How to ASSEMBLE the MGW shifter (NOT an install thread)

[haskett]

Ack, I have a shifter, some springs, a rubber cap, and some lock washers. How does this go back together?

I searched and searched and couldn't find anything. MGW's website isn't helpful, either.

 

[pharrbear]

if that's all you got then your in trouble. where's the base?

 

[haskett]

I'm an idiot. Once I put all of the parts in one spot, it was obvious. Later, I'll post pictures for others that might have the same temporary lapse of intelligence.

 

[EvilBlack]

I am wondering why it is in so many pieces?

 

[haskett]

So for anyone else dumb enough to disassemble the shifter by taking out the incorrect bolts when trying to remove the shifter, here's how you put it together. It's actually really obvious, but my brain wasn't working well yesterday morning.

Step #1: Get all of your parts together. Note that I never figured out what the rubber stopper is for, so I ignored it. Hopefully it was misplaced with my shifter parts and never started out in the shifter.

Step #2: Insert the shifter into the body. Before doing this, I put some new wheel bearing grease in spots that are going to rub.

Step #3: Insert the springs into the body

Step #4: Clean up any grease that is on mating surfaces and then tighten everything down with the bolts

 

[jrgoffin]

The aftermarket shifters are about all the same inside. I re-built my B&M Ripper and have re-built two Hurst shifters and it is pretty easy. Just make sure you put a washer/spacer UNDER each small spring before you drop it in, otherwise the pegs on the shifter shaft will jam up. Also, be sure to clean the shaft to get any dirt and grime off it before you re-grease it.

You can also bias the shifter to "snap" more from 2nd to 3rd gear by having stiffer springs on the right side. Hurst does something like this by having a smaller inner spring that can be dropped inside the larger spring.

 

[haskett]

The aftermarket shifters are about all the same inside. I re-built my B&M Ripper and have re-built two Hurst shifters and it is pretty easy. Just make sure you put a washer/spacer UNDER each small spring before you drop it in, otherwise the pegs on the shifter shaft will jam up. Also, be sure to clean the shaft to get any dirt and grime off it before you re-grease it.

You can also bias the shifter to "snap" more from 2nd to 3rd gear by having stiffer springs on the right side. Hurst does something like this by having a smaller inner spring that can be dropped inside the larger spring.

Each spring in the MGW shifter has a normal, pointy end and an end with a large, rounded metal contact point. I put the pointy end up top and the rounded end against the shifter peg.

 

[jrgoffin]

Each spring in the MGW shifter has a normal, pointy end and an end with a large, rounded metal contact point. I put the pointy end up top and the rounded end against the shifter peg.

Cool, same idea! They have a slight variation on their springs apparently, but they work in the same way as the others out there.

 

[CobraBob]

Glad you figured it out. Pretty neat seeing the MGW shifter disassembled. So it is installed and working fine now?

 

[haskett]

Glad you figured it out. Pretty neat seeing the MGW shifter disassembled. So it is installed and working fine now?

The tranny shifts just fine with the car up on jack stands in the driveway.

I got the new motor running over the weekend, so the test drive should be soon. I'll post an update.

 

[SVT GT]

What the... .... please put down the tools and step away from the car, lol j/j. Glad you got it back together :beer:

 

[haskett]

What the... .... please put down the tools and step away from the car, lol j/j. Glad you got it back together :beer:

Haha... Yes, I got carried away when I was taking the car apart. Not every single bolt has to be undone.

 

[jrgoffin]

Glad you figured it out. Pretty neat seeing the MGW shifter disassembled. So it is installed and working fine now?

They are all pretty similar - other than maybe the teflon pivot or steel pivot.