In laymans terms (ie VERY basic ) what is the difference between a remote style gear box and a rod change gear box and a magic wand gear box..??

I have searched and searched, and there is nothing that will BASICALLY help me to understand it....

Short answer is in looks. Rod is just that, two rods going from the shift housing to the gearbox. Remote is a box running from one to the other and a wand operated on the gearbox directly.. simplistic version. You'll have to wait for someone more technical for an in depth answer...

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You're only supposed to blow WHAT off?

Magic wand gearbox (or pudding stirrer) is the 850 type with a long gear shift directly going to the gearbox through the floor next to the clutch. Remote type moved the gear shift to the conventional spot in between the seats. Rod change is a newer version of this, and are visually different as was said because they have two rods going from the box to the shifter. Remote type is within a metal housing. Chronologically magic wand is earliest (and worst, original boxes had brass cone syncho which is crap), remote came next in 3 and 4 synchro versions, with baulk ring syncho (better) and rod change came last and in my opinion is an excellent box, much stronger synchros and nicer change than earlier boxes.

Anto.

Some basic Info here for ya

http://www.ime.org.uk/ime/t/transmission_types.html

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"He's always been a dickhead, He always is a dickhead, He will always be a dickhead. So stop complaining when he acts like one."

Only real internal difference between 4 synchro remote boxes (Mini-K, Mk2 S) and rod change is the change mechanism and selector forks. 99% of an A series rod change gearset will go into a 4 synchro remote box. I know this 'coz I've done it...
ps. synchros are the same part.

2 main benefits of the remote box compared to rod change:
1. The remote housing has another engine mount at the back, in the tunnel- so you don't need 3 or 4 steadies on a 1275 to stop it climbing out of the car.. rod change box is just about as badly located as the 850 pudding stirrer box was, IMO.
2. The remote shift is shorter, notchier and more precise than a rod change. Some of us like it that way.

Rod change advantages:
1. Cheaper to make.. this helped BL I guess.
2. Room to add more gears in there. You can get 5 speed synchro, or 5 speed dog box, (there used to be 6 speed dog boxes too..)

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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 think my main problem with my old remote box might have been the remote itself, or the linkages - I had a *very* sloppy gearchange. I was used to it so it was fine but anybody else had trouble driving the car (couldn't find third). So by your reckoning I could rebuild my busted remote box with parts out of my other spare rod box?

Anto.

Cheers for the advice. If only I could somehow absorb everyone's knowledge somehow.. ha ha.

On a 1965 Deluxe 998, a remote box would be standard I presume..? What noises or feeling would I need to be careful of if I was checking out a new purchase..?

p.s. PhildoD... that Mini encyclopeadia is gonna see me sitting for hours on end in front of the computer now..!!! THANKS..!!!

Yeah 998 deluxe a 3 synchro remote box is standard. I would have thought test driving the car that you'd check for crunching going into gears (particularly downchanging into second), and jumping out of gear when you lift off the throttle or go over very bumpy road (second again is prime candidate). Avoid gearboxes that make loud grinding noises as you drive along, like mine did. They are bad.

Sloppy remote is caused by wear in all the (now old) ball and socket joints, and bushes,or people letting the clamp bolts on said joints get loose.
Some of these parts are hard to get. I hardfaced my balls and polished them back to size..

re the where the f*** is 3rd gear when you're in a hurry- There is a little spring under a hex cover below the oil filter. If you take it out and replace it with a `red' or `blue' die spring, it will block the reverse gate better. Cut the spring so its compressed length is the same as the old one.

Anto, if you are coming up to the All British day at Wakefield Pk I'll give you a spare spring if you want..

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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.

all british day at Wakefield Park... DETAILS DETAILS..!!!

:O

I think the best way to check a Magic Wand type box is just like a Kombi Van(dare I say that word here??). Push the clutch in, move the stick around, and let the clutch out. If it goes forward, it has gears

And while I'm not promoting the IME site at all, it does have some very good, innocuous info on there.

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"He's always been a dickhead, He always is a dickhead, He will always be a dickhead. So stop complaining when he acts like one."

Sunday after next- 27th June. There'll be hordes of Minis, Sprites, A30s, other pommy stuff, etc etc blah blah.. not sure of cost to go but it won't be too dear.

A few of the MDC dudes are racing Minis- Ozmotorsport, Graham in Aust. No, I'll be there spectating, but not racing..

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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.

That sounds very cool.......if only i could get off work now.

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[Maverick] 1971 Mini K

Other g'box specific stuff to watch out for is excessive stick vibration especialy in 2nd and 3rd (Drmini can explain why in those gears with reference to ratios etc)
Also do a quick change into 4th at high speed - see if it crunches.

Now Kevin about that spring thing - would that eliminate that little trap towards the 3rd gear where the stick gets stuck? you know where you move it just a tiny bit too far to the right?

Mike,
What the spring mod will do is block the reverse gate so you have to hit it across real hard when you DO want reverse. It works, no problem.
If yours is catching slightly on the 3rd gear gate, I bet the end of the main selector rod(that goes down into the box) is a little worn at the end, or the plunger under the spring I spoke about above is worn where the selector rod hits it. That will let it just catch the corner of the reverse fork when you go for 3rd.
Pull the plunger out for a look when you change the spring, make sure the plunger spigot fits inside the new spring.

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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.