Toploader g'box

Technical Area for all the problems you have in the garage
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frats289
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Toploader g'box

Post by frats289 »

On the Wales trip this year I found myself once again stuck in a car park unable to select any gear. After a while, trying all combination of engine running or not, clutch in or out I got going. Mentioned the problem at Silverstone ending up with the sugestion that I should chage the oil which I have done and although it is better the problem has not gone away.
The same thing happened about 10-15 years ago when the recieved wisdom was that the detent balls/plugs should be replaced. Said items were purchased and the box was rebuilt by a local engineer who informed me on completion that the box was then fine.
Although the gearbox man comes well recommended and indeed has a high status in the racing fraternity he admits that he hasn't done that many toploaders.
Does anyone know of somebody who can help?

Frank Allen
KevinW
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Re: Toploader g'box

Post by KevinW »

I suspect the external selector arms might need tweaking.
If you remove the transmission tunnel cover you can get to them - I think I had to tweak mine a few years ago to get reverse, but it was a long time ago. This might be useful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMSWLR7-DHg
frats289
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Re: Toploader g'box

Post by frats289 »

Thanks Kevin, very useful bit of Utube.

I seem to recall, in the distant past when I put the box in, that the linkage was more than a bit floppy, some of the holes were not perfectly round so I welded them up and re-drilled the holes. I also made sure I had all the wave washers in the correct places and was more than happry with the end result.
Before I take the box out I will however check the set up of the linkages all as shown on the video.

thanks again

Frank
KevinW
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Re: Toploader g'box

Post by KevinW »

You should be able to tweak the linkages without taking the gearbox out the car, that's what I did. I'm assuming the Hawk has access via trans tunnel as does the Crendon which as a removeable transmission tunnel top.

Glad that vid was useful, the little bit I could see looked good - I was on a train with flaky internet when I wrote that, so couldn't actually watch the whole thing.
frats289
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Re: Toploader g'box

Post by frats289 »

No, the video was very good thanks Kevin. The one thing I don't recall having done was line up the linkages at the gear lever quite as precisley as they did so that's the first thing to check.

Access to the gearbox and linkages is good on the Hawk once the tunnel is removed.

I'll let you know how I get on although it won't be for a month or two!

Thanks again

Frank
KevinW
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Re: Toploader g'box

Post by KevinW »

Glad to be of help.
Its now coming back to me slowly ...... just check the obvious before you start dismantling:
I had 2nd or reverse (can't remember now) hitting the top of the tunnel cover which prevents a clean engagement. Nibbling out round the edge of the hole for the gearstick helped quite a bit!!
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Dave Woodward
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Re: Toploader g'box

Post by Dave Woodward »

I had the same problem with mine until I fettled the linkages. Once sorted the problem goes away. Whilst the problem persists I found the easiest short term fix is to realign the linkages from the engine bay rather than trying to force the gear selector. If you reach in from the bay over the top of the bell housing you can see each selector and they are much easier to manipulate. Learn to recognise what neutral looks like and it’s an easy thing just to push them into place. Not ideal in moving traffic but if you are stuck it’s an easy fix.
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frats289
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Re: Toploader g'box

Post by frats289 »

Thanks for your contribution Dave, looks like a little fetling is required, a job for after Christmas me thinks.

Frank
jhutton
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Re: Toploader g'box

Post by jhutton »

Hi Frank
Just picked up on this - did you fix the problem? When I was building the car, the linkages wouldn't fit, so I got some wire coat hangers and bent those into shape to use as a pattern for the final ones which I produced from rod. it was also necessary to cut out a hole in the side of the trunking and then fit a "blister" over it. That's 20 years ago and the box has always been good, once you get used to it. Just had its first oil change. Box is fitted with a Hurst shifter for a nice solid feel!
John
frats289
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Re: Toploader g'box

Post by frats289 »

Thanks for that John but I have now exhausted all investigations with the gearbox insitu having re-adjusted all linkages as recommended. Still the problem persists.
I sent an email to David Kee in the States asking for help but he hasn't as yet got back to me.
I shall run it for the summer and keep my fingers crossed then, come the autumn, I shall remove it and if I can't find 'an expert' to rebuild it then I'll do it myself!

Frank
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