Gearchange noise

[Jasonking]

Hi, I’ve just got a 69 mk2 1000, and on tickover there is a mechanical tinkling noise from just under the remote change gaiter? Also gears seem difficult to engage and can’t get reverse gear at all? Would this be all connected and can anyone help please?

[Oneball]

Could well be. Take the gaiter off, there’s two screws that hold the gear lever pivot check they’re tight. If they are then remove them and have a look inside, there’s a couple of clamp bolts that may have come loose or two plastic bushings that may be broken or missing

[Exminiman]

If you can, might be worth a photo, it could even be an early "fizzy" gearstick....

[Peter Laidler]

I'm with oneball here. Had it happen to me ages ago. Replaced the gaiter and top cover thinggy (remember, it's the open end to face upwards...) and didn't replace the lock washers on the two retaining bolts for some reason. The bolts bottomed out just sufficient to allow the top cover to make that metallic rattle AND, because the gear lever ball lifted a bit in the housing, made gettin g reverse a bit more difficult

[Jasonking]

Cheers Peter, will have a look, just tried to drop the oil/filter and guess what, previous monkey of an owner has stripped the sump plug, not a happy bunny! Any ideas how to fix in situ?

[Tim]

A thread insert, or tap it for a larger diameter will both work, but its critical to get the thread square to the face, so that the head of the plug sits flat and provides the seal. That may not be practical with it in situ.

You might get away with a tapered sump plug until you can get it repaired properly, but they are a bit of a bodge.

Tim

[Peter Laidler]

Stripped sump plug thread questions have appeared on here occasionally. From a purely engineering point of view, they are the answer to MANY prayers, ESPECIALLY steel plugs in alloy housings, such as your gear box. But getting it square while in-situ is a bit of a problem but easily overcome.

Get a cup of tea, sit back and digest this..............

Here's my response if you are a reasonably competent enthusiastic amateur. You CAN do the job yourself. But be warned, that in your gearbox, you only have one go at it.. First, empty the oil out, tip the car over to its right slightly so that the remaining oil is clear of the stripped sump hole. Return car to flat/horizontal as this is going to set the shank of your helicoil tap exactly horizontal. You could lay it horizontal by being jacked up and on stands at the front. But the same horizontally is your guide to its squareness. Clean out the old thread and surround with a good degreaser

As for its verticality, then your equally enthusiastic friend can tell you, by eye from below because........

Now get your Mr Henry hoover handy because you're going to need it........ Your friend is going to make sure that when the tap starts to bite/cut, it starts to cut dead square vertically. But there's more. While he's there get him to hold the Mr Henry hoover nozzle close to where the tap is cutting the new thread. The last thing you want is swarf in the remaining oil or attaching itself to the newly cut thread.

Take it squarely, slowly a bit at a time until you're through. It's quite a thick piece and will cut cleanly. Now insert your new helicoil EXACTLY as it says on the box.

Because you are doing it on the car, it might well be that it might be UN-square by a gnats knacker or a RCH as they say in the Antipodies. That shouldn't worry you unduly because if it does leak slightly with the standard copper washer you can
a) anneal it and try again or better still
b) go and buy a crushable copper washer that will deform slightly to suit. This'll cure it!

No doubt the regular mini orientated garages regularly helicoil gearboxes in the car and they'll probably have a small tapping jig that they bolt to the gearbox somewhere that aligns it all perfectly. But you'll pay!

Hope this works out for you. Maybe someone who is of a technical bent could put up a series of photos......

[Jasonking]

Cheers Peter, have done helicoils before and it’s always a very fraught operation! Have sent for a kit just hoping my hands aren’t shaking much when attempting it, fookin old age! Also would anyone know where I can get the hydrolastic suspension fluid changed and repressurised to stock ride height around the Cheshire area please, thanks all

[Catmint]

Ho the joys, that heart sinking moment when a quick oil change goes south. An alternative to Peter's suggestion - The stripped hole is the right size for a BSP thread (cant remember which one of the top of my head) - you can tap in position and fit a BSP blanking plug and dowty washer. Only down side is no magnet, but when you needed to get to work the next morning it was sorted

[Peter Laidler]

Oh Jason, you're being defeatist again. It is simplicity itself to drain your hydrolastic suspension of the foul smelling sewage that's been passing itself off as hydro fluid in your system for the past 20 years. You're probably a youngster compared to me!

I have detailed it on this forum and within the Technical HOW TO DO IT pages many times. Even included some colour pictures. You don't actually NEED a Dalek cabinet either. As I have detailed how you can make your own for a tenner (£10) although a forumer from Croydon made one according to my plan and chastised me because it cost him £23 quid. You only need the Dalek cabinet if you need to depress the whole system. But I digress.

What you are going to need is one of the simple 'grease gun' type hand pump, a can of new hydro fluid, an old plastic bottle and bit of suitable plastic hose to catch the sewage as it squirts out of your hydro system. Not on the garage floor because you'll have to lay down on that spot an hour later and it smells like a camel drivers jock-strap!

You'll also need a cup of tea or can of Fosters while you browse through the forum search engine. You never know though....., someone a lot more computer savvy than me will probably find the said articles and index them for you

[Ronnie]

I have never used these, but they may be preferable to a spring type insert in that position as you could seal it on installation.
https://eshop.wurth.co.uk/Product-categ ... en/GB/GBP/

[Jasonking]

The Wurth set seems the way to go, can someone tell me the size that I’d need to do the job please?

[Ronnie]

The Wurth set seems the way to go, can someone tell me the size that I’d need to do the job please?

5/8" UNC I believe, some discussion & technicalities discussed here > https://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/t ... orm/page-2

[Peter Laidler]

Gawd........ don't some forumers on the other side want to complicate things............

[Jasonking]

Jeez yer not wrong, my brain hurts

[Jasonking]

Wurth 5/8” time cert kit without drill bit is nearly £200 flipping eckey thump!

[Jasonking]

Could someone tell me the correct size drill bit please to drill out the remaining threads in the stripped sump plug hole?

[Exminiman]

Mini Spares do a tapered plug that cuts it’s own threads and Mini Sport do a Helicoil kit but it says out if stock, might be worth calling Mini Sport in case

[Tim]

Could someone tell me the correct size drill bit please to drill out the remaining threads in the stripped sump plug hole?

It will depend on what solution you've settled on using. For example helicoils and the like have a non-standard oversize tap to suit the OD of the threaded insert. The tap will require an appropriate sized clearance hole, which should be in the instructions in the kit.

Tim

[Jasonking]

I’ve got the Minisport helicoil kit made by Vcoil, but no drill bit in box just tap? No instructions either?