences in my cars.
What a lovely X1/9! Well kept & well presented. Two things: when you use ramps like that, please chock both the front wheels. If the car rolls off, it would spoil your whole day. Also: the gearbox oil is critical because Fiat transmissions used to use internal bushings made of phosphor-bronze. The wrong oils (like ones with EP additives) will chemically react with those metals and eventually destroy those internal parts.
True, but I am an old fool. I use redline oil. Thanks for your concern.
Appreciate your passion for X-1/9's. Good tip on the gear box bolt. Regards from chilly Nebraska.
Chilly here, salt on roads, so no driving lately
David, great video and a happy reminder of my two x1/9s, a rough black 1500 'banger' while I was at university and some years later a lovely 4yr old Grand Finale (how time flies). I kept the Grand Finale for 11yrs and made quite a lot of improvements... A recent DVLA search shows it SORN, but it is still registered and so it might still exist, here's hoping...?
2m43s Nice view of the selector link piece.
On some of the cars that single link piece is made up as two bits of steel that are joined by being bonded to opposite sides of a rubber bush (I think it is mean to reduce vibration and harshness). Similar story, the rubber goes soft and the bonding breaks down, giving too much free play and a very sloppy gear change. The motion of the gear lever is limited by the central tunnel. Eventually you get to the point where the motion of the gear-lever, doesn't translate to enough motion at the gearbox end, due to the soft connection.
For my banger x1/9 I used to slam the lever to the right, hear it hit the tunnel and 60/40 I would / would not get 5th gear! I made up a new link with a universal joint, from an old 1/2" socket set, welded between two bits of steel flat bar. With the UJ there I could also get rid of the clearance bushing, that David is describing and tighten everything up. The result was very good, but it looked rough. The socket set UJ held up perfectly well in the time I had that car.
The later Grand Finale gear selection was still fine, but as an upgrade I bought a stainless steel sealed UJ, from a well known motor-sport supplier and had a new link made by a skilled professional welder (much nicer looking than my first nasty prototype). Very crisp gear selection.
Either way you can make a big improvement quite simply. If you have the solid link, as shown, look at the bushing and make sure the clearances are tight. If you have the bonded rubber take it off, stick one end in a vice and use a set of grips to bend and twist it, it ought to be very stiff, but if not that is a problem.
NOTE: you cannot remove the bush and just bolt the link down tight. The engine / gearbox rocks and moves in the mountings, so there has to be some small flexibility between the selector rod and the gearbox input or something will bend or break. Hence the stepped clearance bush or, in my case, the UJ.
I like the UV joint idea. The solid link is better than the lollipop but still transmits vibrations at certain revs. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the vid enjoy them ,nice part of the world as well
It is good here, glad you like the photos
😝 “that’s a sight you don’t wanna see” hahaha thank you man those are some excellent tips I really appreciate it
Great to see that you're loving you're Exy. Just a comment about the gearbox oil. X19 gearboxes should have a specific oil so as not to corrode certain metals that parts are made from. Fiat recommend an SAE oil and not an Ep oil. I use Castrol ST90 as it is an SAE oil.
You're right about the gear change. The joint between the rod and the gearbox linkage is referred to as a lollipop and renewing it works wonders for the gear change.
My car doesn't have a lollipop, some didn't, but the bush holding the connecting bolt seems to wear.
3:59. I used to sell Fiats. The X1/9 was my favorite. Never owned a Spitfire but sorry, Spitfires had independent rear suspension (swing axels). Thanks for posting the video.
Spitfire rear suspension was as horrible as the X1/9 is wonderful !!!
Interesting!
Have you thought of using Red Line Super Light Shockproof oil in the transmission? It has the film thickness of a 75 wt oil with the viscosity of ATF. I used it in the 5 speed transmission in my 3.9 L Rover SD1 and it really improved the shifting.
Hello, David. Cornwall’s quite nice and must be a great place to drive an X1/9. Not sure that your pasties quite live up to their reputations, though; I reckon the ones in Tasmania are better.
Ooh dear, slagging off Cornish pasties, it's a keel hauling for you my bully boy.
Appreciate more insights on X ownership
Not having the rubber spoon / lollipop vibration absorber must he nice. Mine has split in two and has been bolted together with a triangle of 3 M8 bolts and nylon stop nuts.
Perhaps you could fabricate a solid link of your own.
Very nice car
How kind
Thanks David. Search for my short video today of my car, search Bertone X1/9
I will
So. You usually get your wife out to lift the car onto the stands do you?