6 replies to this topic

[MalcB]

Slight issue with gear change on my 1966 1275 S. The gear box itself is fine, no issues with the syncro etc. Gear lever seems a bit "floppy" back and forth and sometimes 4th and reverse don't seem to engage. My question is. Are there bushes that can be replaced or is there some adjustment?

PS It is the remote stick type in an aluminium housing, not later rod type.

[pantera2075]

Not sure whether this is your problem, but there's a "detent ball" and spring on the gearbox that should hold things in place and stop floppiness. - Check your Haynes.

[Guess-Works.com]

being a 66 cooper, one assumes it's a remote gear change ( big ali casing from the back of the box to the lever )

I don't think there are any serviceable bushes in the actual linkage, but in the diff housing there is a bush which the rod runs through, and without proper greasing this can wear and allow the first of the selector rods into the gearbox to wobble giving a vague gear selection.

http://minispares.co....aspx?pid=36769

[pogie]

A similar thing happened to my old clubbie that had a 1300GT remote box. I'm at work at the moment so I can't go out and check if the Cooper remote box I have sitting on the shelf in the garage next to the 1300GT one is the same.

Right, this a bit of a tenuous description but here goes. There is a two part ball joint on the back of the gearbox just above the diff housing and one of the pinch bolts that secures this joint to the selector shafts had come loose. As the joint is splined it didn't completely loosen off but rather became really sloppy. I did the bolt up and the all the sloppyness went and it was back to being how it was when I first bought it.

Unfortunately I only found this out when I had removed the engine and box from the car thinking the box was knackered and needed replacing which is why I bought the Cooper remote box.

HTH

Edited by pogie, 09 June 2008 - 10:32 AM.

[MalcB]

Thanks for your comments.

I'll have look see tonight. I had sort of though about the clamp bolt coming loose as the
car was driving fine untill half way back from Beaulieu yesterday.

[dklawson]

I don't have a spare shift housing to look at and Guessworks and the others can probably offer more definitive descriptions and chronology than I. However, at one point there was a change to or from the use of a nylon cup on the bottom of the shift lever where it engages the rod mechanism. If there is supposed to be a nylon cup, but it's missing, the lever itself will be very loose.

[MalcB]

Had a look last night and looks as though the pinch bolt might be a bit loose because you can see the splines moving in and out of toggle when the lever is jiggled. Tried tightening but not much room in there with an LCB fitted. Might have to take the carbs off and go in from the top.

Edited by MalcB, 10 June 2008 - 08:18 AM.