1963 Austin Mini Cooper S Racecar Gearbox Rebuild
- Jay Thomas (Admin)
- May 31
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 17
04/19/2025
During a track day, I lost my gearbox while exiting a turn in 3rd gear. From what I observed, it seems that the linkage is attempting to shift into gear, but the drivetrain feels like it's in neutral. I found oil in the clutch housing and discovered metal "bits" in the oil, as the engine and gearbox share the same oil. I need to pull the engine and inspect the gearbox to determine the root cause of the issue.
05/19/2025
I received the engine head lift brackets and engine stand plate.
05/20/2025
I got an hour this evening to focus on removing the radiator, cooling system, oil filter, carbs, wiring harness, etc, from the engine.
05/23/2025
My dad stopped by, and we cut off the stock engine stand tube. We used this tube to weld on a modified engine stand plate.
I removed the drive shaft, headers, and remote shift housing. Malia came out to help too :)
Disconnected the drive shafts from the differential.
The remote linkage housing was very dirty. I took some time to clean it up.
05/30/2025
I put my new engine stand together and prepped the engine for removal.
06/01/2025
I pulled the engine today. I prepped a lot since it was my first time, and it paid off; it went smoothly. The engine stand bracket seems to be holding up nicely.
06/17/2025
I pulled the flywheel off and inspected the clutch housing.
Well, I found the root issue; the idler gear roller bearing failed. The shavings and rollers I found in the oil are from the casing and bearing. When i move the drive shafts, the gearbox turns smoothly without issue. I am going to drop the gear box. I will inspect for further damage.
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