Jeff Shaw Gearbox build

[MiniDave]

I decided to start a new thread on this because it's turning out to have some "challenges" 

I'm pretty much out of the Mini engine/gearbox rebuilding game, but I still don't mind doing one occasionally for a friend, that's how I wound up with this one - the owner intended to do it himself, but then his job changed and they moved him to Connecticut for a year, maybe more - the only hope he has of getting his car back on the road was if I took on the gearbox.

He bought this car about a year ago and has never been able to drive it - it simply would not go into 1st or 2nd gear. Once I got it over to my shop I could see why, both first and second were pretty torn up, and to top it off once I got it taken apart I found the internal shift linkage bound up for the 1/2 engagement.

He ordered a bunch of parts in advance and once I got it apart I gave him a list of small bits plus the cross pin diff, even tho it's rocking a stock 998. In for a penny, right?

I also found a ton of sludge in the bottom of the case, along with lots of tiny bits of gear teeth. I've never seen this much sludge in the bottom of a Mini case before, the owner's dad said the car came from Louisiana making him wonder if it might have been a flood car - hence the complete repaint and new interior. Just speculation tho....

So I got it all apart and today I'm starting to re-assemble. First in was the internal shift linkage - the operating bits that sit on the central pin were rusted to the center support - at least the 1/2 one. I probably managed to knock 3/4 and reverse loose when I locked it into 2 gears to get the nuts off either end of the mainshaft - the ones torqued to 150 ftlbs. Everything got cleaned and polished and moves smoothly now.

Next - he sent a new 1/2 shift fork which is made somewhat differently than the old one, I put it in and don't see where there will be any interference - at least I hope not cause I will have to remove everything to get it back out! I laid the old mainshaft/gear assembly in and it all looks like it will clear.

Then I disassembled the main shaft, and ran into the first real challenge. Like a Sprite the gears are locked onto the mainshaft with some pins engaged into a special washer. They usually require 3-4 hands to get them out and back in place, but I've developed a few tricks to get it done by myself. However......the gear I'm trying to reinstall seems smaller inside than a Sprite - where I could insert the pins after the gear is in place on a Sprite, there just isn't enough room to do that on this gear.

Going to require some thought.....