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MG MGF Technical - TF gear lever in an F

Having just seen a road test of a TF on ITVs "Pulling Power" I notice it has a considerably shorter gear lever than the standard F lever.
I am thinking about fitting a TF gear lever to my F to enable me to have a shorter lever and still keep my Rover Momo knob which needs a threaded part to attach to.
How easy is the gear lever to replace?
(and for those of you who have access to a rover parts price list, how much would a new TF lever cost?)
Jason H
Jason Harris

Hi Jason,

I don't think the lever can be bought as single part.
I'd just take the hacksaw and re-fit the Rover-Momo like Carl mentioned the other year.
- pull knob upwards (strong until it slips off from the white coloured plastic)
- push half back on the white part and turn it complete off from the thread bolt (turn left)
- then pull the white coloured part easy out of the knob
- off with the thread bolt length from the lever with the hacksaw
- push on the white coloured part, turn in right direction with help of the knob
- drill a 3 or 4mm hole in right angle through the plastic and lever pipe and bond any 3 or 4mm bolt in
- put adhesive to the white part and back on the knob

Don't forget to turn off and later slip on the aluminum thread thing before you drill the hole. Screw it on later after bonding.

Thats what I intend to do also if I find time.

HTH
Dieter
Dieter Koennecke

The gear lever itself cannot be bought as a spare part :-(

Best cut it down as Dieter says.... :-)))
Dave

Dave, Thank you for conf.

BTW, getting in my mind that any of the quick shift kit suppliers bends the lever slightly to the rear direction if done in their workshop.
Was it Mike Satur ?

Could be done surely only with dismantled lever though, is it ?

Dieter
Dieter Koennecke

Dieter & Dave,
Thanks for the info - looks like I will have to take a hacksaw to my F after all!
Jason H
Jason H

The other option is visit Techspeed for there gear shift.

There was a gearshift test done in MG world last year.

Tom
Tom Randell

Or visit Mike Satur,

I prefer his slickshift kit. And it puts the gear knob much lower. Certainly lower than in the MG World review. May be a mis-print or funny ruler!

Tech-speed or MS, a matter of preference but much better than MGR item.

Chris

Tom & Chris,
I had thought about the Techspeed or the MS kits, but I thought that the cost of the TF lever would be significantly less.
Jason H
Jason H

>> I prefer his slickshift kit. And it puts the gear knob much lower. Certainly lower than in the MG World review. May be a mis-print or funny ruler! <<

Odd, although the test was carried out on a pre-production MS Slick Shift (on my car) and the gear lever was a normal length and cranked towards the driver (this is why it appears a bit long in the photographs), the measurements of stick length and travel were replaced by a new set, after i had fitted a 'production' Slick Shift. Therefore, the dimensional evidence should be accurate in relation to Mike's current product.

Personally, Mike's Slick Shift is one of the best modifications done to my car. It completely transforms the driving experience. Remember, when you are driving you are in contact with the car via the steering wheel, pedals, seat and gear lever, if any one of these feels 'sloppy', the whole driving experience is affected. This is my theory regarding the odd 'not a sports car' comment, an F with EPAS (which can feel a bit vague) and a worn gear shift is unlikely to inspire a sporty feel whilst driving, making the driver feel a bit disconnected from the car. Factor in poorly set up Hydragas and you are on to a looser.

Having driven a TF and a Trophy 160 - both of which purport to have improved gear shifts, i can say that neither of them come close to either the Techspeed or Mike's Slick Shift kit. At the end of the day, here are the factors you should be considering...

Feel.
Do you want

a) short, firm, 'rifle-bolt' type throw

b) short, light, precise throw

c) long, vague, throw

d) reasonable length, light, vague throw


Longevity.
Do you want

a) to never have to worry about it.

b) to potentially have to get it set up again a long time in the future

c) to have a gear shift that will feel like stirring pudding in just over 1 years.

d) to take a gamble that it won't end up like c) above.


Fitment.
Do you want

a) to fit it yourself in about 3 (easy) hours. Or, book it in locally, your garage will appreciate a nice easy job.

b) to take your car to the Midlands and stay overnight whilst experts 'do thier stuff'

c) to pay your dealership aroung 50.00 per hour to replace worn components after around 1 years of motoring.

d) to take a gamble that it won't end up like c) above.


Answers...

If you answered a), then you should get an MS Slick Shift - the only one to completely replace the selector with a new design, complete with guranteed for life phospor bronze bearings and rose jointed cables.

If you answered b), then book your F in to Techspeed and let them 'work thier magic'. They replace all the worn components with MG standard items, but they set it up properly minimising the tolerances. They also use rose joints on the cables, increasing feel, and shorten the lever - reducing the throw distance.

If you answered c), then you don't need any work done, you are happy with the standard set up. Alternatively, you could get the Moss kit, which from independant testing, after a while ends up worse than standard!

If you answered d), then you have a Trophy 160 or a TF. No real 'lifetime' data exists TTBOMK, but i understand that they are both as standard with a few 'tweeks'. therefore, potentially they could suffer from the same problems.

HTH

SF
Scarlet Fever

One thing that puzzled me recently about slick shifts:

In the most recent Brown and Gammoms catalogue on page 21 is Mikes Slick Shift at £189.95 alongside just the Bell Crank assembly at £40.98. However on page 18 there is a 'quick shift conversion, all new kit for 2001' which again shows a complete lever assembly though it looks like the original Rover part. This kit is £99.99. Anyone know what this second part/kit is, how its modified, and who modified it?
Paul

This appears to be the Moss kit. Whether it is actually 'all new for 2001' or not is another matter. From appearances it is identical to the old one, being a replacement 'cam' assembly on the RH side.

SF
SF

This thread was discussed between 24/02/2002 and 26/02/2002

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.