Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all, Has anyone tried the 5speed gearbox conversion kit offered by David Manners Group? Does it work? What’s it like to set up! Any thoughts would be welcome. Cheers.

Based on a Ford Sierra box. The gear stick sits a couple of inches further back that the standard box so you have to either shorten the handbrake lever or, as I did, move it backwards with slightly shorter cables. I find this very comfortable to use. You need to remove a small section at the front of the tunnel to accommodate the longer gearbox. They supply a GRP replacement gearbox cover. If I remember correctly, everything you need is included in the kit and it really is a bolt together solution.

In use the box is pretty well matched for a 1098 engine, but you will need to change down from 5 to 4 on long inclines. It's great having synchro on first when towing trailers up steep hills and the box is quieter and stronger than a standard Minor one. The worst thing is that the filler plug is on one side and it's a case of raising the car and crawling underneath to fill the oil - but you don't have to do it too often. The box comes in to its own when married to a 1300 lump, but as i said before, a 1098 will handle it nicely.

Thanks, it sounds really interesting, presumably you have to get a gearbox and the conversion kit?
Do you use any Sierra box? Also with the hand brake cables, do you cut them down or can you buy the right length? Sorry to ask so many questions, but I’m very interested in this conversation, I love the Traveller but it definitely could do with another gear!! Cheers

Unless the conversion kit is provided with a type 9 Ford gearbox you will have to source a good type 9 Ford gearbox.
Whilst the gearbox conversion is good I consider it to be a expensive conversion.
For the basic David Manners conversion kit £594 inc VAT.
For a complete kit from Front Line Developments (£2233.16 plus VAT).http://www.frontlinedevelopments.com/pa ... d-gearbox/
The cheaper option is to fit a 3.9 diff which will give the higher cruising speed.
Using the short remote type 9 gearbox there is no requirement to cut the transmission tunnel or shorten the handbrake cables.

That’s very interesting about the diff, I’ll have to look into that, cheers

Used type 9 gearboxes now command a good price.
Here is one advertised on 'e' bay:-

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Sierra-Ty ... Swo4pYHevg

MG Midget 3.9 diffs are usually for sale on 'e' bay for around £300.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MG-MIDGET-1500 ... SwH4xZ4Ohd

Thanks guys, seems the easiest and cheapest way is a 3.9 diff. Thanks again for all your help, cheers

My car came with a 3.7 diff (Riley 1.5 and Midget 1500 ratio) with 155 tyres and that gave a useful top gear for cruising but it was otherwise a tad high. My car has a 1275 engine, so with a 1098 it would have been less useful still. I reckon twin carbs and a freely flowing exhaust could make a 1098 saloon up to it.

I now have a 5 speed box, that was fitted by Wares. They mucked up the clutch and I hope to remedy that in the new year (Despite having done fewer than 10000 miles, it was outside the warranty period and Wares weren't interested). I now have a 4.5 CWP and that gives about the same top gear as before, only I now have a useful 4th. These people do a conversion for the Spridget - http://www.frontlinedevelopments.com/ - in which the gear lever comes out more or less in the original place and I understand the remote is a tad more positive. I am going to look into that, so that I can have a full sized handbrake again. They also do a range of suitable clutches.

I have an MG Midget 1500, to which I added an overdrive. That is a lovely gearbox and I know it's been done to Minors (I have a set of instructions for fitting it to the Minor) but since I have the 5 speed, I will stick with it.

From personal experience I can recommend a 3,9 diff with the 1098 Motor. You do notice a slight difference on the hills going up, having to drop into third gear more than before with the 4,11 diff but in cruising mode, and on the Autobahnen it makes for a quieter (relativ) and smoother ride

Agreed - the 3.9 diff on a good 1098 is great. Noticeably improved cruising ability, and still relatively good hill-climbing ability (not of the competition variety!). My Traveller was much improved with one fitted.

I can tell you from current experience - the 3.9 on a worn and wheezy 948 is terrible!