Midas Cars Forum - www.midascarsforum.com

Mark and Dave, thank you ever so much, between the diagrams and the notes I feel like my job just got far far easier. Thank you very much, I can't do anything more today, but I can't help feeling that I'll sleep easier, without trying to work out what goes where at three in the morning.

I spent a couple of hours in a breaker's yard today. I have to confess that last time I was thinking about it, there seemed to be piles of metros. However today I could only find two, one that was appropriate but largely scavenged and a pretty well untouched Rover Metro. One of the things that struck me was that the Rover stalks look much nicer and are significantly smaller in place. Has anyone tried fitting one?

I do have one specific question which I was embarrassed to ask but that the breakers didn't supply an answer to as the bit was missing. At the bottom of the moulding for the bottom of the lights and indicators stalk, there is a heavy duty brown wire soldered onto what looks to be a metal plate that runs inside the base of the stalk mounting. As it is brown I assume that it is a live feed, but I don't know for sure, and I don't know where it is meant to connect to. There doesn't seem to be anywhere obvious for it to go and it has been cut to only about six inches long. Is it simply a live feed and is it supplying the stalk or coming from the stalk to supply something else?

Must admit I was surprised you found any metros in the scrappers.Hardly ever any in the one near me and then they're usually the later rover model.

About the brown wire I'm not entirely sure. I've had a look at mine and the heavy duty wire I can see feeds the ignition switch. It's not soldered to a plate though.Goes to a multi-connector.

There is another brown wire (might have a coloured stripe but can't see for sure) that feeds the lighting stalk.

If the plate you can see touches the steering column, then I'd presume it's an earth someone has added.Lots been added on mine. The joys of having a fibreglass body!

Well, those wiring diagrams and the notes have made all the difference. I have full and dip beam, indicators, hazards, fog lamps, driving lights rear lights, number plate lights, and horn. The break lights were a little more of a challenge: the switch was appallingly corroded internally and the wire to the left brake light has an internal break somewhere. The only external thing still not working on the outside that I haven't tried to sort out yet is the reversing light, I'm not even sure where the switch is yet. In short, the lights are nearly sorted. Next it's the dash, which may just be fine. Once that is done I'm going to try to work out how to tidy the mess up...

So the really intimidating job is starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Once that is done I can start looking at the rest of the requirements of an MOT, most of which looks to be undoing the effects of a few years standing. It's all a bit exciting!

Thanks for all the helps so far, Everyone's help has made this much easier and it's nice feeling to know there are so many people with such expertise who are so keen to help.

Thank you all.

Matt

The reversing light switch should be on the remote gearchange box, underneath the gear lever.

The reversing light switch should be on the remote gearchange box, underneath the gear lever.

Fantastic, I had a feeling that my cursory glance for it was possibly in the wrong place! Is this also where new springs go to stop the gearstick flopping around everywhere?

Cheers,

Matt

I don't know, but let me know when you find out!

Hi Matt,

Welcome to Midas ownership, sounds like you're in at the deep end already

The floppy slack gear lever will either be the rubber cotton reels on the back of the gear selector mounting or the bush on the back of the gearbox where the selector bolts on. If it's really bad I'd go for the cotton reels you can normally tell which of the two cotton reels it is because it'll be slacker in one direction.

Cheers,

Mike

mikeeskriett wrote:Hi Matt,

Welcome to Midas ownership, sounds like you're in at the deep end already

The floppy slack gear lever will either be the rubber cotton reels on the back of the gear selector mounting or the bush on the back of the gearbox where the selector bolts on. If it's really bad I'd go for the cotton reels you can normally tell which of the two cotton reels it is because it'll be slacker in one direction.

Cheers,

Mike

There's also the possibility (I reckon) of wear in the ball/socket area at the base of the gear lever and/or loose roll pins in the collars at both ends of the moving shaft, or where the fixed shaft connects at both ends, especially with an older car. Possibly wear inside the gearbox as well?

Having said that, it's pure speculation on my part, I have yet to investigate the cause of MY floppy gearchange...

There's also the possibility (I reckon) of wear in the ball/socket area at the base of the gear lever and/or loose roll pins in the collars at both ends of the moving shaft, or where the fixed shaft connects at both ends, especially with an older car. Possibly wear inside the gearbox as well?

Having said that, it's pure speculation on my part, I have yet to investigate the cause of MY floppy gearchange...

I'm not sure that the problems are that bad, changes seem pretty tidy, the stick doesn't move much when in gear and the movement through the gates seems nice. It's just a problem when sitting in neutral and means you have to think about your gear changes as the gearstick doesn't self centre. Mind you I haven't driven it anywhere yet! It's just one of those little repairs that can make life a little nicer but that I haven't done for this particular gearbox.

Maphet wrote:I'm not sure that the problems are that bad, changes seem pretty tidy, the stick doesn't move much when in gear and the movement through the gates seems nice. It's just a problem when sitting in neutral and means you have to think about your gear changes as the gearstick doesn't self centre. Mind you I haven't driven it anywhere yet! It's just one of those little repairs that can make life a little nicer but that I haven't done for this particular gearbox.

Must be just me, then.