Morris Minor Owners Club

just had a 5 speed gearbox fitted, but changing into 1st and 2nd can be difficult at times (not very smooth) is it a problem with the gear lever ?Has anyone had this problem before ?

It could be to do with the way the clutch engages as there are different methods employed to adapt the linkage to fit a Minor. Some work better than others. Do you know if has a hydraulic link to the pedal?

And -what make of 5 speed box is it ?

And what type of oil is in there?

Dan may have hit the nail on the head there - some boxes don't like thick cold oil.

It's a ford type 9 gearbox. no hydraulic link and 75w90 semi gear oil. on some day's it will slip into gear with ease but more often than not you got to give it a bit more force which takes the pleasure out of driving

Check that the clutch is adjusted correctly so that there is no drag when de-clutching. I've had the same problem and a clutch adjustment with minimal clearance seems to have helped a great deal

The one I have (sitting around unfitted) has the Ford clutch road cut off halfway and a Minor one grafted on. I don't know if that is a reliable system but that's not the only option although I don't know what the other is -perhaps someone can clarify.

That is the right oil.

75w/90 semi synthetic. Comma part no is SX1L for a 1L bottle.

I have a hydraulic clutch but I modified a spridget clutch arm by cutting up an old carbon thrust bearing and welding the edges to the fork. Having said that I am using a sierra thrust bearing which operates concentricly on the pressure plate, unlike the minor carbon thrust bearing

I think you should use Manual Transmission Fluid that seems to be the modern thinking. My TR7 box is slow to change when cold (on EP75) - but the strong thinking for that LT77 box is the MTF - others report great success with it. My box is ok after the first mile - so I will be leaving it 'as is' for now since it just got new oil at the end of last year - and it's a real pest to fill it!

75w/90 is the correct gear oil. If you are using that its not your problem.

do not use EP90 you wont be able to change gear at all if you put that in.

If you don't find anything wrong with the clutch dragging etc, Is this a recon or an unknown used box as sometimes after high mileages the pointed tips of the dog teeth become rounded/chipped which can give difficult engagement intermittently when they meet end on & cant slide into each other smoothly

it's a recon box. If it was clutch or oil would it not be difficult to change in all gears ?

My type 9 box (with hyd. clutch mech) is exactly the same: notchy on 2nd when going up. This eases off with regular use and warm weather: I treat it as a 'feature' rather than something to be fixed....

Probably - yes. But thinner oil helps! I still say - try the MTF oil.

You know there is no drain plug on the type 9 box BMC??

Suck the oil out!