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MG TD TF 1500 - gear lever anti-rattle

Taken everything off the remote control to clean and add new grease.
The command shaft bottom ball of the lever is worn with a vertical groove. This grove is carved by the steel ball from the anti-rattle system. Why did they fit a steel ball rather than a bronze plunger ?
The anti-rattle system of the shaft is made of a bonze plunger and only the plunger is worn but not the shaft.


Laurent.
LC Laurent31

I had the same problem, so welded up the groove and reprofiled the spherical shape, but then fitted a bronze plug. With a 1.5mm synthetic rubber gasket mentioned in another thread, all rattles were eliminated. May be useful to mention that unleaded fuel burns faster, so I was able to reduce the ignition advance.
R A WILSON

I meant; unleaded petrol (gas) burns slightly faster than leaded petrol.
R A WILSON

Yes but the difference is small and the Manchester XPAG project showed that the std ignition timing profile is about 5degrees too retarded static and slightly too advanced at 3000rpm.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Have heard of, but not too familiar with the details of, the Manchester XPAG project. However, my brass (not bronze) plug has now been in about 25 years without much wear, although my annual mileage is much less than when I first bought the car.
R A WILSON

I recommend that you read the reports on the Totally T Type2 website.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Don't get confused between engine vibration due to pinking and the lever rattle due to normal vibration.
So many threads about that.
Anyway, my question is not about rattle but about anti-rattle system material ans shape. Brass seems to be OK; but bronze self lubricated is probably even better.
Easy to make with a lathe. But since the spring is the same that the shaft anti rattle system ref Moss 37 et 44 (AEG3123)I'm wondering if the plunger (AEG3124) could fit both systems.
Is there a good reason to have a ball rather than a plunger ?

Laurent.
LC Laurent31

AEG3123 goes inside AEG3124, which is a hollow 'cup', so it has a larger OD. Not sure why a ball was originally fitted, but my brass pad, with a bit of graphite grease, has only polished my welded surface. I fitted the rubber gasket and fiddled with the ignition at the same time, so not sure which had the most effect in stopping the gearlever rattle. However, driving without the rattle is (almost) like driving another car!
Must have missed the TTT2 reports.
R A WILSON

R A Wilson wrote:

I fitted the rubber gasket

Where do you fitted the gasket in detail?
W_Mueller

The gasket is between the gearlever extension housing and the gearbox rear housing, which I hope you can see in my photo. The gearbox is not in the car, and the extension housing has been temporarily fitted the wrong way round, which is why the set screws (bolts) are loose. You can also see that I have fitted rubber washers under flat steel washers (not spring washers) under the set screw heads, and the set screws are longer than original. I also wound a couple of turns of PVC tape around the threads where the set screws pass through the flanges, and only tightened the set screws slightly, but with Loctite. The mod was not my idea, I read it in an MG magazine many years ago and thought I'd give it a try, and it seems to have worked.
(Have now found TTT2 reports)


R A WILSON

Here is the plunger I made instead of the steel ball.


Laurent.


LC Laurent31

I only used a cylindrical brass plug about 5 mm long, so I like the 3.5 mm spigot for locating inside the spring. Perhaps you should sell them.
R A WILSON

Forgot to ask if you plan to weld up the groove.
R A WILSON

No plan to sell them (not enough time) but the diagramm is available so anyone can make it.

No. The groove is small and I couldn't do it myself.
But the plunger is long enough to grind itself into the groove rapidly.

With no groove on the lever, I would recommend to shorten it by 0.5 mm.

Laurent.


LC Laurent31

This thread was discussed between 03/07/2017 and 08/07/2017

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