Morris Minor Owners Club

Last week second gear in my 1098 gearbox all of a suden made a rattling noise. I wasn't accelerating fast. I decided to drive the car home without using second gear. On inspection I found two broken teeth on the second gear of the layshaft. I have no idea why this happened. Are there people out there that experienced similar problems? Is this somthing that you can prevent?

Cheers,

Rein

Just sounds like long term fatigue. But if the layshaft bearings and/or shaft are worn - then it could have been running slightly 'out-of mesh' - or - a piece of debris could have been picked and mangled between the laygear teeth and the main shaft teeth. Inspect second gear on the main shaft very carefully before re-using it!

Although a new second gear is expensive (compaired with other gears) I want to replace it. There may be small cracks that I can't see and getting the gearbox out is a lot of work. Also I believe the damage could have been a lot worse.

In this country it's hardly worth repairing a gearbox - lots of 'spares' going around. Maybe different where you are.

On the other hand it's the only way to be sure of a good one. The layshaft bearings seem a weak point. An overhall kit costs about £80 for shaft, all bearings, gaskets etc. Not sure what a 2nd gear would be, gears crop up on ebay now and then.

It's worth 'overhauling' a box as opposed to 'repairing' - with new bearings/baulk rings etc - but this box needs laygear and probably 2nd gear too - so really it's not going to be economic. Better to use a good one to start with.

If I source another gearbox, this gearbox will need inspection and overhaul too to make it reliable. And indeed the laygear and layshaft are often in need of replacement anyway. New parts are available in NZ, but very expensive compaired to suppliers in England. 2nd gear in England is 45 pounds, layshaft is 40 pounds. A used laygear in NZ is approximatly $ 100.00 (35pounds). I just received a two kg package from England. Freight and insurance was 20 pounds. Gearbox parts will weigh more than 2 kg. It stil is usualy a lot cheaper to order parts from England as long as they are not too heavy or bulky.

Must remember next time my Mother-in Law is travelling to NZ - to fill her bags with Minor gearbox parts !! I agree laySHAFT and bearings often need replacing along with baulk rings and main bearings, but the layGEAR itself should be reasonable unless it's been horribly treated on the 1st gear section !

ISTR reading that certain gearbox parts aren't available new any more and club spares was considering paying to have a run produced - can anyone remember which parts those were?

From memory of the AGM, it was 2nd gear

OK, ta. Are all the other parts needed for a rebuild readily available then? Did they decide at the AGM in favour of having a run of gears made?

I think so, but haven't seen the minutes.

I sourced another 1098 ribcased gearbox. I will open it this weekend to check it out. If I am lucky I can use the laygear and 2nd gear.

Just use the whole gearbox - these gears have run together all their life - better to keep them as a set if you can.

Thanks. If possible I will do that