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MG MG Y Type - Gearbox removal

I am removing my gearbox for overhaul. All the bolts are out and everything that needs to be is disconnected but the engine/gearbox joint seems reluctant to part. Any tips on doing this? Do I need to remove the mounts or should it lift over this - I have taken the nut underneath off.
D MULLEN

Try jacking up the engine at the gearboxside (with a piece of wood between the sump and jack) so that the rear gearboxmounting comes more or less clear. Then grab the gearbox at the tail and you should be able to wiggle it free. A trolley-jack to support the weight of the gearbox is very helpful at this stage.

I lifted the gearbox on my own but if I would do it again, I would arrange some extra hands and lifting power.
W. van der Veer

Agreed - 2 people are better than one to lift the box out of the car and put it back in. Its not so much heavy (although it isnt light either), just dang difficult to man-handle.

While we are on the subject of putting it back in, use the time the box is away to obtain two long XPAG engine head studs. When you are ready to refit the gearbox, screw these into the engine at about 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock position holes and use them as guide rails to align up the input shaft and gearbox generally. Once everything is mated, you can unscrew them and replace them with the proper bolts.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Thanks gentlemen - I'll get some assistance although as I have a wife and 3 daughters ....mind you one of them has not long got married so I'll ask the son in law!
One thing I forgot to do was mark the prop shaft joint at the gearbox end before I unbolted it. Not sure if I will have 'unbalanced' it - is there any way to know? I'll let you know how I get on.
D MULLEN

Gearbox now out and with Klassik Transmissions - I need to renew the clutch and ring gear so am taking the engine out as other items need attention as well. My engine is a YA 7 1/4 in flywheel/clutch type but the g/box is the YB 3/4 in first motion shaft type. I need a plate with these dimensions ie 7 1/4 diameter with 3/4 splined centre - I am told by Neil Cairns that I need one from a 50s Hillman Minx (not sure how to measure the diameter of the splined centre - i.e. across the 'gap' or the 'teeth' of the splines) and where do I get one? Surely this must be a problem long sorted out by XPAG suppliers? Problem is the clutch fitted all these years seems to be a YA 7 1/4 one but I need to know how to check the diameter of the splined centre first to be sure - if it is 5/8 centre (my gearbox first motion shaft is 3/4)then God knows how it all worked!? Help - confused from Merseyside!!
D MULLEN

A bit late now but I found on my Y, TF, and Anglia that tilting the engine up at the front by jacking helps both the removal and assembly. It seems that the first motion shaft takes all the weight and jams. Be aware that unless a rope cradles the gear box and is secured above the gear shift hole it can suddenly come apart rather suddenly.
B Mellem

David,

I donīt know the answer for sure but logic says that you should measure the shaft on the outside or teeths (and the platecentre across the gaps).
If no clutch plate can be found surely some firm in GB is able to reline it?

What puzzles me is why I didnīt have trouble fitting the 8 inch clutchplate to my older type gearbox. I would think the splines are the same (knowing that Neil Cairns wrote something about that, but I canīt find the thread)?
W. van der Veer

also search for Clutch mystery in the archives, youīll read a thread about my question in reverse....
W. van der Veer

The answer is, the shaft that goes through the bell housing to actuate the throw-out bearing is what is different. The smaller clutch had a 3/4 in. shaft and the 8" clutch had a 7/8" shaft???
W. van der Veer

All very complicated. Can someone give the definitive answer to all this. I am not sure I ever had the right assembly in my car and now I seem to have mislaid the old clutch plate....
D MULLEN

Neil Cairns has supplied the answer to my enigma - if as on my YB you have a YA type engine (with the YA 7 1/4 in flywheel plate needing a 7 1/4 YA clutch plate which has a splined centre of 7/8 in ) and you have the YB gearbox [which has a 1 in first motion shaft instead of the 7/8 in one on the YA] then the only way round fitting the YB gearbox to the 7 1/4 YA type flywheel on the engine it is to fit a 7 1/4 clutch plate with a 1 inch splined centre. These were fitted to early 50s Hillman Minxs apparently. Hope you all get that ..it took me a while!
D MULLEN

I got this from the internet so I am now so confused as to warrant treatment......
I presume a 7 1/4 with 3/4 centre is the answer then?
"Other obvious modifications were the fitting of a bigger clutch, 7 1/4" growing to an 8". This also affected the flywheel and the gearbox first motion shaft and bell-housing making inter-changeability difficult. For instance I run a replacement 'SC' Gold Seal engine with the old type filter canister, in an early 'YB' that has the correct later SC2 gearbox with the larger first motion shaft and bell housing. This means the engine will only take a 7 1/4" clutch plate, but it needs a 3/4" centre. The M.G. 7 1/4" clutch plate has a 5/8" centre, but one from a 1950 Hillman Minx fits I am pleased to say, as it uses a similar 7 1/4" clutch plate but with a 3/4" centre. You just have to be prepared to search about auto-jumbles. Whilst the gearboxes all look similar, the sports cars version have the remote gear-change coming off the 'top cover' of the 'M' Morris unit, where as the 'Y' has its remote gear-change coming off a rear extension tail shaft. "
D MULLEN

Sorted now - its 7 1/4 with 3/4 in splined centre plate (if you measure the gap between the teeth and 1 in if you measure the distance between the gaps in the centre. Probably this means 7 1/4 by 1 inch when you order the plate. Can I thank Neil Cairns and others who have helped off line -thanks for your patience in what is technically (at least to me)a bit confusing .
D MULLEN

This thread was discussed between 31/08/2009 and 28/09/2009

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