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MG TD TF 1500 - T-9 Gear lever plastic saddle

Looking for a spare T-9 shift lever saddle. Picture included. Burlin in the UK won't ship outside of the UK and another co wants 35 pounds sterling just to ship a 2-ounce item! Any clues where I can get one or more of these? I just want a couple of these for a spare since they will go bad in time. PJ


PJ Jennings

Location of clip. PJ


PJ Jennings

Unless you are using them for racing they don't go bad like the original black plastic ones (even genuine Ford). * ETA: the wear on mine is because of a badly aligned fifth gear on the shortened remote by the piss-poor specialist because they beat Hi-Gear to the conversion sets for modern midgets, in fact I can't use the red saddle because it doesn't allow the slop necessary on my gearbox shift to get into 5th on my shortened remote. *

The red ones are heavy duty reinforced plastic.

The original UK supplier is I think still 'detained at Her Majesty's pleasure' and they only now seem to be with Burton Power over here, they were (still?) IIRC made in Turkey or somewhere like that and imported.

I'll look for some of my old post for suppliers and get back if I find anymore.

Don't get the brass racing saddle unless you like rattles.

Burton Power supply these at £12.50 each and -
"SHIPPING PRICES OVERSEAS
Small, light, low value (up to £50) items can be sent by Royal Mail Small Packet Airpost - Up to 500g £6.00 (Europe), £7.50 (Rest of World)". Taxes to be added?

https://www.burtonpower.com/delivery-information.html

https://www.burtonpower.com/hd-plastic-saddle-gearlever-to-selector-shaft-type-e-9-gbt9538.html






Nigel Atkins

Nigel, the red one is what I'm looking for to replace the black one. The £12.50 is a bargain compared to other parts, it's just the DHL shipping is outrageous!
I'll definitely go Royal post if available. Thank you for helping with this issue! PJ
PJ Jennings

Yes £15 (including VAT) is a good price, Burton Power are usually high prices but sometimes they have odd items at good prices or on special offer.

The 'genuine' OE Ford black plastic saddles over here cost more than £15 and don't seem to last any longer than some of the cheap generic black plastic saddles.

To save any confusion here's an example of 'genuine' Ford OE black plastic saddle. (Image1) - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114140341488?hash=item1a934b64f0:g:0nMAAOSw0yJeYSpB

And here's Burton Power's cheap black plastic saddle, £4.96 inc VAT. (Image2) - https://www.burtonpower.com/saddle-gearlever-to-selector-shaft-type-e-9-gearboxes-gbt9540.html

I couldn't find any former suppliers still going now.







Nigel Atkins

Nigel,
There is a conflict between the delivery charges as mentioned under "Shipping and delivery" at the bottom of their website and the calculated charges when you try to place an order. I have just checked and they do not offer the "Royal mail" option outside the UK. To Germany they are quoting £24!!!
Paul is right! It is ridiculous.


https://www.burtonpower.com/delivery-information.html
I will make some in PA12 Nylon 3D printed-easy enough to do and cheap enough.

Regards
Declan
Declan Burns

Declan, How much trouble would it take to make some of them up? The original black ones don't hold up very well and that's the reason for the red ones. How well will Nylon hold up seeing nylon is a pretty tough material? The racing crowd uses ones made of Brass, but they rattle. PJ
PJ Jennings

Paul
like you i've had issues with DHL and it's not just the freight cost, I got a package from the UK and had to use them because it was over a metre long and Royal mail don't do long stuff---The freight price wasn't all that bad but a week after it arrived i copped another wopper bill from them for customs services, apparently they're licensed to do their own customs inspections and charge for it like a wounded bull
Royal Mail is cheap as Nigel posted, A small package is as cheap as chips, you can go up to 2Kg but there's size restrictions
My most recent package that arrived yesterday was a stack of vinyl records that just fitted inside the allowed measurements nicely, The supplier just kept stacking them in till the box was just under 2Kg and it cost $13 and took 11 days to come, I just take the punt usually and go for the cheapy untracked post, it always gets here fine--Actually I tried an experiment once from a guy in the UK and got him to send 2 packages on the same day---one regular untracked and the other--tracked with express postage----they both arrived here on the same day, so it's cheapy post for me---I've never had anything take more than two weeks to arrive
Hope this helps ------ Royal Mail International mail- small package
willy

I'd be sending an email to Burton's and ask if they'll do the small package deal through Royal Mail--Their website quotes $45ish postage but that's just for the sake of putting something there---they'll do the postage thing if you ask
As Nigel noted, the red heavy duty one is the ONLY one to get ,there are several different plastic or metal ones available but the red one is IT anything else will wear out or rattle-

sales@burtonpower.com

This one ------

https://www.burtonpower.com/hd-plastic-saddle-gearlever-to-selector-shaft-type-e-9-gbt9538.html
William Revit

