Greetings all, been reading GR'S 7 port thread, totally fascinating. Back to the gearbox....... I've found good information on dismantling earlier boxes, but not so much for my rod change. Early boxes - remove selectors and engage 2 gears to lock mainshaft to undo pinion nut. Managed to lock mainshaft with various items wedged in gearteeth (rod change selectors under mainshaft so can't engage 2 gears) Finally got the almost impossibly tight pinion nut off, yahoo ! But now I have no way of locking the mainshaft to remove the 1st motionshaft nut, because it undose in the other direction, I cant jam anything in the gears to stop the shaft from rotating. Anybody know how to lock the mainshaft in order to remove the input gear nut ? (thought of gripping the final drive pinion spline with something, but I'd probably mangle it) Many thanks, Dave.

Hey creekman, these are a real piece of cake.

Take off the output shaft diff cover that would normally be on the drivers side of the car. On the bottom you should see a little spring poking out. Take the spring out, around where the spring was is a small steel sleave, put the sleave out, then tip the box that way and a small ball bearing should also come out.

Now you can rotate the gear selector shaft (that normally connects to your shifter) about 180 degrees. NOW the shift interlock is disengauged and you can select 1st and 4th. BINGO

Hope this helps.

I learnt how from this link on the MiniForum, I'll throw it in because it has a squillion images. It goes in the rebuild direction, but start from the bottom and go up to see how things come apart

http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/in ... hl=gearbox

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

wow that sounds like the business, thanks gtmowog, gonna check that out. Thanks also Mick for that link, got a copy of that for when I finally start putting it together. This just started as a cleanout of gearbox sludge before I put the box on the nice new engine, kind of escalated into ptretty much a full overhaul. Cheers.

yeah it`s a whole lot easier to see what`s happening with the entire diff assy out of the box

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.