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MG MGB Technical - Sticky Gears!

Hi all

Can anyone help wuith a strange issue? I have found on our 1976 MGBGT that of late the gear change has become quite stiff? The clutch works fine, oil is perfectly good in the gearbox but moving through the gears is quite challenging! Anyone have any idea what may be going on? Thanks very much and I look forward to your valued advice!

Reagrds

Martin.
Martin Clegg

I have experienced this problem from time to time with some of the cars I've owned. If you access the selector mechanism by removing the knob and gear stick gaitor by removing the 4screw and chrome ring , you may find the gear lever is lacking lube in this area, I think you can remove 4 hex screws remove top plate and spray or lube with a graphite or ordinary grease and reassemble. I think this will much improve your gear changes.

Regards Patrick
P.T. Tighe

3 X 1/2" hex bolts with special (?Thackeray)spring washers.IIRC. If you pull the gearstick out can you let me know if the anti rattle springs and dampers spring out or do they remain in place.
Michael Beswick

Martin, where exactly is the stiffness, or resistance? Is it in the selector rods or in the actual meshing of the gears?
Art Pearse

You can spray most of the likely suspects from under the car. Usually fixes or at least confirms diagnosis.

FRM
FR Millmore

Art, in response to your question, I'm really not sure? As I push the gear stick into first gear, there is resistance and I have to push it quite hard to get it to select. Once I have pulled away, 2nd gear is quite stiff again and I have to again push quite hard to get it to select and the same for third and forth gears. Is it the selector rod do you think? And if so, is it a difficult job to remedy?

I will get under it this weekend FR and get some lubricating spray into the relevant spots to see if this makes a difference.

I'll report back on any progress! Many thanks all!

Martin.
Martin Clegg

Do the gears select easily when the car is stationary and the engine switched off. Do the gears grind when trying to select reverse gear. This information would give us a better clue.
Iain MacKintosh

Hi Iain

Yes, with the car parked and engine switched off the gears are still stiff when selecting however, no grinding at any point when selecting the gears (even reverse) with the engine running?

regards

Martin.
Martin Clegg

Well it certainky looks as if the clutch is OK as I had thoughtn that this may be the problem. It looks like the selectors have tightened and in need of lubrication so there is no alternative but to have a look and spray a lubricant whereever two parts move together. I'd start at the gear lever, remove it and see what you find in terms of oil or grease and take it from there.
Iain MacKintosh

Fantastic, I'll get the gear lever off over the weekend and also get underneath the car to lubricate what I can and fingers crossed it should hopefully improve. Thanks all for your feedback and I will let you know the result.

Regards

Martin.
Martin Clegg

You can pretty well lubricate the lever ball from under - not necessary to take the interior apart. Put it in different gears and spray, so different sections of the ball are exposed from the bottom.

FRM
FR Millmore

And use spray grease, not WD40-or at least if you want the effect to last. The top of the lever ball is accessible when you remove the gaiter.
Michael Beswick

This thread was discussed between 25/07/2012 and 27/07/2012

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