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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - 3rd Gear Locking Ring

Has anyone got good tips on fitting and locking in the 3rd gear locking ring with spring plunger?
Peter King

It helps if you have three hands and a very thin screwdriver

It's a few years since I've done one, so I can't remember too much about it, but just takes a bit of perseverance.

Having said that, I've got a couple of 'boxes to rebuild when I get around to it.
Dave O'Neill 2

I use a small screwdriver with the tip ground to a point to push in one of the plungers. Then push the locking ring to just hold in it at the same time using the pointed screwdriver to push in the other plunger. The continue to turn the ring until both plungers are retained. It takes a bit of practice. I have the third motion shaft mounted vertically in a vice which helps!
Bob Beaumont

I agree with having shaft vertical in a vice. It's fiddly but easier than fitting the 1st/2nd sleeve imv.
Bill Bretherton

I do this while my hands and the plunger are in a plastic bag...

Flip Brühl

Flip

I wish my bench was that tidy!
Dave O'Neill 2

It is not always like that
Flip Brühl

I've used a screw type hose clamp. Place one spring & plunger in place and put the clamp against it. Slide the next ones in and push the clamp against that and hold with one hand. Tighten the clamp with your free hand so it holds but is not really tight (it needs to be able to slide) then push the ring into place using it to slide the clamp off as the ring slides on. It's similar to how you compress rings on a piston when installing them.
SK Kowznofski

To assemble the first/second speed hub, or third/fourth synchro hub, there was a factory tool.

The one pictured is for an MGB, but the Spridget one was similar.

It would be easy to make one from a strip of steel and drill a hole in it.

Basically, you line up the hole in the tool with the hole in the hub, insert the spring and ball, then turn the tool to the next hole. Once all three are in, you just slight the outer hub - or first speed gear - onto the inner hub, displacing the tool as you go.

Dave O'Neill 2

Hi Dave I think Peter is referring to the plungers that hold the locking ring rather than the Synchro hubs.
Bob Beaumont

Bob

Yes, I appreciate that, but it seems a bit of thread drift crept in with some other posts. I was responding to that.
Dave O'Neill 2

Hi Dave, I like that tool, sometimes the simplest is the best. You could probably fabricate something similar out of plastic pipe depending on the outside diameter of the synchro piece & the inside diameter of various types of plastic pipe. I am planning the Rivergate / Datsun 5 speed conversion so hopefully those days are in my past!
SK Kowznofski

I use jubelee clips wit a hole instead of special tools.

Flip
Flip Brühl

Thanks for all the suggestions.
I have now sorted the problem after grinding down screwdrivers, scribers and bad language.
What I did was mill out a 2mm wide x 2mm deep groove in the bottom side of the locking ring and turned a 6mm steel rod to 1.5mm.
With the help of my wife the job was done in a couple of minutes.

My next is the 2nd gear which looking a this locking ring I think I will just grind two very small chamfers to the outside edge to give a little more access to the plungers.

All because I made a wrong turn on a rally - expensive these straight cut gears!!!
Peter King

Well done! My wife was also handy re-assembling gearboxes. In a past life she worked for BL as a trainee on the Marina gearbox assembly line.....
Bob Beaumont

This thread was discussed between 30/09/2016 and 04/10/2016

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