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MG MGA - Five speed convert

I've spent the last little while installing one of the Hi-Gear based 5 speed conversions in my car. Although I still have a speedo drive issue to be worked out, the great weather this past weekend prompted me to take the car out for it's initial five speed run. It was very nice! I don't do a lot of freeway driving, preferring to drive the secondary "back" roads. However, I found it most satisfying to be able to shift into 5th gear and cruise along with the engine rumbling at a more moderate speed. Having a fully syncho'ed gearbox is a great change!

Due to circumstances, I ended up having two shifters in my posession for a day or so. One is a quick shifter and the other, I believe, was a standard shifter. There doesn't seem to be much definitive information on the difference between the two in the archives, so I took advantage of this unusual opportunity to snap some photos comparing the throw of the two shifters. If anyone is interested, I could try to find somewhere to post the photos.
Andy Bounsall

Andy, I would be happy to post your shifter pictures on my Sierra 5-speed web page here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/gearbox/gt402.htm
Any notes about differences and driving impressions would be helpful.

Barney Gaylord

One of the key differences is on the quick shift, you mount it on the trans and it works just like the original trans with a short throw and you DO NOT have to cut the top of the tunnel where the shifter comes thru. This area of the tunnel has to be ground wider to allow the shifter to go into each gear which you don't have to to with the quick shift. Enjoy the trans, it is great.
JEFF BECKER

Anyone interested in a (Nissan) 5-speed transmission that I recently removed from my MGA, it is for sale including the starter, various bits, and tunnel. You can reach me at jimpaul@yahoo.com. (sorry for the advertisement but it seemed on topic).
Jim P

Thanks Barney. I'll email the photos, etc to you tomorrow morning.
Andy Bounsall

Thanks to Andy, we now have lots of Shifter photos for the Ford Type-9 5-speed conversion here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/gearbox/gt403.htm
This also contains additional photos of the nifty no-drill gearbox mount and other adapter parts.
Barney Gaylord

Barney, good job on putting that all together on one page. Thanks.

Can anyone suggest what would be best for long-term storage of the original gearbox? Is it better to sit horizontally, or stand up vertically on the bell housing? Leave some residual oil in it or drain it completely? Put a thin coat of oil, grease, or something else on the spigot bush end of the first motion shaft to prevent rusting? Store it in the open air or put it inside something? Maybe a BIG plastic bag with the internal air vaccuumed out?
Andy Bounsall

I would just slap some grease on the input shaft, maybe cover the greased shaft with a plastic bag and slide it under the bench.

Rich

BTW: I was looking through the latest issue of Classics Monthly Magazine today and saw a blurb on a close ratio kit for the Sierra Type 9 gearbox offered by Burton Power in the UK. www.burtonpower.com
Rich McKIe

Whoops...That was a LOW RATIO kit (2.98:1)
Rich McKIe

THERE IS A CLOSE RATIO OFFERED BY PETER GAMBLE OF HI- GEAR IN ENGLAND WHO IS THE MANUFACTURE OF THE KITS.
JEFF BECKER

Thanks for the photos on the website Barney - I now have to decide which to order - standard or quick shift? I wasn't aware that cutting the hole wider in the tunnel was necessary for either as Jeff suggests - Has anyone fitted one recently and is this so? cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

Cam

My system is about 6 years old now. The instructions that came with the kit at that time had a template for cutting the tunnelling and, indeed I had to trim a bit off to prevent fouling.

I also found that the rubber MGA gaiter was too 'strong' (elastic). The result was the gear lever was frequently pulled into neutral when I took my foot off the throttle. From previous threads, not everyone seems to suffer this problem, so it may be one of the differences between standard and quick shift. I made up a leather gaiter for mine and it works fine.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Thanks Steve - presume you fitted the standard shift? - cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

Cam

At the time I did not know there were any options, I just recall having to exchange my MGA gearbox shift in return for the one that came with my kit. I presume it is a standard shift.

I am a bit shaken up at the moment, almost got taken out over lunchtime by a vehicle coming straight at me from a blind corner on the wrong side of the road and overtaking!! I hit the brakes, swerved to avoid, mounted the pavement and stopped just before a garden wall. MGA brakes can work very well when you need them (discs on the front - 1500). I left about 10 metres of rubber on the road. The other vehicle did not stop. The car that was being overtaken did stop and checked that I was ok. I will need to check the front nearside suspension and wheel, I hit the kerb quite a blow.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Cam, I just finished installing the kit in my car. The standard shifter requires that some metal be removed from the gearshift turret cover. As Steve said, the instructions include a pattern for the cutout. I think I've got a photo of that which I'll send to Barney to include on his site.

