Topic

OK left with the wife on our trip around Wales 11 days ago.

Got about 25 miles and gearstick goes loose with car in third

Stop and check under the car and the spring clip at the gearbox end has gone awol. Walk back down the road and can't find it

So..............

Drive back to St Albans in 3rd (best gear to be in really)

Get car up on axle stands.

Check pics on forum and realise i'd fitted the clip incorrectly, which is why it fell off - this has to be a 'doh' award

My son was trying to source a replacement whilst we were driving home without any luck so we found a steel plate from a defunct pool table and after half an hour with the Dremel I managed to fashion a suitable clip.

Fitted this to car and added a cable tie to make sure it wouldn't fall off and started again with fingers crossed.

Anyway 11 days and 1200+ plus miles later we're still rolling. Due back home in 8 days - so please cross your fingers for us

I'll post pics on our return.

Well Done Laz!
Next time i'm under the car it's getting a cable tie over the clip...Just in case!

Not a GOOD start to the hols, Larry. Good job you're now an experienced MG mechanic, .

I have great pleasure in awarding you the 'Homer Simpson' medal!

Master bodger indeed,

I keep meaning to buy one of those clips to keep in the boot.

TYVM for the richly deserved 'Homer' - I still can't believe I did that

I will definately buy 2 - 1 to go on and one 'just in case'.

Anyway another 150 today so we're up to 1400 miles on the home made clip

It could have been worse.
This is what happened to my brand new cable.

And this was my bodge.
I used two cable clamps and a piece of metal to tie them together.

Rich in Vancouver wrote: wrote:

It could have been worse.
This is what happened to my brand new cable.

And this was my bodge.
I used two cable clamps and a piece of metal to tie them together.

How on Earth did that happen?

I'm going to have to find a bodger's medal for that 'fix'.

Looks like it wasn't crimped properly.

Congrats Rich!
First recipient of the new medal! Bodger Award .

Thanks David...Now I'm a somebody

Clive, I'm certain it wasn't crimped properly. I didn't want to return it to Portland Trading and wait for a minimum of a couple of weeks for a replacement (It would probably have cost me 20- quid to mail it back anyway). I e-mailed them advising the thing wasn't crimped properly and they just said "Thanks, we'll let the factory know" (in China no doubt). No offer to send a replacement or compensation. Not the best customer service. I'll order an MG/Rover cable through one of the usual suppliers and put it in when I do the heater hoses along with the new closing plate. In the meantime the bodge is working well.

Here's another side effect of the bad cable. When I couldn't get the thing to shift properly with the new cables installed I assumed that the problem was worn bushings in the shifter so I ordered this from M. Satur.
I didn`t spot the bad cable until it was too late.......................pity!

Latest update:

after 2 weeks and 1500 miles I still have gears

Now in Chester - 4 days left until we get back home

Oooh, life on the edge.