Thread: 51 MG restoration.

Trans case is back from the repair shop


Only stung me a C note and it’s way stronger than I would have been able to pull off.Bearing surfaces still look good and I will just clean up those inside welds a touch.
Now that I have the case back I can start on the next step. Ensuring the new transmission will actually fit in the car. Based on how tight I was with the OEM I expect to need to tweak the inside run and angle of the tunnel slightly, and may need to remove some actual floorboard material. Like an inch a side. Convenient that the floors are both wood, and removable, hehe.
Gonna use the empty case and new mounts to figure all that out over the next few weeks.
Worse case I need to fabricate a new center tunnel I can improve the design and make it more heat resistant than the original one was. Toes got some toasty in August last summer..

Cheers gents. Was a rough first day back at the plant.

Wow, you really never do get done with it do you? I remember those days. It all comes back to me reading this post.

I hope you love it. You'd have to for it not to be a drag.

Well ‘done” is a relative term with respect to this project Paul.
When I bought it, done would have been fully restored and original.
Once I realized that was impossible due to the modifications made by the PO, ie non original engine transmission and engine mount locates, the next goal was done meant fully safe reliable and as original, cosmetically as I could make it.
That was then enjoyed for a year or so while I decided that the limitations still with top speed, shifting and overall modern drivability was also within my grasp to improve if I did a few more things, which are now underway.
Done now means a 70 year old looking car that in no way behaves, or feels like a 70 year old car to the driver.
Luckily I do love the creative challenge of this kind of work, as you said, or this would be ridiculous. And may be to some. But not to me, and that is all that matters.
If I surprise folks at car shows, or at the streetlights, as they eat my dust, that will be the ongoing reward. And if my wife is comfortable enough to go on longer jaunts after this, that’ll be even better.
Cheers.

...Done now means a 70 year old looking car that in no way behaves, or feels like a 70 year old car to the driver.

Or is done when... Done now means a 70 year old looking car that in no way behaves, or feels like a 70 year old car to a 70 year old driver.

Oh I totally get it; preaching to the choir so to speak. That was not intended to be smart or cute. I have had old cars my whole life until a few years ago when I sold my '63 Buick Riviera. When I had hotrod and muscle cars I was almost literally always under the hood, especially with the cammed out small blocks. It's chasing the dragon for sure and I too loved it at the time. I probably still would if I had a shop to do it in. There are a few of those cars/trucks I kinda wish I had back. That 69 Mustang for one, my sleeper F150 with the 429 conversion is another.

Your thread is just a reminder of days I almost forgot I remembered. Carry on in good health and full vigor my friend. And Godspeed to you.

Tried dry fitting the rear case and that busted pin is actually required I determined.
So chucked it up on the watchmakers lathe and cleaned it up again so it fit the fork.
Reassembled the back half and installed my new shifter so I could actually shift the tranny for the first time ‘properly’.
Really tight throw and she shifts into and responds in all 6 gears!

Still a little noisy without the front case half, but the mechanics of it all check out.
Now to pull the case, stake that pin in the fork somehow and make room in the cabin for the new mounts.
Cheers gents.

Mild weather equals more shop time so got a few more things done.

The pin is reset and staked secure.
Floors out easily enough happily. And minimal interior needed to be removed.

Propped the transmission case in the track for scale.
Figure 3/4” per side ripped from just ahead of the floor mounting hardware right up to the front under the firewall toe kick should be enough. And easy enough to do on the floor boards as well.

Any reshaping of the existing toe kick will be easier making a hole bigger than smaller so this shouldn’t be a big deal with the plasma cutter.
Get this all hammered out then I can close up the gearbox and move on to the engine.
Cheers gents.

Is that going to leave you enough structural integity Mike? Seen cars come apart at the drag strip. Of course I doubt you'd be doing that but still, you wouldn't want any shiftiness.

I think so. Both those inner rails are newly installed 1.5” x 1.5” x 1/4” thick L angle steel. Think I can reduce the horizontal as it’s on the outside of the angle. When I built the upgraded floor frame I was working from a tape measure so left enough on the inside edge to trim off more, if needed when the engine first went in.
Never had to then and didn’t think I would be able to upgrade to a 5 spd at that point or I probably would have done these tweaks at that time.
My peddle geometry and clearances aren’t affected, just where the hump first kicks out from the shifter to that portion of the firewall.
Really relieved I was able to get the floors out so easily. That’s gonna save me a load of time.

Seems my adjustments are enough.
Mocked up the transmission complete, with some spacers to account for the mid plate. Doing this allowed me to use the complete case for the final test fit. Minus the weight of the actual gears.

So measuring from the engine mounts back I was able to set the tranny zactly where she will be once bolted up and she looks good. Can just see my white witness mark on the right side frame rail.




Will throw the floors back in and transpose the new edges on them. Then I can put the tranny back together.
Cheers gents.