MG Car Repair: 73 Midget jumping out of 3rd gear, hub assembly, shift lever

Question
How do I stop my '73 Midget 1275 from jumping out of 3rd gear?

Answer
Hi Dave,

There are several things that can cause that. It can be a bent shifter fork or a worn shifter fork. Also a worn out spacer on the main shaft. Another common item is the teeth of the spline on the sliding hub assembly and the teeth on the gear (3rd) that actually engage the drive of 3rd gear can get worn on a bevel and cause the gear to jump out. Some times on deceleration but most times on acceleration.

There are other things that can cause it but those are the most common. Nothing can be done from the out side except one thing. Pull the shift lever boot up and watch the shift lever while in 3rd gear to see if the lever is hitting the shift tower as broken or soft motor and transmission mounts can make the lever hit and knock it out of gear.

Everything else needs to have the transmission out and torn down and examined carefully.

Howard