7 replies to this topic

[DRW58]

My 1993 Mini Tahiti has had a recent restoration and when doing a shake down run the other day after about forty miles and a hot engine the gear shift was stiff and the gears hard to engage. I stopped had lunch and back on the road and a cool engine everything was fine again until it heated up and the same thing happened again.
During the restoration the engine was professionally rebuilt but not the gear box as it apparently looked fine and just got a clean out.
It seems ok on short runs i.e. ten miles or so but I want to be able to go distances so any help would be much appreciated in identifying the problem and how to resolve it .
Take Care Stay Safe Everyone Regards Dave 👍😎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[sonscar]

when you say stiff is the lever hard to move?Is it stiff with the engine turned off?Might be clutch related or some parts which affect the clutch workings,crank bush or whatever its real name is?Steve..

[Dusky]

Start with the clutch adjustment and go from there. The clutch linkages are lrone to wearing.

[DRW58]

Thanks guys yes stiff as in resistant to move from side to side in neutral and hard to get through the gate and into gear.
No grinding to get in there just difficult to engage.
I think I’ll bleed the system again and recheck the clutch adjustment.
Also try it with the hot engine off.
Could it be the gear lever selector getting hot and preventing free movement?
Take Care Stay Safe Everyone Regards Dave

[Spider]

Thanks guys yes stiff as in resistant to move from side to side in neutral and hard to get through the gate and into gear.

 

Hate to say it but,,,,,,

 

It sounds like you have a late Reverse Gear. These had 2 short Bushes in them and they have a habit of 'walking out'. When this occurs, it never completely comes out of Reverse, though, the Gears themselves disengage, it doesn't come over far enough to line up with the Neutral Gate.

 

You'll need to remove the Engine and part strip the Gearbox to get to it. I'd suggest replacing it with an earlier type that had the long 1 piece Bush, they don't give trouble.

 

I would also recommend against driving it any further. Driving it in this state wears the Reverse Selector Fork (pin really), while replaceable, it means completely stripping the Gearbox pretty much to the last nut.

[absx2]

I very recently had a friend pitch up with what sounds like a very similar problem on a 1990 mini that a local garage had quoted £1500 to fix.

Within 30 seconds I diagnosed the clutch throw out stop nuts were loose and had vibrated in to give next to no clearance so the clutch could not fully disengage.

He said it was fine on short trips and would only do it when it got hot !!! It must have been randomly spinning itself in and out with the engine harmonics.

 

The other thing to add to the other suggestions is too tight a clearance on the primary gear end float causing drag when hot.

 

Spider, I have had the dreaded two piece reverse gear bush problem both on 1982 cars but I thought or maybe hoped it was sorted long before the 90`s ?

Edited by absx2, 20 July 2021 - 06:28 PM.

[Spider]

Very valid point on the Primary Gear Bushes, and I gotta say, I did consider that too,,,,,

 

Spider, I have had the dreaded two piece reverse gear bush problem both on 1982 cars but I thought or maybe hoped it was sorted long before the 90`s ?

 

I haven't actually looked in to when they started with this brainwave idea or when they got over it. I'm pretty sure it wasn't until around the mid 90's that they woke up is was a crap idea.
 

[DRW58]

Again thanks for the advice guys, I should probably have said the engine is a metro 1275, not sure if this makes any difference.
I think there’s a theme developing here as someone else suggested it could be the reverse gear collar. To be honest I have absolutely no idea what goes on in a gear box.
I do have a spare gear box out of an earlier pre vertical clutch, but I’m not physically able to take my own engine out and swap it over and garages round my way don’t seem to want my business.
I need to get my head round how to move forward.
Take Care Stay Safe Everyone Regards Dave