Morris Minor Owners Club

Has anyone any experience with the modified gearbox front cover—— the one with an oil seal, and is it worth doing ?

I've just done it. I'll report back........

It was easy to do with the engine out and an already modified front plate from ESM. That plate does not come with a new gasket so you have to order that separately. My front scroll did not leak much and I think it was entirely within normal tolerances but I had to take the front plate off for another reason so I thought I might as well fit the modification as it was no extra work.

Stephen

Thanks Stephen, another point when I noticed you put shims behind the front plate. I can’t recall doing this on my two gearbox rebuilds, it was a long time ago, so I may well have done this. It caused me to go back through my ESM receipts to see it I ordered any of the required shims. I found three different part numbers for shims I ordered they are— 10G143–10G144-and 10G145.
However the description on their website links them to the gearbox but not the specific area of such. Can you or anyone identify the shims that are used for the gearbox front cover, maybe from the pictures on their site ? Time permitting of course.

Hello Les,

Yes ESM sell the shims for the front bearing. They have 3 sizes: 0.010", 0.004", 0.006"

If you type your part numbers in to the search box on the ESM website it will find them but they use different part numbers in their listings.

Stephen


https://www.morrisminorspares.com/gearb ... 38-p830888
https://www.morrisminorspares.com/gearb ... 39-p830897
https://www.morrisminorspares.com/gearb ... 37-p830896

So those number I quoted are ALL for the front cover, just different thicknesses ?
For some reason I’d been thinking each part number referred to a different shim application, rather than just referring to the difference in thickness. Silly me.

les wrote: ↑Sat Mar 15, 2025 9:55 pm So those number I quoted are ALL for the front cover, just different thicknesses ?
For some reason I’d been thinking each part number referred to a different shim application, rather than just referring to the difference in thickness. Silly me.

Yes they are the same diameter shims but they come in 3 different thicknesses. ESM calls them "shim-bearing", AKD3541 calls them "washer-packing"

Great, thanks for your help. Looks like I would have fitted the shims then, as according to my receipts I ordered quite a few of each around 2011.

les wrote: ↑Sat Mar 15, 2025 10:24 pm Great, thanks for your help. Looks like I would have fitted the shims then, as according to my receipts I ordered quite a few of each around 2011.

Here is the picture and text from AKD3541. Part number 5 "washer packing" in the 3 sizes mentioned already. If you search other threads on the gearbox lip seal conversion there is at least one mention of the shims.

Confirmation thanks, why didn’t I think of cross referencing, the numbers in AKD 3541 coincide with the additional number (in brackets) on ESMs site !

les wrote: ↑Sat Mar 15, 2025 10:36 pm Confirmation thanks, why didn’t I think of cross referencing, the numbers in AKD 3541 coincide with the additional number (in brackets) on ESMs site !

They're quite expensive those shims. Too expensive really to just guess and buy a selection for what you might need for the job!

Stephen