Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi Everyone,
Looking for some more help with my gearbox issues. Specifically the remote shifter and reverse selection issues.

The short version:- I have a Series 2. PO fitted a 1098, kept the smoothcase box, but retrofitted 1000 internals, retaining old style shifter.
Concern over the longevity of this box behind the newly rebuilt 1098 meant I sourced and fitted a ribcase.. no luck there as it jumps out of 4th on acceleration only, other wise it was a nice shifting box

SO.. having only ever been able to do about 200 miles in the car in over 18 months since I bought it due to engine issues, then gearbox issues, I decided to go the quickest and seemingly easiest route, refitting the smooth case box for now so I can at least use the car a bit. ( I havent even been able to run the engine in yet).
Having made all the changes to accomodate the remote shift (floor, pedals and handbrake, carpets etc) I decided to just fit a 1000 remote shift housing to the series 2 smoothcase rather than change everything else back.

In the mix I moved house some 3 hours away and all the pain that goes with that and having a "few" classic cars, it has taken me months to get to this point.
I have just finished installing the smoothcase only to discover that I cannot select reverse. Every other gear is fine.
I have some vague recollection of reading somewhere deep in the forum about the issues with the different style lock out for reverse between series 2 & 3 gearboxes...

Can anyone please advise?
NB: I'm in Australia and getting the rib case sorted is not a simple process otherwise I would- long term I would like to, but these are almost non existent in Minors over here and I've been warned about issues with spares depending on what version of internals it has.

Grateful for any constructive comments..
(Edit- I've since managed to get the rear housing off without pulling the box. Assuming I have to make a modification (I could see the remote selector would not go into the reverse shift rod) is the alteration made to the reverse rod shown in the attached or the actual remote shifter 'peg' that locates in these? And how..?)

Chris

If the PO fitted 1098 internals to an 803 box but retained the 803 type gear stick then, amongst many other things, they will have modified the 1098 reverse selector rod to enable the 'up and over' mechanism of the gear stick for selecting reverse gear, which is different to the later cars. The mod was probably done by welding a slug of metal into the bottom of the slot of the reverse selector rod.
I suspect that if you get rid of the remote shifter and reverse the changes to the floor, pedals etc. it will all work again. Or - simply swap the reverse selector rod in the smoothcase for the one from your ribcase box......if that will fit.......I don't know but someone else on here with greater knowledge may be able to help.

Thanks for your input.
You've misunderstood part of what I posted. The PO fitted Minor 1000 internals to the 803 box. I.e those for the original 1000 (948cc). If he had fitted 1098 internals i.e from a rib case box, I wouldn't have any issues (Reliability wise) and could have left it with the series 2 shifter.
I don't believe the Minor was sold in Australia with the 1098 engine, so when we refer to the 1000 over here, it's basically only ever the 948cc.

I'm not overly familiar with the differences in rods used, but the one shown I believe is the original 803 series 2 style and it used to have the up and over selection.
I do not want to reverse everything back to suit that style gearshift as I will eventually fix the rib case and put it back in. The smooth case I'm told is unwise to leave behind the 1098 and I prefer the remote shifter as well.

Ah, OK. But if the PO fitted a 948 box yet retaining the 'up and over' reverse mechanism for originality's sake, he will have (I assume) fitted the old 803 selector rod to enable this. Whether this is compatible with a remote shifter I don't know.
Hopefully, someone with more knowledge will be along in a bit.....

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Mon Sep 22, 2025 10:27 am Ah, OK. But if the PO fitted a 948 box yet retaining the 'up and over' reverse mechanism for originality's sake, he will have (I assume) fitted the old 803 selector rod to enable this. Whether this is compatible with a remote shifter I don't know.
Hopefully, someone with more knowledge will be along in a bit.....

I think this is exactly the issue - the 948 gear lever doesn't have the facility to be lifted, meaning you can't overcome the 'up and over' gate on the 803 reverse selector rod which it sounds as though you have fitted to the car

Then the solution ought to be to swap back in a reverse selector rod from a 948 gearbox....

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Mon Sep 22, 2025 6:32 pm Then the solution ought to be to swap back in a reverse selector rod from a 948 gearbox....

Indeed…

Unfortunately that creates issues.
1 I don't have one
2 I'd have to partially disassemble to do this.
The idea was that this was to be a temporary solution until I can sort out the issue with the rib case. There is no point going that far when I could just start doing that on the rib case box instead. I just didn't want the car in bits and undriveable until the rib case can be sorted so I decided today that is was unwise to make any modifications and refitted the series 2 gearbox tail piece and original shifter.
Cut an additional hole in the gearbox cover (I can weld it back in later) and refitted. This meant that I didn't have to reverse all the pedal changes etc and the car is now driveable.

I've already had a look inside the rib case box and will post elsewhere about that.

Glad you got it driveable.

Yes, enjoy driving it for a bit now!