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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - 1500 gearbox leak

Does anyone know what the bolt highlighted in the attached photo is? The one below is the drain plug, and the one to right is the filler plug. My gearbox is leaking from here, but the manual doesn't indicate what it is for. Don't want to remove it and have half the gearbox escape through the hole... ;-)

Dave

DH2

Dave,
I believe that bolt holds the reverse selector lever, see the following link for Moss's parts list
http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=1324#top i think that it is item number 61.
I couldn't comment on the consequences of removing the bolt with the box in situ. I suspect that the lever would drop to the bottom of the box, so perhaps it may be better to live with the laek if it is not too bad.
Or maybe you could try slackening the bolt and wrapping some PTFE tape around it ?

Hope this is of some help
Alan
A Pritchett

Dave

It's item 54 in the Moss parts list and it a “SCREW, locating reverse idler shaft” I think you could remove it if you don't move the gear lever or car.

Bob
R.A Davis

Alan that would probably be item 54 rather than 61 which looks like possibly - but check with a gearbox expert before you do it - that you could possibly slacken the bolt a bit and fill out the threads a bit before the washer but you need to drop the level of oil in the gearbox to clean and dry the threads, that EP stuff is quite thick

if you do that as you're going to have to top the box up you might as well drop the lot out and change all the oil, you can see the condition of the oil that was in the box and if there are bits in it

but check with a gearbox expert before you loosen that bolt

ETA: blast my slow one finger typing
Nigel At

Ah thanks, why didn't I think to check the parts catalogue?
It does look like I should be able to remove it, it's 'just' retaining the shaft, as long as nothing moves in the box whilst I do so.

I've already replaced the oil. I thought the leak was the drain plug, but turns out it is running down the side of the box and dripping from the drain plug (onto the exhaust).

Dave
DH2

Dave

Although I'm sure you're correct this is where the leak is from, you may wish to put your hand up the side of the gearbox and feel around the inside edge of the cover plate. I had a problem whereby oil was finding its way out of the breather, it then sits around the edge of the cover plate until it runs down the side of the gearbox. Eventually having removed the gearbox several times in an attempt to fix it, I replaced the breather with a tube that runs to a catch tank. This solved the problem and if any oil finds its way into the tank (that’s if any does) it then runs back down into the gearbox.

Bob
R.A Davis

Thanks Bob. I'll check, but the gearbox has barely been turned over by hand, and the oil coming out is clean and fresh.

Dave
DH2

Hi Dave,had the same problem a few weeks ago,comes out ok,tapered at the front so goes back ok.i Just cleaned it and Loktite,scrapped the spring washer and used a copper one
Keith Davies

Great - thanks for that Keith.

Dave
DH2

Perhaps OT but: The PO of my 1500 welded a tube to the gearbox top cover and hooked it to the engine vacuum, presumably to maintain a negative atmospheric pressure in the box. Clever. Didn't work for sh*t as the box had no oil innit the day I drove it home, but clever.

Richard Reeves

Probably sucked all the gearbox oil through the engine!
AndrewF

Yep I would guess you'd burned all the oil out of the box there - as you say, dead clever.

I pulled the magical bolt out of the box last night, was dead easy in the end, hopefully it will resolve the problem.

Dave
DH2

This thread was discussed between 28/08/2011 and 31/08/2011

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