Well gang, I decided to take the safest route and learn a new skill at the
same time. Rather than mess around with backing out and reinstalling the
studs on the correct Mk3 gearbox (and run the risk of further ruining the
threads or dropping metallic shavings into my gearbox), I decided to leave
as is and did some surgery on the two other tops I had -- my original Mk2
and the MkIV. Basically, I just swapped the reverse actuator from one top
to the next and voila -- a Mk3 cover. Thank goodness for that Bentley
manual!
Thanks to everyone for all their help with this ordeal.
I had my repaired transmission cover, carpet and floormats back in place by
3:30 this afternoon and took the car for a glorious drive. While stopped at
the intersection out of the neighborhood, I noticed an alarming
"TH-THUMP-TH-THUMP-TH-THUMP sound coming from what I thought was under the
bonnet. A glance skyward at the Marine twin prop helicopter brought a smile
to my face -- THAT was the source of the strange noise.
My tachometer clocked at 4,000 RPM at 55 MPH. Does that sound about right,
fellow Spitsters?
Happy days are here again.
Best wishes,
Jeff in San Diego
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff McNeal <jmcneal@ohms.com>
To: Spitfire List <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2000 1:42 PM
Subject: Gearbox - final hurdle
>
> Hello all,
>
> My replacement gearbox cover for my Mk3 arrived today. I felt so
confident
> that it was correct, that I went ahead and put some Permatex #2 on a new
> gasket that my friend John sent me (thanks, John!) easily installed the
top
> and bolted it down.
>
> When I went to install the gearshift extension piece, something didn't
seem
> quite right -- and I was right. Somewhere along the line before the gent
> who sent me this top got ahold of it, some yahoo installed the four
mounting
> studs upside down, so the coarse threads are on top - not the bottom. I
> discovered this the hard way when I stripped one of the nuts that had been
> used to keep the extension lever in place. Great.
>
> So okay, I think. I've got some coarse thread 1/2" nuts in my toolbox.
> Maybe not the ideal solution, but why make things more difficult then they
> need to be? Well, guess what? The same yahoo that installed the studs
> upside down also drove them in too far, not leaving enough exposed threads
> to lock down the extension sufficiently.
>
> I guess what I need to do now is back those studs out about 1/2", but I'm
> loathe to try it. Forgive my novice question, but how do you remove
double
> threaded studs like this without damaging the threads? Is there some
> special tool that's used to install/remove studs like this?
>
> If this proves unwise, I still have another cover that will work, but I
> would have to remove and swap out one of the rails in the top. The one
with
> the reverse actuator. Has anyone ever removed a gearbox cover rail? Is
it
> difficult to do? If you were in my shoes, what would YOU do?
>
> TIA,
>
> Jeff in San Diego
>
> P.S. The weather's beautiful. I'm chomping at the bit to get out and
drive
> in it...
>
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