Dear Mr. Racine,
I am female, and I happen to drive MG's or any other manual transmission better
than most. I don't think that women are the cause of gearbox reliability. I
am on the list, and lurking, also.
Christy Stretz
72 MGB and many other manual transmissions in my lifetime
Pierre Racine wrote:
> OK guys, now it's MG gearbox reliability 101...
>
> 1.What's the weakest part in a MG gearbox? Well, I know, the engineer who
> designed it... But alongside with him is the clustergear shaft and the
> roller bearings. Third in the list is the cluster gear itself, but a very
> far third...
>
> 2.What can you do about it?
>
> There are many approaches (is this the right plural spelling?) to that:
>
> a)don't let your girfriend drive your MG! I know it sounds "macho", but I
> know of a girl who blew my gearbox away: my very ...sister! And, really, I
> NEVER saw a women that drove a MG the way it is meant to be driven. That
> applies to your mother-in-law, your "ex", your "maîtresse" or whatever
> woman you are with. Besides, there are much more interesting things to do
> with a woman in a MG than to let her drive. On that last matter, I suggest
> that you buy an MGB-GT or, better yet, a MGC-GT rather than the roadster...
>
> OK. To serious matters.
>
> Well, I am very happy and proud to tell you what I consider to be the best
> kept SECRET in the the MG world. If there was ever a flaw in the MGB-C
> design it is IT : there is not enough roller bearings to support the
> clustergear on the shaft. That's the bad news.
>
> The good news is: it's so simple to get over this problem, one wonders why
> the Abingdon factory didn't do it in the first place in the very first
> years of production!!!
>
> Until the model year 1966 there were 3 roller bearings supporting the
> clustergear. Then, in 1967, and until 1980, MG added a fourth roller. Proff
> that they knew that weak point!!!
>
> So what's the problem? Four is not enough. Go for six rollers and adjust
> (ream or cut off) the spacer in order to let space for the two or three
> additional rollers on the shaft. THAT'S IT!
>
> Now if you want to go that extra mile and be VERY serious, get your
> clustergear shaft tufrided. Some shops can do it, or get it done.
>
> And use Red Line MT 90 in your tranny. And drive girls, don't let them
> drive you...
>
> You wondered why the MGB-GT V8 gearbox went off every 6 months? Why your
> MGC transmission acted as if it was made in the twenties... Now, YOU know.
>
> Pierre Racine, Montreal, CANADA.
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