MG Car Repair: 1971 MG Midget (reverse), mg midget, palm of your hand

Question
QUESTION: Hello
I have a 1971 MG Midget. It will not engage into reverse, all other gears work. Where do i start?

Kyle

ANSWER: Hi Kyle,
You will have to be more specific.

The shift lever will not go into reverse? or it grinds and will not go into reverse? or the lever feels like it went into reverse but when you let out the clutch nothing happens?

Howard

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey Howard
The lever will not go into reverse
Thanks

Kyle

Answer
Hi Kyle,
First thing to do is with the engine not running, find neutral and move the lever over all the way in neutral to the left. With your hand off of the lever and about 6 inches to the left of the lever palm toward the lever and hit the lever hard with the palm of your hand hard, forcing the lever all the way to the right and hold it there and then pull it back quickly to see if it will go into reverse.

Many times the strong detent spring and plunger to lock you out of going into reverse by accident will get dry of lube and be hard to depress. Try to "Bump" the detent several times to see if that is the problem.

If that is not the problem remove the carpet over the tunnel and remove the shift tower cover and boot to see if the lever is fouling on the tower itself (some times a rear transmission mount problem will cause the shift lever to hit the tower and prevent some gears from being engaged.

If none of this is the cause you can remove the shift tower assembly (8 nuts) itself to look at the shift rails. There you can use a pry bar or large screwdriver to shift each rail in and out of gear. If the reverse rail will not slide in place (forward) then you will have to remove the engine and transmission from the car to open the gearbox up to see what is wrong.

You should not attempt this without a service manual.
Howard