When selecting 4th gear there dosen't seem to be anything preventing me from coming across & selecting reverse. It is as if there is a detent ball & spring missing, the only one I can think of is behind the RH cover plate but that is definately fitted. What prevents you from coming across & going into reverse?

I believe, and I may be wrong, that they were orignally designed so that you had to lift up into reverse. This mechanism wears out. I have only driven two rod change cars and both you could put into reverse without having to lift up.

Ryan

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Ryan Filippi
Minis In The Gong
[email protected]
www.minisinthegong.com.au

Yes, you are supposed to lift into reverse. The plate at the bottom of the box into which the gear stick goes has a ridge which gates reverse, sounds like yours is worn.

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Rod change gear shifts commonly wear at the base at an angle which means you no longer have to lift for reverse. New gear shift will sort you out or weld up your existing one.

Now that I know you have to lift the gearlever I will have a look at the remote.I also fitted a quick change gear lever from the UK so that is probably where the problem is.

Should probably confirm, this is a rod change gearbox and not a remote change?

If you fitted a quick-shift kit, then being new it shouldn't be worn and should fix your problem (unless the corresponding part of the rod 'box' is also worn)

A remote change gearbox works differently, you don't lift for reverse but there is resistance as you move the gearshift to the right, and there is a spring behind the big nut at the front passengers side of the gearbox that achieves this.

Yer it is a rod change box. I have never driven the car it is a complete rebuild so don't know what it was like before. I can now see the problem will build up the bottom plate on the remote with a bit of weld. If I left it how it is my missus would select reverse instead of 4th for sure. Thanks for the help