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MG MGB Technical - Transmission/shifter problem

Car ran fine all summer. Drove beautifully when I parked it 3 weeks ago. Took it out of the garage to get my ladders out and the shifter felt off - not right - but it went in to reverse and backed out just fine.

Later when I went to put it back in the garage I couldn't get a forward gear. Reverse is still fine, but neutral is a forward gear! Can't get the usual L to R travel of the shifter and little forward or reverse motion of the shifter either except for reverse.

Car fires right up with the clutch depressed. Hitting the starter in neutral with the clutch out it lurches forward.

Nothing was touched on the car while it sat. Only odd thing to occur during the time it sat was a major wind storm, but the garage was closed except for the eave vents.


Again, ran fine, just parked it in the garage, shifter now not working properly in forward gears or neutral.


Any ideas?
Carl Holm

You don't give the year of your car. If it is a '77 or later it has a three piece shift lever, which incorporates a rubber isolator in its base. This may have deteriorated and the upper and lower parts of the shift lever have separated. RAY
rjm RAY

The other thing that will cause this problem is a detent plate inside the transmission that has come loose from it's mounting. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Oops! It's a 76 - 10/75 build

Today I have to tackle my wife's Jeep. If I have time or energy I'll pull the shifter and see what I find.
Carl Holm

Carl, Pull the side plate off the transmission and look at the fork slides to make sure the locking bolts are tight. If one has come loose, the shifter will become erratic. PJ
P.S. Jennings

This thread was discussed between 08/11/2010 and 14/11/2010

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