The 'E' Type Forum

I am slowly, but very surely, getting the hang of this Mossbox, now that I have my darling in my clasp. I am test driving and recording like a madman pending her return for correcting the gear lever gaiter and to fit a Powerlite high torque starter.

Of course, I am getting no work done at all. What a tragedy.

Some questions for old hands on driving the Mossbox:

First, I should point out that with the new clutch and the Redline MTL, the shifting is really good. Hill starts with handbrake are very good.

I find that it's a tad arbitrary when there's grind and when not. Grind into second seems to occur only when I don't match the engine speed well, or when accelerating fast from first to second to third. Grind into third is very rare and more like a tiny little fart than a grind. She never grinds to 4th. Sometimes reverse grinds a bit, but that's not an issue as one does it so seldom.

Grind into first is interesting. There's no synchro on first. If I come to a stop and immediately put her in first, careful that I don't put her in third or in reverse (which happens occasionally), there's no grind at all, but then I have to wait in gear with the clutch depressed. If instead I relax in neutral, then, when I engage first, there's a grind. Not massive, but palpable, and more often than not. Not sure why she should grind at idle out of neutral into first, but not when coming to a stop and engaging immediately out of another gear.

I am wondering what is better for the wear of the gears in the long run - stop and sit in neutral, and then engage with a grind, or go to first immediately and wait sitting in gear with clutch depressed?

An old trick is from neutral put it into second then straight into first. Long time since I've driven a crash box, but that was a trick I was shown. Might be worth a try.

Geoff

Years ago I used to drive wagons using double-de-clutch,
and I Always find old cars drive easier when doing this.
basically..
1.Off throttle
2.dip clutch put car into neutral
3.off clutch and blip throttle
4.dip clutch and engage next gear.

Yes...clutch down and then neutral to second and using second gear synchro to stop the box moving. Then into first. I have always done this with my mgb (no synchro either on first). If a rapid change from first to second or second to third causes a grind then either you are changing very fast or the synchro ring is a bit worn l. Either way you are "beating the synchro" ...essentially getting to the next gear before the synchro has has a chance to equalise shaft speeds...unless it is really bad just be a bit more leisurely...old synchro mechanisms ain't as quick as those on a new BMW now get back to work/driving

And that same trick of using a higher gear's synchro to ease the shift into a nonsynchro gear also works for engaging reverse which has no synchro.

Ok, excellent, I think I'll try the slip into second after idling in neutral and see how that goes.

She's sleeping soundly on her C-Tek drip. I've also learned, during the course of the day, that she enjoys a bit of choke at lowest setting for the first km or so, even if the engine is not dead cold and in hot weather. But the fuel smell suggests the mixture is too rich...

Attaching pic of blotches on garage floor. Is that oil or fuel that ran over the engine and got dirty? Watch is for scale. This was sort of front of engine - between engine and radiator. If it's fuel, then that explains the petrol smell. Thinking I had run half a tank was a false alarm - I had simply looked at the needle while still inching its way towards full.

Maybe I'll sleep a bit better tonight. Sweating that bottle of Moet out onto the treadmill was too much hard work this morning.

Vonkie wrote:Ok, excellent, I think I'll try the slip into second after idling in neutral and see how that goes.

This really is the best way to deal with a non synchro 1st. I do this in my MGA. Also good with reverse, as mentioned above.

Is that oil or fuel

when its safe to do so, put a match to it.