Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi folks
Am I right in thinking that the gearstick for the 948 & 1098 gearboxes are slightly different from each other in that the 1098 is "straighter" with less of an angle at the bend?
The reason I ask is that mine (1275 running I think a 1098 box) clashes with the corner of the seat when in reverse. A straighter stick would solve that problem, at the expense of a longer reach for 1st!
Thanks
Dom

I believe there is a slight difference in the engagement section of the two levers - so they pretty much need to be kept with the correct box. I suggest you take the lever out and fit new plastic bush and O ring to see if that tightens it up enough - or just move the seat back slightly. Your seat must surely be WAY forward??

The MG 1275 box has a shorter throw into 1st than the 1098 box. I discovered this when fitting a handbrake to gear lever lock.

With the seat in the middle position on the ratchet (needed by my better half) and bolted in the rearmost position into the floor the gear knob presses quite firmly into the corner of the seat, sometimes preventing fully locking into reverse. I have put a jubilee clip round the lower seat frame tube to prevent it from migrating in towards the centre of the car, which was making matters worse. When I bought the car, it had an angled extender throwing the actual knob further forwards, and raising it by a couple of inches, but this didn't prevent the stick and seat clashing. I think the answer will be to introduce a very slight forward bend into the gearstick itself. I have a feeling that when the floor was replaced many years ago, things weren't aligned very accurately, causing the seat fixings to be too far forward and inboard maybe.

Isn't there a peg and slot arrangement to keep the seat in it's place?
It's too cold to go out and check!

Hi Marky
The fore & aft movement is via a peg / rack arrangement. Sideways movement is prevented by a small screw into the horizontal frame so that it bears against the hold-down bracket. This didn't seem man enough for the job hence my jubilee clip arrangement. No sideways movement now, but the seat is still in line with the gearknob when reverse is selected. I'll take a photo or two tomorrow.

That rings a bell! The peg and slot may refer to earlier Minors.
A small washer under the screw might make it more effective.
I've driven Minors that have the same issue and adjusted how I put them into reverse to more of a slap than a grip and pull motion.
It might be that later seats have been fitted at some stage, early seats are much more slab sided than later ones.