Morris Minor Owners Club

Our 948 convertible's gear stick 'sizzles' quite loudly in all but fourth gear - is there an 'anti-sizzle' spring that isn't working or is this a sign of more interesting wear?

Repair kit available from usual suppliers but I think it is just an O ring and paper gasket.... ??

Anti rattle spring and brass plunger and a nylon cup with spring underneath that push the whole shooting match up against the top plate. I fitted all this just on Thursday but as yet haven't had it on the motorway where it used to rattle most. Also note that the little nylon cup is too tight in the jhousing so the spring can't push it against the gearstick properly. I will try turning it down at some point so it can just move on the spring pressure.

Thanks for that, I've just checked one of the 'usual suppliers' who do an anti-rattle plunger, spring for same and a nylon cup and spring to sit under the lever. Presumably replacing all those ought to stop the noise, and can all be done from above without major dismantling?

Oops, wrote the last whilst PaulK was posting, look forwards to hearing your results!

There is also a rubber O ring around the gear selector knob which helps to stop rattles and is often broken or missing.
Unscrew the rubber cover and then remove the 3 bolts holding the gear lever retaining plate and lift out the gear lever.

What a great site this is!!! Horaces gear stick is a sizzler and having kept one finger curled round it for most of a journey the other day I decided do to do a bit of research into the problem and sort it out.
Well thats the research done - cheers folks!!

Unscrew the rubber cover and then remove the 3 bolts holding the gear lever retaining plate and lift out the gear lever

Check those three bolts are tight first. If they are loose that might be the problem.

Check those three bolts are tight first. If they are loose that might be the problem.

if they arte stripped, you've got an additional problem!

Just had the new bits in the post (other projects got in the way) removed convertible's gear stick and found that it was bereft of the nylon cup and its spring, plus the O-ring was perished and cut - so I guess the gear stick had every excuse to be sizzling! Haven't taken the car out yet but I can't believe it won't have made a huge difference!