According to the kit instructions, no modification to the cover is required when using the quick shifter. I can't confirm that since I had already modified my cover before I recieved the quick shifter.

I found that with the standard shifter, as Steve stated, the stock MGA rubber boot would not stretch far enough to allow the shift lever to properly engage all gears. However, with the quick shifter this is not a problem. All gears can be engaged properly using the stock rubber boot with the quick shifter.

Hope this helps.
Andy Bounsall

Thast sounds horrible Steve - I have had to lock up a few times but not quite as dramatically as that - how do you fit ABS to an MGA? - did you try cadence braking? Cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

A couple more tidbits of info concernig the conversion...

Rather than cutting a hole in the tunnel for the speedo cable, Hi-Gear Engineering can apparently supply a right angle speedo drive adapter. The original MGA speedo cable screws onto the adapters output drive, and the whole assembly attaches to the sierra gearbox using a snap ring. It's a 1:1 drive so it doesn't affect the speedometer calibration - which still needs to be recalibrated for the new drive train.

On the topic of the gearshift boot, Peter Gamble of Hi-Gear suggests that when using the standard shifter, an alternative is to use the rubber boot for a late model MGB (4 synchro gearbox) screwed to the top of the turret cover. He says this is a larger, less stiff boot which doesn't restrict movement of the shift lever. I think it's probably large enough to cover the enlarged hole in the turret cover, but might not look quite so "stock" when all put back together.
Andy Bounsall

Andy

I remember the problem I had replacing the speedo cable on my 5-speed box. A bit of the inner cable became trapped inside the housing and just would not budge. I ended up having to remove the engine and gearbox. I wonder what access is like with the right angle adapter? It's all a bit tight down there.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Steve,

I haven't seen the right angle adapter to know how big it is and whether or not it can be installed/removed with the gearbox in place. That'd be a good question to ask Peter before shelling out the extra cash for it. There certainly is not a lot of extra wiggle room down there.

BTW, did the end of the cable inner cable break off? If so, do you know how that happened? (He asks, desparately hoping to avoid doing whatever caused the cable to break).
Andy Bounsall

I spoke to Peter Gamble about the peoblem of slipping out of gear. I thought I had a faulty gear box. He explained that it was the gaiter and recommended fitting an MGB gaiter. That works perfectly and the pert that shows looks the same.

I have solved the storage problem. I needed to store it vertically for the space. I put it on set of patio plant pot castors. It fits exactly and is easy to move around
David
David Marklew

Andy

Yes, it broke off inside the housing. No idea why it broke there. Maybe I had too sharp a bend on the cable lay in the right side cockpit. After the engine and gearbox out saga, the speedo still did not turn, nor did the cable rotate so I assumed the drive spigot had sheared. Peter sent me a new one. This time I chose to gain access from the cockpit - seats out, floor out, handbrake out, tunnelling out. Wish I had removed the engine and gearbox again, much easier. Replaced the spigot (old one looked ok). Put it all together. Speedo still would not work. Turned out that the inner cable was not pushing fully home - bit of an awkward angle down there at the base of the tunnelling. 2 weeks work all in all for a 5 minute job!

The only good to come out of it all were inspections of the engine bay, flooring and a 'work out' for the floor bolts.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Re: storage of gearbox. Not long ago I had three spare gearboxes on hand (don't ask why). My solution to storage was to install a few heavy duty hooks in the ceiling in one corner of the garage, then hang the gearbox tail end up using a heavy wire.
Barney Gaylord

Steve,

Did you have the cable laying in a wide arc accross the floor - looking kind of like a question mark? At one spot in the instructions with my kit, it seems to indicate that the cable is right up against the edge of the tunnel. However, there is a diagram on another page that shows the cable laying in a wide arc and a note saying to do it that way to prevent cable breakage. Not that I'm paranoid or anything, I just wouldn't want to have to pull it all apart again any time soon.
Andy Bounsall

Andy,

Originally, I followed the instructions to the letter and I guess the angle was a bit tight. Being a right hand drive car I did not want the cable under my feet as a ridge line in the carpet, so I had the cable routed very close to the tunnel.

After the break I fitted it in the wide arc that you describe and it does not notice under the carpet nor interfere with my footwork on the pedals.

Steve
Steve Gyles

This thread was discussed between 23/04/2007 and 01/05/2007

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