32 replies to this topic

[Revive_British_Engineering]

My mini at some point has been fitted with a “KAD Type Quickshift” it seamed to work ok, however the gears weren’t very well defined. Now however I cannot get it into reverse. The gearbox has been rebuilt and seems to be ok (when i get a gear that is). The KAD retrofit looks new, but gear selection is hard work especially 3rd, its just very baggy. There is nothing in the Haynes about gear linkages, so im a bit stuck as to what to check, to look for and how to repair. MY MINI IS OFF THE ROAD UNTIL I GET THIS SORTED!!

Im a novice, so any help anyone can give would be appreciated. - Please help!!

[mike.]

Well firstly i'd check that the KAD quickshift lever is fitted properly into the gear linkage. It should sit down enough for the 2 little 8mm bolts to go through the side of the quick shift and into the rod change housing.

If they're in ok, the next thing to check would be the gear linkage connection to the car. Have a look under the car and you should see 2 rods coming from under the gearstick and to the back of the gear box. One should have a cylindrical collar connecting it to the shifting rod coming out of the gearbox. It should be connected using 2 roll pins. If the roll pins haven't been hammered far enough into place it would allow this collar to flex around too much.

The other rod is just a stabilising rod which should be bolted to the back of the gearbox to support the selector rod.

Also check that there is plenty of grease in the rod change housing - If your KAD lever is the type with a grease nipple, you can pump it full of grease with a grease gun.

[Revive_British_Engineering]

Well firstly i'd check that the KAD quickshift lever is fitted properly into the gear linkage. It should sit down enough for the 2 little 8mm bolts to go through the side of the quick shift and into the rod change housing.

If they're in ok, the next thing to check would be the gear linkage connection to the car. Have a look under the car and you should see 2 rods coming from under the gearstick and to the back of the gear box. One should have a cylindrical collar connecting it to the shifting rod coming out of the gearbox. It should be connected using 2 roll pins. If the roll pins haven't been hammered far enough into place it would allow this collar to flex around too much.

The other rod is just a stabilising rod which should be bolted to the back of the gearbox to support the selector rod.

Also check that there is plenty of grease in the rod change housing - If your KAD lever is the type with a grease nipple, you can pump it full of grease with a grease gun.

I bunked off work to have a closer look. There are two small tapped holes on either side of the KAD fitting. They look about M4-5. On the inside of the gear-linking casting there are also two holes about the same height. I poked a piece of bend wire in from the outside of the KAD fitting, but it wouldn’t go through (same from inside the casting, outwards). There are no screws in either side and I assume these are used to hold it in position and align the fitting to the casting?
The KAD fitting is as far down, as it looks like it can go in relation to the casting assembly, But I cannon move it (I don’t want to apply too much force!).
I think that this is the cause of my problems.

Should I remove the KAD fitting and re fit? And if so how do I get the blighter off?

Thank you for your help

[huw_jenks]

From the way you say "KAD type quickshift" I'm guessing it's not a genuine KAD item. The cheap quickshifts often have problems, especially getting into reverse (that's what I've found anyway). The way I solved it was to take the spring out from under the gear stick and shorten it with an angle grinder. I took off a bit at a time and refitted it, and eventually it let me get into reverse. From what people say the genuine KAD items don't seem to have these problems.

[Revive_British_Engineering]

From the way you say "KAD type quickshift" I'm guessing it's not a genuine KAD item. The cheap quickshifts often have problems, especially getting into reverse (that's what I've found anyway). The way I solved it was to take the spring out from under the gear stick and shorten it with an angle grinder. I took off a bit at a time and refitted it, and eventually it let me get into reverse. From what people say the genuine KAD items don't seem to have these problems.

To be honest, I dont know as i did not fit it. It does look like a KAD (same colour style etc). The mention of a spring is a little worrying, where should that be? As I have removed the top assembly and not seen one. My main concern is how to get the “KAD” off the casting assembly, at least then I can see what is going on and deal with it!