Drawing finished. This is what they look like in 3D. I will have some test pieces printed in nylon for a test fit.
Regards
Declan





Declan Burns

Nice one Declan- BUT- to be honest with you, Burtons and others have been working on these for years to perfect the material for best results and the red ones are the result of that, I wish you luck but somehow I think nylon will be too soft to be durable enough.

willy
William Revit

Willy,
PA12 3D printed nylon is actually quite hard and certainly worth testing for the application.
Density 1.03 g/cm³
Surface Hardness RR80
Tensile Strength 3625.9 psi (50 MPa)
Flexural Modulus 0.4 GPa

Regards
Declan
Declan Burns

Sorry I didn't to look further down the page, I was going to put perhaps give them a phone call but forgot. I'm not sure the part would weight 1 ounce let alone 2, and a small padded envelope and label wouldn't add much weight either.

I've never seen the red HD ones from Burton so can't say with certainty but IIRC they didn't appear until after the supplier I knew of was no longer able to supply them so I think Burton Power just took up the gap rather than any original development.

For anyone running a street car that gets a gearbox from anyone, other than con-men running a well known MG development (pinching other people's ideas) company. the red HD are fit 'n' forget, my favourite type of part.
Nigel Atkins

Declan,
I'd happily buy and test your saddle but I'd need to shave a bit off it to get it to work on my misaligned shortened remote. I would have tried this on the red HD saddle but I have mislaid it in the junk in the shed, I know I put it somewhere safe but can't remember where.
Nigel Atkins

I don't know what it's for but the OE and copies have the bits arrowed at both sides.



Nigel Atkins

Good call Nigel-The selector shaft has a small radius, probably only 1/2 a mm radius at each end so the block will need a small relief there--
Declan-
Worth a try I guess---I wouldn't have a clue of the specs of the material of the red ones, but yeah it'd be nice to be able to compare them against each other-
William Revit

Just found out that Quantum Mechanics a supplier of all T9 parts and complete transmissions here in the States has the Brass saddles in stock and is getting the reinforced plastic ones in next week. That will solve any issue I would ever have. Thanks to all who have responded to this issue, very much appreciated! PJ

Quamtum Mechanics LTD
315 Riggs Street, Building A Unit 3
Oxford, Ct. 06478
Phone 203-463-8299
Fax 203-829-6039
PJ Jennings

The white one I have has no chamfer but I have added it. They won't be ready until mid May.
Regards
Declan





Declan Burns

Nigel,
If you can tell me the exact length you require for your shortened shaft I can make one exactlly to that dimension. Perhaps measure it with a bore gauge. It is no problem and only takes a few minutes to do.
Regards
Declan
Declan Burns

Hi Declan,
very kind offer thank you but I wouldn't know what a bore gauge was exactly and certainly wouldn't own such. I don't think I can know exactly what shape is required and it would be a matter of trial and error, i.e. cut and/or file bits off (until I found I've took too much off and it's too late).

I had previously thought about using some sort of evidence touch marking but never got around to it, I already fart about far too much, and drive far too little with the car, well beyond my desire or patience.

I can't find my red HD clip I might have given it away, I gave away one of my shortened (cheap but expensive from the conversion con-crew) quick shift lever as I had two because they didn't realise they all rattle so sent me another and bodged another. I converted that to the igus plastic bearing that gave a more positive feel.

The shortened and quick shift levers are a waste of time as the standard synchros are family saloon car slow but in a modern Midget the throw of the standard Ford lever is enormous I almost had to open the passenger door to engage reverse.

I was told the (cheap) quick shift levers have the wrong shape at the bottom fork bit which doesn't help but I don't know if it really matters or not.

To stop the rattling the specialist experts I went to took the q/s lever apart , packed it with grease and made and installed a shim, it worked for about 3 miles of driving.







Nigel Atkins

Declan, I also thought it might be an idea if it doesn't add to production costs to make your saddles a different colour to distinguish and identify them. For some reason I thought of your "corporate" colour as green, if it's easy to consistently reproduce without hassle.
Nigel Atkins

Nigel,
The colours on the drawing mean nothing. The PA12 nylon (polyamide) that I use is actually grey and the 3D printing service that I use only offer it in grey although that could be changed.
Regarding production costs, we are talking about pennies not pounds!

Regards
Declan
Declan Burns

Hi Declan, in that case I think grey is a great colour.

I've just been looking in my shed and found the last cheap (shortened) q/s lever I have, though it was treble bagged metal spring and metal retaining cups have gone rusty (unheated shed) and the igus plastic bearing and the two spares have dried out from lack of use and going way beyond shelf life.

Still haven't found the red HD saddle but it might be elsewhere. IIRC I have a Ford packaged saddle on the car that gives enough flex to engage 5th as long as I just do it and not think about it.

I'll email you.
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 27/04/2022 and 29/04/2022

MG TD TF 1500 index

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