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MG MGB Technical - Gear Shift Tightness

I have a 1971 mgb roadster. I just replace the spring washers that hold the gear shift lever in place on the transmission. The shifter was very loose, so I also bought a new nylon bush. In tightening the screws and the spring washers, I noticed the shifter became overly tight. How do you know how much to tighten the screws so you do not over-compress the spring washers? Thanks. Curt
Curt

Curt, if I remember correctly the screws for the shifter retaining ring should be shoulder screws which have the correct clearance machined in. If regular screws are substituted there is no stop and the spring washers can be flattened. If you don't have the correct shoulder screws, try slipping a short piece of thin wall tubing over each one. This tubing should be avialable at local hobby shops. It's a cut and try method, but you should be able to get things snug but not tight for the shifter.
Bill Young

Curt,the three bolts holding down the springs and shift lever cover should be hand tight. Be sure that the bolts are the correct ones. They should have a 1/4 inch shoulder to allow the the cover to move a little. Also, make certian that you have installed the new shift bushing on the shift lever and not just dropped it into the transmission as this could cause it to be very tight. Ray
RAY

Curt,
did you replace the spring washers with the "original" (special) type spring washers or did you use the type meant to prevent bolts from loosening?
The original ones are really meant to provide some spring loading to the retaining ring.

Unfortunately the bolts / washers aren't shown in this picture: http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=29014
, but from the pricing (item 115) you can see that they aren't ordinary bolts / washers.
If your original parts are missing, I'd buy some new or used ones.

Also, IMO, the bolts should be tightened more than hand tight, to prevent them loosening themselves. Just remember that you're screwing a small size bolt into aluminium..

HTH,
Rufus
Rufus Pool

Correction, these are special shouldered screws but certainly should not be hand tight whatever that means. They should be tightened as normal with a ring key but bear in mind that the housing is aluminium so the torque figure is likely to be about 6/8lbs ft. Make sure that the lever retaining plate is fitted correctly as it is possible to fit wrongly orientated and this will really screw up the gear change. Finally, have you fitted the anti rattle spring and plunger correctly or could this somehow have become trapped in the works ?
Iain MacKintosh

And if you fit the nylon bush to the rods and then try to insert the gear lever you may well push the bush straight out of the bottom. I had to fit it to the lever first.
Paul Hunt 2

This thread was discussed between 22/11/2005 and 23/11/2005

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