Car has been up on stands (front) since just after Christmas - put in HiLos and played with the brakes and fitted the drive shafts and boots etc etc. Today I noticed it was a bit stiff in trying to rotate the wheels and they wouldn't go a full turn. Thought it may have been in gear but I could hardly move the gear stick.

After getting the brakes together and wheels back on I dropped it to the floor and tried the gears again - better movement but stiff and only neutral 2nd - 4th and Reverse - can't get it into 1st and 3rd.

It was all fine when I put the box together and when it was first put in the car - not been driven and as I said only happened while up on the stands - checked the oil and although I had put some in on assembly (not full) it wasn't showing on the dip stick so I filled it right up - seemed to make it smoother but still no 1st and 3rd

Any ideas?

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

remote change? just check the knuckles on top of the diff cover, maybe you didn't tighten them and you've wiggled them loose

being 1st & 3rd, they're the gears where you're pushing up on them

Magic Wand change - but I'll check - next weekend but - off to work my 3 days tomorrow

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

Its engine mount related, You will find that the wand it hitting the bodywork.

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speed costs....how fast do you want to go...

I doubt it would be the knuckle joints since you could get 1st & 3rd when you first put the engine in. Could be mounts as jbeenz suggests.

When you had it on the stands, were the staunds under the engine or subframe / body?

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Under the front subframe behind the bumperbar - also the sitting on the jack with a block of 3x2 about 10" long under the front corner of the shell at the back of the left wheel arch but barely taking any weight as it was lowered a little to put all the weight on the stands

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

And the winner is...................................... (Probably) Jbeenz !

Emailed John Guess at Guesswoks ( Geabox specialist in the UK) and that's his opinon also. Stands to reason when you think on it - I haven't yet fixed the bottom engine steadies yet and the body was on an angle for some time and the engine has swung on the mounts so the change lever has fouled on the font of the floor cut out. (at least I hope that's the case ) I'll check it out after it has sat level all week - must get the bottom steadies bolted up

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

Fiddled with the adjustable lower engine steady and increased its effective length by about ½" and got full movement back with definate drop into 1st and 3rd - Happy now

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!