Gear cable snapped

Wassy · Post by **Wassy** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 12:00 pm

Hi all,

After a bit of advise regarding the cables, it has unfortunately snapped as the the ball joints are all connected at both ends, all is ready for removal and I am going to order the part after much debate as to strip,scrap or repair.

The cable that has snapped is the cable that's runs over the top of the engine (and fits to the right hand side of the gear lever) so am I right in thinking that this is the long cable and the short runs underneath the engine, sounds daft I know but just want to make sure

Thanks in advance

Wassy

Post by **Rob Bell** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 8:40 pm

Fun times ahead Wassy. Valter gave me this description of how he replaced the snapped cable on his MGF:

Valter wrote:I managed to replace the snapped gearbox selector cable with the help of a friend. The rear of the car required jacking-up, but no disassembly, either in or outside of the car, was required.

I just needed to remove the ashtray, the central glove compartment and the leather gaiter that surrounds the base of the gear lever. All this was easily done without any difficulty.

To remove the leather surrounding the gear lever you must remove the consoles side panels, the ones containing the lights. Then remove 2 screws (from behind the console, you must put your face near the pedals...) holding the plastic protection to the console. Don't do it like me, as I dropped one to the very bottom floor of the car... Had to use a magnet to reach it! Glad it wasn't stainless steel! [An alternative method to gain access to this area would be to remove the centre console assembly, complete as described elsewhere.]
The ashtray is easy (pull and remove) and the glove compartment between the seats is simply pulled out. Insert your hand and arm up to the elbow (!) through the glove compartment aperture and reach for the M6 bolt. With a screwdriver disengage the ball linkage between the lever and the cable. From inside the car the job is finished for now... (I got under the car and disengaged the lower ball bearing, and then pulled off the broken part.)
With this access, you can disengage the forward part of the cable. Then comes the hard part. You must spend some time under the car to remove the fixings without lowering the sub-frame, but it is possible!

You must be patient unscrewing the bolts from the closing plate. Because of the sub-frame being so close you need to use the correct tools, articulated ones, sometimes. You don't need to remove the plate. With a screwdriver operating from bottom to top, my friend dismantled the grommets and the cable was then loose. Now we just pulled it off from that point.

When the cable is completely loose, you must pull it from behind and then install the new one the opposite way; from the back to the front. The hard part comes again fixing the cable to the tunnel, but I've done it, so...

The hole where the new one enters is tight for 4 twisted cables and the position of the sub-frame doesn't help... If you release the handbrake, these 2 cables become easier to operate. But you MUST put something under the tyres, as you don't have now anything to stop the car from moving.

We inserted the cable with the grommet attached, as comes from MGR. I pulled the cable from inside the car and we installed the rubber seal back to the plate.

The rest is simple. You just need put everything together again by the reverse order.

At the end of the day: 2.5 hours spent, 90 EUR for the cable, no seats out, or console, or sub-frame, or tunnel, or engine or bleeding the cooling system.

20 days later and the F is back on the road again! I've done 70 km today and everything seems exactly the same as it used to be. Looking back now, it seems absolutely ridiculous to remove the gearbox and engine to do the job! Come on MGR what where you thinking???

Wassy · Post by **Wassy** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 11:12 pm

Thanks rob this is the guide I'm trying to follow, the car is stripped ready for removal and awaiting new part, will add some photos to go with the guide (if successful)

Rich in Vancouver · Post by **Rich in Vancouver** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 5:25 am

Valter must be a heart surgeon! I found it necessary to remove the console (which means removing the T-bar, radio switchgear, etc)
The plate at the end of the tunnel was a nightmare as the boltheads had rusted to the consistency of cheese, but I did get it done with good results.
One caution I would give, particularly if you are using reproduction cables is to give the crimped on metal ends a good pull before installing the cable, as if the end comes off the cable itself you will be doing the job again! (I used an NOS factory cable the second time.)
Good Luck!

Enough to make you cry!

diesel destroyer · Post by **diesel destroyer** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:26 am

Personally I'd change both at the same time

Whilst the car is in bits.. Replace the other.. Prevention better than cure..

