Vintage Minor Register

As mentioned in another topic I seized my gearbox earlier this week. I have the gearbox on the bench but have had terrible trouble seperating the rear plate from the gearbox housing. Once all the nuts have been removed it should just tap off. Because the main shalf is seized I can only move it half an inch but then nothing. I have now brocken the rear plate and I am no further up the road. I have a spare box but need some parts from this box to complete. Would heat help? The gearbox did have oil. Any help please - 0208 393 6732. Alister Reid.

Thanks for the telephone calls re my gearbox problem. I now have the gearbox apart. There was plenty of oil, the bearing at the propshaft end of the gearbox was not seized. What had happened? Two engineers called this morning and inspected the gearbox. My car had been updated before I purchased it, i.e. Hydrolic brakes and 4 speed box, and hardy spicer cou[plings on propshaft. When I borrowed a spare 4 speed box I had to change the propshaft coupling over. I do not know if this was a Morris Minor part or a Morris 8 part but it was a tight fit into the gearbox and it was this that had seized. It had picked up metal and was blue with heat. I will get this machined down and an oil throw turned onto it. I now see that internally a 4 speed synco box is and inch deeper that a none synco one. I hope the above make sence. Alister.

Gear Box assembled correctly at last - I kept puting the spacer on reverse on the wrong end of the shaft!! Does anyone local to me, Epsom, Surrey, have the mandrel for aligning the clutch central plate when assembling to the flywheel? Barry Henderson has one and has lent it to me in the past but he is away on holiday. I can collect or if delivered a pie and a pint will be in order. Thanks. Alister Reid. 0208 393 6732.

My 3 speeder whines like a demon in 2nd keep thinking a rebuild would be good! does anyone have info on parts suppliers or is it, as i suspect, made out of pure unobtainium?