5 replies to this topic

[mattaebersold]

Hey all, thank you for your time. Let me explain the problem I am having. 
 

Last year I installed a KAD Improved Shifter into my Mini 1000. First off, I love the shifter, it feels nice and quality. I want to keep it if at all possible. But I'm having some problems that I think are caused by it. 

 

2nd gear is now VERY hard to engage. It often grinds when I try to engage it, and if I'm very careful I can select it. Once fully in 2nd gear, that gear pulls very nice, and has no problems. 4th gear is another story. When I try to select it, it will go in every time. But under ANY load whatsoever, it will pop out into neutral. This happens constantly, even with a small tap of the throttle. 

 

I bought a brand new rod change housing and linkage, with all new bushings/mounts, which I hoped would have fixed the problem. My theory was that since the linkage and mounts were so old and loose & there was so much play, it was literally rocking out of gear. Since installing the new parts, the shifter feels great. It's solid, true, and goes through the gates perfectly. BUT the problems with 2nd and 4th gear are the exact same as they were before the install.

 

I suspect that the issue lies with the shifter, and that the throw isn't going far enough to fully engage those gears. 

 

My question for you is if the problem is indeed the shifter, or if there is anything else that I can try in order to get the gears to fully catch. Clutch adjustment? Any type of gearbox adjustment? Anything? 

 

I realize that getting a stock shifter is probably the way to go, but I feel like I need to ask if there is ANYTHING else that can be done before I resort to that? 

 

Thanks, any advice is much appreciated.

[The Matt]

Are the engine steady bushes in good nick?

[mattaebersold]

I installed the lower steady kit (w/poly bushings) not long ago, so that one is great. The upper dogbone mount is old, but doesn't appear to be loose or worn.

[podifold]

When I first fitted my KAD quick shift I had the exact same issue as you. I loved the short throw and solid, positive feel but getting into 2nd was an absolute pig.

 

After a lot of head scratching I figured out what was happening. The new gear lever was hitting the front of the opening in the gear lever housing and not allowing the full travel needed to engage the gear properly.

 

Trust me, take it apart and you'll see some marking on either the gear lever or the housing where the two have been in contact.

 

The solution's simple, you just need to file or grind a small amount of material away from the housing in the area circled below. As soon as I did it the problem was solved.

 

KAD shifters are an excellent piece of kit, but when you search online all the negative comments seem to be that they make it hard to get into gear. This is why! I can't believe no-one else, including KAD themselves, has figured this out.

 

Edited by podifold, 21 April 2014 - 05:18 PM.

[mattaebersold]

Thank you for this! That sounds very logical, and obvious :) I will give this a shot and report back here, so hopefully others can benefit from this.

[mungomini]

I own a 1988 mini and have only recently started experiencing gear grinding and popping out of gear.  

 

I bought the car from an individual that converted it from automatic to 4-speed 3yrs ago, and have been using it as a weekend run about.  Recently I decided to take her into the shop to fix some leaks.  Water pump, radiator and oil seepage from the shifter etc.  During the work the technician said that the engine mount bolts were really loose and that the engine was hitting the fire wall during the drive - ok, this is my first and only mini so I wouldn't have known the difference.  I asked him to make it right and he did.

 

Happy as pie with the feel and the repairs made.  Unfortunately, it appears that my investment opened up pandora's box.  Car pops out of 4th gear during deceleration.  I read the above thread but can't say 2nd is a problem and the rest of the gears engage smoothly.  Wanted to send a shout out to see if you guys thought tightening the engine mounts may have brought to light a problem the previous owner had, but has masked it by loosing bolts as opposed to trouble shooting the problem.

 

I can't think of anything else that would have changed that would have literally brought this problem on overnight.     

 

Any help or advise would be much appreciated.  

 

Limping in Knoxville.