[delboyeire]

another thing i would do is to rotate the selector shaft around 180 degrees,so the gear lever is going in the other side of the hole in the selector shaft,if its the wrong way round you might only be able to select 3rd or 2nd no matter what way you move the gear stick

[Revive_British_Engineering]

another thing i would do is to rotate the selector shaft around 180 degrees,so the gear lever is going in the other side of the hole in the selector shaft,if its the wrong way round you might only be able to select 3rd or 2nd no matter what way you move the gear stick

I dont understand your post

[miniobsessed]

I would check the yoke between the gearbox and 'rod' for play first. If that's nice and tight then you either have a problem with the quickshift or inside your gearbox.

A few things to check at the quickshift end:
- Any unwanted interference between the bottom plate of the housing and the bottom of your gearstick. There is a ridge in the bottom plate which is there to stop you jamming straight into reverse (this is why you have to lift the gearstick to get reverse) which could be causing your problem. Easiest way to find out would be to take the plate off and try to select gears... The fix for this is usually to grind the ridge or shorten the end of the gearstick just enough.
- Check where/how the ball on the end of the gearstick is sitting in its hole.
- Check where the gearstick sits in the top of the housing. There is a pin there to stop the gearstick swinging around, make sure this isn't getting in anything's way as you move the gearstick through the gears.
- Check the condition of your rubber bushings hold the 'remote' to the car.

If this is all OK then you may want to get a standard gearshift and swap it out to make sure there is not an issue inside the 'box...

If you don't know what you're looking at you could take lots of pictures of everything (together and pulled apart) for us to have a look at

Good Luck

[huw_jenks]

From the way you say "KAD type quickshift" I'm guessing it's not a genuine KAD item. The cheap quickshifts often have problems, especially getting into reverse (that's what I've found anyway). The way I solved it was to take the spring out from under the gear stick and shorten it with an angle grinder. I took off a bit at a time and refitted it, and eventually it let me get into reverse. From what people say the genuine KAD items don't seem to have these problems.

To be honest, I dont know as i did not fit it. It does look like a KAD (same colour style etc). The mention of a spring is a little worrying, where should that be? As I have removed the top assembly and not seen one. My main concern is how to get the “KAD” off the casting assembly, at least then I can see what is going on and deal with it!

The gear knob should unscrew off the top of the stick, then you can remove the rubber gaiter and under there is a kind of dome with the gear stick going into the top. I seem to remember that to take this off, you push it down and twist one way or the other then lift over the gear stick. The next piece should be the quick shift itself (a purple cylinder screwed into the the originaly gear stick housing). The gear stick should lift straight out now I think, and all that is left on the shaft is a spring and a plastic ball on the end (or KAD ones might have a metal bit on the end).

[Revive_British_Engineering]

From the way you say "KAD type quickshift" I'm guessing it's not a genuine KAD item. The cheap quickshifts often have problems, especially getting into reverse (that's what I've found anyway). The way I solved it was to take the spring out from under the gear stick and shorten it with an angle grinder. I took off a bit at a time and refitted it, and eventually it let me get into reverse. From what people say the genuine KAD items don't seem to have these problems.

To be honest, I dont know as i did not fit it. It does look like a KAD (same colour style etc). The mention of a spring is a little worrying, where should that be? As I have removed the top assembly and not seen one. My main concern is how to get the “KAD” off the casting assembly, at least then I can see what is going on and deal with it!

The gear knob should unscrew off the top of the stick, then you can remove the rubber gaiter and under there is a kind of dome with the gear stick going into the top. I seem to remember that to take this off, you push it down and twist one way or the other then lift over the gear stick. The next piece should be the quick shift itself (a purple cylinder screwed into the the originaly gear stick housing). The gear stick should lift straight out now I think, and all that is left on the shaft is a spring and a plastic ball on the end (or KAD ones might have a metal bit on the end).

Ive got the gear stickout by unscrewing the top of the assembly, whats left is the body attached to the gear linkage body. the screws are not in place. but the remaining body does not move, could it have been bashed on with a large hammer? if so how do i get off??