It's a shame they didnt make it so that the new cable could be slid inside the sleeve.. Would of been a 10 min job

Wassy · Post by **Wassy** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:33 pm

Rich in Vancouver wrote:Valter must be a heart surgeon! I found it necessary to remove the console (which means removing the T-bar, radio switchgear, etc)

or small flexible hands, I didnt even attempt to do it without removing the centre console,

thanks for the advise its a job im not looking forward to doing

Rich in Vancouver · Post by **Rich in Vancouver** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 5:01 am

diesel destroyer wrote:Personally I'd change both at the same time

Whilst the car is in bits.. Replace the other.. Prevention better than cure..

It's a shame they didnt make it so that the new cable could be slid inside the sleeve.. Would of been a 10 min job

DD- Ironically the faulty cable shown above wasn't the one that needed replacing on my car. I replaced the perfectly serviceable original cable while I had things
apart "Just in Case"

RSR92 · Post by **RSR92** » Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:28 pm

I'm dragging this up from the past as my gear cable has just snapped, and I'm planning to replace the access plate at the same time - BUT I cannot for the life of my find anywhere the size of the bolts, I've found the two parts on rimmers.

Plate - Body Tunnel Seal - Genuine MG Rover Plate - Body Tunnel Seal - Genuine MG RoverPart No. AVK100100
Plate - Body Tunnel Seal - Genuine MG Rover Plate - Body Tunnel Seal - Genuine MG RoverPart No. AVK100100

But no mention of the bolts - the above was in the section seals and grommets for anyone in the future who might have the same issue and happen upon this thread

Post by **Rob Bell** » Fri Jul 07, 2017 1:42 pm

I can't remember either - but do you mean the plate to body retaining screws?

RSR92 · Post by **RSR92** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 8:54 am

I do yes! I've got one left in there so I'll unscrew it and check, although I've got all the screws off that I need to and am just struggling getting the cable grommets out of the plate so that I can remove it

RSR92 · Post by **RSR92** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 2:20 pm

Well deciding to leave the plate for now and crack on with the the rest I've gone ahead and dismantled the interior and removed the gear assembly.

I think while it's off I may replace that washer we discussed previously as well as the others if all the sizes are listed in the link you sent me

I tried using my 1/4" drive to undo the bracket for the cables without taking the tunnel off...it worked, and the cables came loose but I then managed to drop my ratchet, so off came the trim!

Was worth a try as per the method earlier in this thread but all in all taking the tunnel off wasn't too much trouble and I found I only had to remove the driver side seatbelt and could then manipulate the t bad out the way behind the passenger seat!

I've attached a few pics of proceedings

RSR92 · Post by **RSR92** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 3:46 pm

Can anyone help?

More on the gear assembly, I've taken the whole assembly out to clean it and some washers dropped out of crevices when I'd been careful to take everything off in the right order

I've got them layed out like this at the moment; with the thrust washer still on, does this look right to you and where is the washer pictured on its own going as it can't figure it out?

A close up of each of your bolts with decent visibility would be fantastic as I foolishly didn't take such pictures myself

talkingcars · Post by **talkingcars** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 6:26 pm

If you attach a string or thin cable to the gearbox end of the cable before pulling it through you should be able to use this as a draw cord to pull the new cable back (not that I have tried).

RSR92 · Post by **RSR92** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 7:20 pm

talkingcars wrote:If you attach a string or thin cable to the gearbox end of the cable before pulling it through you should be able to use this as a draw cord to pull the new cable back (not that I have tried).

That's a brilliant idea, I'll certinaly be doing so as that'll save a hell of a faff!

RSR92 · Post by **RSR92** » Sun Jul 09, 2017 11:30 pm

I was a bit of a faff but I now have assembled as so as it made the most sense and feels very good (at least as it is currently off the car

In total I had;
the plastic threaded piece to the rear to go with the 13mm nut
the two copper sleeves
2 10mm nuts and 13mm nut
2 washers with larger centre diameter and 1 washer with a smaller I/D
2 Small wasers with "teeth"
2 hex head bolts

I used the plastic piece with the thread at the rear fixing, with the nut and smaller i/d washer together on the outside of the frame

I used one of the copper sleeves on the metal plate with the plastic ball joint, with one of the larger i/d washers resting on the lip of the copper sleeve between the frame and the actual mechanism, threaded the screw through with the "toothed" washer to the outside of what I'm calling the "frame" and then used one of the 10mm nuts

I fitted the remaining sleeve, washers, bolt and nut in the same fashion for the front bolt

Does this sound okay? As I say after cleaning a lot of the stickiness off it feels great assembled like this and I'll be ensuring to put some silicone grease around the pivot points to keep movement nice and smooth, or is this not advised?