Series 3 Gear Lever Snapped Off Whilst Driving

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JB Normandale

New Member
Posts
2
Location
Lincolnshire
Evening Guys,

Last weekend whilst driving through traffic in town my 1980 Series 3 109 gear lever snapped clean about four inches from the ball joint. The box is stuck in 3rd and needs a new gear lever fitted.

The lever shows signs of a previous weld so want to replace the lever. I've order a new one but is there anyway I can replace the lever without having to pull the entire gearbox out?

Your advice would be welcomed.

Cheers

JB
 
Evening Guys,

Last weekend whilst driving through traffic in town my 1980 Series 3 109 gear lever snapped clean about four inches from the ball joint. The box is stuck in 3rd and needs a new gear lever fitted.

The lever shows signs of a previous weld so want to replace the lever. I've order a new one but is there anyway I can replace the lever without having to pull the entire gearbox out?

Your advice would be welcomed.

Cheers
yes you need to remove tunnel and bulkhead diaphragm stick is held on by 4 bolts
 
Yes, should be a bayonet fitting holding down a spring on the ball of the gearstick , you just need to remove tinwork and any rubber gaiter for access
And introduce yourself in the appropriate place!!!
 
It's easier if you can get a gear lever with the mounting bracket still attached to the end. After removing the tunnel cover its four bolts to take the lever and bracket off. The back two bolts are a bit difficult to get at but only on a two swear word scale.

Col
 
20161012_140332.jpg


You can see how its fixed to the box in the above. The black part comes off first, and then the bolts that hold the stick (silver bit holding the ball) to that are underneath. You'll need to take the footwell floors out, and the gearbox tunnel. I have the seatbox out in the above photo...you don't need to go that far.

Hope that helps.

Edit...I have the bolted part of the bulkhead tunnel off too, the bit the gearbox tunnel fits too. You shouldn't need to remove that either. I took it off for access to the engine/gearbox bolts.
 
If your good with stick welder or know someone who can come and weld it for you it can be done in situ, years ago someone tried knicking my dads 2a outside work and snapped the gear lever off from the ball he just got one of the engineers to weld it back on after they got it back to the workshop just round the corner from his works
 
God knows why they snap in the first place, they are very strong, however, once one is welded, it will likely break at the weld again. I've seen a couple of broken one that had been previously welded and the welds had broken.

Col
 
God knows why they snap in the first place, they are very strong, however, once one is welded, it will likely break at the weld again. I've seen a couple of broken one that had been previously welded and the welds had broken.

Col
I suppose it could do but he had the 2a for another 10ish years after that without it snapping again
 
I've seen pic's of one a while back on one of the forums where it had snapped about 4" from the ball and they welded it back together and welded a sleeve over the join for extra strength
 
^ thats what i would do for a proper job. make a root gap on the actual stick, weld it, profile it back to round, sleeve it, weld it
 
Seems to be more common than I thought. My SIII stick broke on my first day of ownership. Getting a friend to come out with a generator and welder cost me more than a few beers.
 
Yeah not saying the op was but a lot of peeps who come out of car ownership into a series tend to be heavy handed and don't change gear properly
That's is true but if you got a steel bar the same thickness as a gearstick and tried to snap it in half, it would be impossible. I think there was a large number of gear sticks for series 3 that were faulty from the factory. If anything they would bend, not snap and nearly aleays in the same place.

Col
 
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