[huw_jenks]

From the way you say "KAD type quickshift" I'm guessing it's not a genuine KAD item. The cheap quickshifts often have problems, especially getting into reverse (that's what I've found anyway). The way I solved it was to take the spring out from under the gear stick and shorten it with an angle grinder. I took off a bit at a time and refitted it, and eventually it let me get into reverse. From what people say the genuine KAD items don't seem to have these problems.

To be honest, I dont know as i did not fit it. It does look like a KAD (same colour style etc). The mention of a spring is a little worrying, where should that be? As I have removed the top assembly and not seen one. My main concern is how to get the “KAD” off the casting assembly, at least then I can see what is going on and deal with it!

The gear knob should unscrew off the top of the stick, then you can remove the rubber gaiter and under there is a kind of dome with the gear stick going into the top. I seem to remember that to take this off, you push it down and twist one way or the other then lift over the gear stick. The next piece should be the quick shift itself (a purple cylinder screwed into the the originaly gear stick housing). The gear stick should lift straight out now I think, and all that is left on the shaft is a spring and a plastic ball on the end (or KAD ones might have a metal bit on the end).

Ive got the gear stickout by unscrewing the top of the assembly, whats left is the body attached to the gear linkage body. the screws are not in place. but the remaining body does not move, could it have been bashed on with a large hammer? if so how do i get off??

Well like it says at the top of the page, I don't want to suggest anything that could go damaging your car, but if it has been "bashed on" then the only way I can see of removing it is to start bashing it off! (No pun intended..)

[Revive_British_Engineering]

From the way you say "KAD type quickshift" I'm guessing it's not a genuine KAD item. The cheap quickshifts often have problems, especially getting into reverse (that's what I've found anyway). The way I solved it was to take the spring out from under the gear stick and shorten it with an angle grinder. I took off a bit at a time and refitted it, and eventually it let me get into reverse. From what people say the genuine KAD items don't seem to have these problems.

To be honest, I dont know as i did not fit it. It does look like a KAD (same colour style etc). The mention of a spring is a little worrying, where should that be? As I have removed the top assembly and not seen one. My main concern is how to get the “KAD” off the casting assembly, at least then I can see what is going on and deal with it!

The gear knob should unscrew off the top of the stick, then you can remove the rubber gaiter and under there is a kind of dome with the gear stick going into the top. I seem to remember that to take this off, you push it down and twist one way or the other then lift over the gear stick. The next piece should be the quick shift itself (a purple cylinder screwed into the the originaly gear stick housing). The gear stick should lift straight out now I think, and all that is left on the shaft is a spring and a plastic ball on the end (or KAD ones might have a metal bit on the end).

Ive got the gear stickout by unscrewing the top of the assembly, whats left is the body attached to the gear linkage body. the screws are not in place. but the remaining body does not move, could it have been bashed on with a large hammer? if so how do i get off??

I know what you mean, if the two screw are out, Im assuming it should just lift off? if so, its hammer time

Well like it says at the top of the page, I don't want to suggest anything that could go damaging your car, but if it has been "bashed on" then the only way I can see of removing it is to start bashing it off! (No pun intended..)

[Sleepy Stu]

If its the KAD look a like then it does not use any of the original components from the original gearstick and therefore will not have a spring or associated bits. As has been said if the two screws are out then it should just lift off?

You could try taking the bottom plate of the housing and see i you can see anything from underneath?

Edited by Sleepy Stu, 14 July 2010 - 08:04 PM.

[Revive_British_Engineering]

Ok, I’ve decided to remove the whole gear linkage, then I can have a good look. I have got the car on stands and have undone the two nuts behind the gear linkage inside the car. I’m happy with removing the stabiliser bar (its just a clevis with a nut and bolt). I’m just struggling with removing the pins on the control rod, how do you get them out??

Attached Files

•  Gear_Linkage.bmp   33.36K   45 downloads

[miniobsessed]

They need to be drifted out (with a proper drift). You should be able to pick one up at a hardware store for a few quid.

If you try and use a screwdriver or the like you will damage the end of the pins and they (more than likely) will be stuck for good...

You will need to manipulate the gearstick to get the pins in the right spot to be drifted out but it's not usually a big drama