Hi all,

Took the beast out for her first proper outing tonight, but alas it wasn't as much fun as I hoped it would be. It started off with a flat, no spare (yes I know i'm a goose) and a quick rescue mission from a mate.

Once I was underway again I noticed the gear shift lever (rod change by the way) felt like it was developing a lot of play in a short amount of time... 2 minutes later I was holding a gear lever that wasn't attached to anything!

I took the boot off and saw that the gear lever was now a 2 piece item instead of the 1 piece unit that I started out with. The joint in the middle of the lever which looks like a cylinder that sits over a rubber bush sort of thing (not the best way to describe it but hopefully you guys know what i'm talking about) had come apart. A quick bit of MacGyver action and I was back on the road, but the top half of the lever isn't properly attached to the bottom anymore... it's sticking out by about 2cm and feels very flexy.

Anyway, my questions are...... is this a common thing? can I just force it back together, or is it likely to come apart again?

I noticed quick shifters don't have this silly joint in the middle, would that be a better option for me?

thanks for your help guys

The rubber bit was added to remote shifts around 1965, to help cure vibes in the shifter that plagued the Cooper.
I've not seen it on a rodchange, I thought they were all 1 piece??

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Don't put a quick shifter in, the only thing they do quicker is wreck your gearbox.
Gearsticks should be easy enough to find for a rod setup. Just get another one.
I've never had a problem with the stick itself, it's normally the rubber bushes holding the thing up.

hehe there's a few things on my car that make me go... errr, what is this doing here? anyway... all back together now and working again. Will look for a one piece lever so this problem can't repeat itself

A lot of Mini Clubmans fitted with the rod change gearbox had the gear lever with the rubber bush They are not a problem all that often,
I suggest that You Do Not fit the quick shift

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" A Hundred Years From Now It will not Matter what my Bank Acount Was,
The Sort Of House I Lived in, Or The Kind Of Car I drove ... But The World May Be A Better Place
Because I was Once Important In The Life Of A Child"

I agree with John

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http://www.flickr.com/by_dan
Current: 1970 Mini K 2014 Focus ST
Past: 93 Rover, 64 850, 97 Rover, 66 Deluxe, 66 Moke
81 Austin Estate, 2006 R53MCS, 66 Deluxe, 1978 Clubbie
2014 Land Rover Defender 90

I had the same thing happen to my shifter years ago. With the boot removed you'll see the metal dome cup that holds the shifter into the rod changer box thingy, simply push it down and turn it anti-clockwise I think and you can then replace the entire shifter and dome cup off another one .

My guess is the rubber or the bonding agent used in the cylinder on the top half of the selector simply lets go from fatigue.

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

Thanks for the suggestions and replies guys, got the changer out easily and pressed it back together seems to be ok for now but will replace with 1 piece lever as soon as I can.

Slowly getting there, can't be too many more things that can break on it.... this week

Actually i would have initially agreed with the negative vibes re quikshifts... but after 20 years they grow on you.... Now I would not be without it.

They definitely won't wreck your gearbox....

Cheers, Ian

i havehad a KAD quick shift in my remote box for 15 years or more and its bloody great.

quick shift in a rod box only covers up a worn out box and rod assembly.

Grant

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100% Pure A Series Turbo
Morris - The Original RedBull Racing

Same +1 for the kad quick shift. The eight years I had the mini, seven with the quick shift, never had an issue.

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Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

I drove a Mini in ACT that had a KAD quickshift on a rebuilt rodchange and it was brilliant.
I have driven cars with noname ones on rodchange and they were rubbish, ditto a remote one. Mind you all these had slack linkage + quickshift...
a QS kit won't fix loose sloppy linkage.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I like my quickshift hand made by the previous owner , and you don't have to slam it through the gears and wear them out a small delay between each gear works very well.

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That's why it's good to be.............ME

Why I do not suggest the fitting of the quick shift.
In 4 speed synchro gearboxes, 2Nd gear, I am sure almost everyone will agree is the
gear most often replaced in a rebuild.
I have found that in a lot of instances the quick shift will
hasten the demise of 2Nd Gear, I am not saying they are rubbish simply that in My opinion
and offcourse it does depend on how they are used, they are not that kind to your gearbox

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" A Hundred Years From Now It will not Matter what my Bank Acount Was,
The Sort Of House I Lived in, Or The Kind Of Car I drove ... But The World May Be A Better Place
Because I was Once Important In The Life Of A Child"