4 replies to this topic

[jeffgleed]

Model: Mk1 Cooper
Year: 1967
Engine: 1293cc, HIF44, Aldon Red etc
Gearbox: Remote type with close ratio helical gears - 3.95

I have modified my Mk1 Cooper into a daily driver/hill climb car (bit of a wierd compromise but huge fun). Unfortunately the last 3 events have been
a bit of a lottery. Everything is great until I try and change up from 2nd into 3rd gear at high revs (7000-8000rpm). Sometimes it works but more often
than not it baulks (no crunching gears just nothing at all). Once this happens its hard to find any gears until the revs and speed have dropped sufficiently,
not really condusive to a good time. One of the other mini drivers recommended a reverse lock (which stops the gear lever moving past the 3rd gear gate),
which I have now fitted but I am wondering if this is going to be enough. I don't want to start next season with the same problems. The engine and gearbox
were professionally built last year and I have refurbished the remote linkage and fitted a KAD quickshifter. All of which helped but its still an issue.

Does anyone have experience of competing in an early car?
Is there anything else I can do to improve the remote gearchange?
Is it possible to fit a 5 speed gearbox to a Mk1?

Cheers

Jeff

Edited by jeffgleed, 05 October 2008 - 09:57 AM.

[JetBLICK]

Have you inspected your selector forks? I had similar problems in my haste to change gear at high revs. I've had my gearbox apart and the selector fork is badly worn. Hopefully this will fix it. Mind you if you said you had it proffesionally re-built, he should have picked up on it. Maybe worth asking the guy what bits he actually replaced.

[jeffgleed]

Have you inspected your selector forks? I had similar problems in my haste to change gear at high revs. I've had my gearbox apart and the selector fork is badly worn. Hopefully this will fix it. Mind you if you said you had it proffesionally re-built, he should have picked up on it. Maybe worth asking the guy what bits he actually replaced.

Thanks for that

I will give him a call tomorrow ... I would have expected him to replace them as a matter of course but you never know.

[Ethel]

Would the selector mechanism be affected by high revs only? I'd be more inclined to think you're just asking too much of the baulk ring. Try double declutching if you're not already.


Your choice of oil might make a difference too.

[JetBLICK]

Would the selector mechanism be affected by high revs only? I'd be more inclined to think you're just asking too much of the baulk ring. Try double declutching if you're not already.

Yea thats my thoughts on it too, think how fast everythings spinning in ther, wen you try to change at 8000rpm. However, the parts that are gonna take the brunt of trying to force the syncro onto the gear will be the forks. They have a habbit of spreading, which makes gears feel slack, also stops the gears engaging properly.

I dont think you'll ever be able to cure the problem tho.

Something else has just occured to me too. When my box was built the first time it was really bitey. It was because the new baulk rings where gripping so well, it was making it really notchy when your putting it into gear. It was getting better after 1000 miles, but thats when the engine had to come out again.