Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi folks,

Not being a gearbox expert, I thought I'd share the problem. Car belongs to a friend down the road, and the symptoms are that it wont get into 2nd or 3rd gear. 1st and 4th work fine apparently and the fault arrived suddenly.
I'm presuming this is some sort of selector problem? And if so can it be sorted with the gearbox still in the car. I'll be going round to see them later in the week to sample it for myself!

I too would suggest a selector fault.

Depends on your luck really. There are a few things you can check.
It could be a lose selector fork, you can check these and condition of gear teeth by draining the gearbox oil, and removing the gearbox side cover plate, you need to remove the clutch relay shaft to get the side cover off.

It could also be a fault in the remote gearbox extension that carries the lever rod mechansim.

Another cause can be weak or broken ball detent spring, these can be replaced with the box in situ.

Well - it's two different selector forks - so i doubt it's that. Remote is a possibility - but more likely something serious internally. Side cover removal should give a clue - just watch for the two wee springs as you take it off.

I once had this symptom, only had 1st and 4th in the middle of Dartmoor
at six oclock in the morning. it needed an exchange box and was caused by slamming it into 2nd from 1st too hard which allowed the 2nd and third gears to float around thereafter!

Yes -I think there is a thrust washer in there that can break up.

Thinking back, the 2nd and 3rd gear revolve on brass bushes and are locked in place on the mainshaft, there is a brass washer seperating the two gears that could be broken, allowing unwanted movement.

Aye -I think that's my 'thrust washer'.

No catching you bm!

Thanks guys. Looking a bit like a fun day getting the gearbox out and probably fitting another then.... I'll be seeing the car this weekend so will delve into it then!

Thanks guys for your help. finally got round to doing it over the weekend and it was as suggested the thrust washer between 2nd and 3rd which was lying in bits int he bottom of the box allowing the gears to slide about on the shaft.

Well done, and thanks for posting the fix.

sorry to revive a dead thread, but I have exactly the same problem, the box has been on it's way out since I got the car over a year ago and it finally went with the exact same symptoms- is it best to give it a gearbox out job? and replace, if so, will any A series gearbox fit a 1098 and not mess about the speedo?

Any rib-case box will be a straight swop.

would a 1275 midget box be ok?

Yes - if you can find one at a reasonable price......

Yes, and the speedo is only affected by the diff ratio, unless you fit a 5 speed box.
Transfer to other topic

cheers- might've found a minor one ... which saves about 5 minutes but still... might get the 'fix und fertig' one repaired and keep it as a spare..