Just wondering if any of you mad people out there have come up with any magic tricks for the gear change, mines got the original chopped up remote system, managed to get if fairly free but there still feels like there will be too much drag in it to work nicely ! !

Got a pic of the remote system memory is fading me on how they look? I know how I would convert a rod change to cable. My Honda engined coupe is rod change and I have converted it to cable and it has been one of the best things I have done, so much slicker.

Neil

I will try and take a couple pics and post them on .

Cable gearchange sounds good. Did you use parts from an MGF or something similiar?

Here is a drawing of the shift linkage..

ive got a spare if you need one

I would like to understand how you did that.

David

That is the 'rod change' linkage - the 'remote change' was the early system which used a cut down Mini Cooper S 'remote' extension.

Just thought I'd remind everyone that you can't use a later rod change system with the early solid remote type box and vice versa -- it reverses the change -- been there done that!
Steve

Hopefully improved , a good spray with a spray grease seems to have improved things. , gearchange , tick !! Everything else still to do !!!

Just looked at this again and the key element missing is the detail of part I -- I think there was a was a small forging bolted to it pointing forward that had a ball end to it -- tube E could then slide back and forth on it if it was well greased. It was important that this part and the rod input to the gearbox were in alignment.
Steve

It is shown - just not in any detail. Part E is a sliding fit over the bar that projects forwards from the bottom of part I. As it happens H and I on mine were welded together (and looked like they always had been) so they were just one part.

I'm going to be making a copy of West's cable linkage for the Micra engine (which should be going into a subframe over this coming weekend). I've got an MGF selector and cables as a basis already.

Iain

For my gear change I looked at elise and MGF and combined what I felt the best of both systems, I liked the cable arrangement of the MGF. The Elise uses a bel crank under the engine which I was not keen on due to the increased moving parts/points of wear.

I used custom marine spec cables which are ptfe lined and very little back lash and this combined with the Focus rs gear lever/box gave the cable movement I wanted and being the metal version was easy to modify to fit for my requirements.

The cables wer expensive but it made a huge differance to my car and helpped alot with more consistant performance at the track I use to miss gears with the old system when running hard with the nitrous.

Neil