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MG MGB Technical - 4 synchro gear lever retaining plate orientation

Having struggled to get the 22H15 nylon bush in at the bottom of the gear lever I then came upon a the issue for the correct orientation of the gear lever retaining plate. I believe that the previous owner had elongated one of the holes and that the plate may have been fitted in the wrong orientation which could be the reason that we often had problems getting into reverse.

The large hole for the gear lever is swaged with a small ridge which appears to then be reduced in one small section. That reduced section had previously been at the 2 o'clock position. I am now thinking that it should actually be at the 8 o'clock position to allow the gear lever to come further left when selecting reverse.

Is my assumption correct?
Graham Gilmore

Sort of, although mine has an elongated hole that aligns fore and aft, and the side of the hole is raised on the left, as in the attached.

paulh4

No 'reduced' section that I had noticed before, although the slot is perhaps a little wider at lower left.

paulh4

Graham,
Last year i had to replace my gear lever with a used one as i was unable to separate the gear knob bowl to correctly refit the O/D switch on my 1980 MGB. I kept the original plate (or was it the replacement which came with the used gear lever & looked the same?) & kept the other. See photo which shows a slot & a raised edge on one side. I note that mine is different from the one in Paul's photo which shows a distorted slot/hole whereas mine is open ended
I had difficulty fitting the lever back in with a new bush, so fitted the original back on with plenty of grease & it slotted back in although i recall it had to be at the right angle to pop back in.
Cheers,Charles


Charles9

That type of retainer was used on 77 and later cars with the gear-lever OD manual switch as the lever has a thickened section above the retainer - referred to as a harmonic damper in some quarters. It would be the only way of joining or separating lever and retainer.

paulh4

The car is a '73 4 synchro with overdrive.

I have taken some pictures of the retaining plate.

Image 1 shows the plate as fitted with one of the fixing holes as mutilated by the previous owner.

Image 2 shows an alternative orientation which positions the main oval hole so that the gear lever can go further back on the left for reverse I believe.

Image 3 shows the original orientation which shows the swaged lip which could make reverse difficult to select.

Finally Image 4 tries to highlight that the lip is higher on one side than the other.

My opinion at the moment is that I should re-orientate the plate to position 2.

Any thoughts please?

I can see that didn't work as I could not get multiple images loaded.


Graham Gilmore

Update to last post with all the photos merged.

The car is a '73 4 synchro with overdrive.

I have taken some pictures of the retaining plate.

Image 1 shows the plate as fitted with one of the fixing holes as mutilated by the previous owner.

Image 2 shows an alternative orientation which positions the main oval hole so that the gear lever can go further back on the left for reverse I believe.

Image 3 shows the original orientation which shows the swaged lip which could make reverse difficult to select.

Finally Image 4 tries to highlight that the lip is higher on one side than the other.

My opinion at the moment is that I should re-orientate the plate to position 2.

Any thoughts please?


Graham Gilmore

As previously my plate has the slot fore and aft, which puts the raised edge on the left. Why that is there I don't know, except maybe because lever has to be banged across somewhat to the left to get past the reverse detent.

As for the hole being moved as it's a full thread width maybe the thread stripped or bolt sheared and a new hole was drilled and tapped in the casting, maybe not the remote housing you have now.

I can imagine position 2 restricting 4th gear.

Have you tried selecting each gear in turn, pressing the lever down by hand, with the retaining plate loose on top of the lever ball, and seeing how the holes line up in each of the three possible orientations?
paulh4

I like your 'loose plate' idea Paul. Will try that next. It would appear however that the plate was on correctly in the first place. Looks like a trial and error solution will be required.
Graham Gilmore

Maybe I should also ensure that the thackery washers are not to compressed.
Graham Gilmore

Graham, if I were you I would get hold of another plate! Then at least you know it is correct. I may have one spare.

Colin
Colin Parkinson

Thanks for the offer Colin, I will see how my experiments go and let you know.
Graham Gilmore

The Thackery washers should be used with shouldered bolts 22B525. These tighten down onto the casing at the shoulder which compresses the spring the correct amount - assuming all is well with the plate and under it.

paulh4

Yes, I am using those bolts and washers. Have re-assembled it now with the slot in the for/aft position and as soon as I sorted out a battery issue I will test drive it and report back, although of course I haven't really changed anything.
Graham Gilmore

Not having changed anything nothing has changed really, it is still somewhat of a struggle to get into reverse with out going into first gear first and that sometimes require selecting 2nd gear before 1st. I have another issue with overdrive now, but that is for a new thread....
Graham Gilmore

Ah, you should have said that at the beginning! That sequence is pretty standard in my experience, on both mine, although very occasionally I have to lift up the clutch and try again. Mines been doing that for 30 years, but since I've never had a car that I could guarantee always being able to select 1st or reverse from neutral, I've never done anything about it. I find just bumping it towards 1st, or 2nd then 1st, is enough, it doesn't need to go all the way in.
paulh4

Graham,
My experience of finding reverse is very similar to Paul's having had the car for nearly 39 years from new!
Cheers,Charles
Charles9

Golly, on my TD, my MGA, my MGB and my '77 F-100 P/U (3 speed column shift) I have always selected 2nd or 3rd before selecting 1st or reverse just because it makes it easier to get into those lowest gears. 1st is synchro in the MGB and the F-100 but the practice still makes it easier to get into those gears.

Jud
J. K. Chapin

This thread was discussed between 22/04/2019 and 02/05/2019

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