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Stick shift metal shroud on BE - 5 speed issue

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Bruce_B

Bruce_B

Jedi Warrior
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First the good news. Went out yesterday. Start my 59 BE. Went for abougt a 15 minute drive, used all 5 cars and came home.

FIRST TIME!!! - after about 2 years of work. Still have things to do (Put windshield motor back in, get gas gauge to work...etc.)

When I got home I went to put the metal shroud over the stick shift. For those folks who had done the Rivergate conversion, did you have to modify shroud so you could get into 1st or 2nd gear? Any trick to this?

I took it easy on the engine but going from a standard 1098 to a modified 1275...felt way faster to me.
 
I actually had to dremel the opening a bit to clear first and second. I guess if I had been more meticulous, I could have welded the shaft more accurately, but this is the way it came out. In place of the rubber seal,I used the soft vinyl boot cover from, I guess, a later spridget, stretched over the metal shroud. It was a bit of a tight fit, but it came out nice and looks good. Rivergate offers a service to modify the Datsun shifter, and I don't know if they get it right on so it works within the hole in the metal shroud and also allows the use of the rubber seal. Another thing I did which helped, was to fit a thick block of foam into the metal shroud with a hole through it for the shifter. This cut down the tranny noise quite a bit, and does not affect shifting at all.
Bill
 
I did exactly what Bill did. The large block of foam over the shifter and contained in the can makes a great noise/fume seal.

Glen
 
I had the shift lever modified by Will at Rivergate when they rebuilt the transmission; supposed to work without any mods to the housing.

Ray

P1010013.jpg
 
It might Ray, but it also depends on the rubber boot. Some of the aftermarket ones are too stiff and pop out... then later they rip.
 
Ray,

I have the shifter from Rivergate. Possibly the trans is sitting too high in the tunnel. I'll have to check that.

Otherwise it's time for the dremel.

That foam is a good idea, definitely be using that.

thanks...
 
I had the same issue Bruce.

I had the shifter modified by Will at Rivergate, but even with it, the shifter would tend to "pop" out of 5th gear when I had the rubber boot cover on it. I therefore grinded the top portion (I did it completely BACKWARDS the first time around and had to obtain another metal cover off of ebay--doh!) and repainted.

Works much better now. The rubber boot cover still likes to slip under the metal cover...can't seem to make it stay wedged into place while I'm driving. For shows I park and then readjust the rubber piece into its correct position and it stays that way until I drive off again. Oh well.
 
Someone mentioned using a big Healey rubber boot that is larger.
 
I'll start by saying that I have the MorrisService kit. The shift lever WAS modified with the offset to the side, but it wasn't enough front to back sooooo..
I took the shifter can to work (where metal working equipment is available. We cut 1" of height out of the can and put the mounting ring back on. 1" is all of the straight on the side of the can. Then I had the hole filled in completely, then put in a new hole moving it forward in the can as much as possible, a little over 5/8". The hole put in was a larger hole than stock, on purpose, because I had obtained the shifter boot from a Healey 100-6.

When anyone looks, they see the larger Healey rubber boot, and can tell that "something" is ... different, but no one yet has been able to put tell the can has been lowered, let alone that the hole has been moved. .. I'll try to get a pic..
 

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I have the 5 speed and the stock can, I had to oval out a bit of the opening for 1st and reverse so my hole looks like an egg now.
An MGB shift boot fits, it is already ribbed so it gives more than the Sprite boot. Looks like it belongs.
 
I wound up moving the can as far forward as possible (about 1/4 inch) and redrilling 4 new holes. After putting in the car it seems to be fine. But the rubber shift boot does pop out while shifting. I'll be ordering an MGB shift boot and gtry that.

Thanks to all for your ideas.
 
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