How to Rebuild Triumph Spitfire & GT6 Shift Linkage

[@paulnicholasen4196]

You saved my butt. Got the rebuild kit from Spitbits expecting instructions. Nope. Would have had zero idea how to assemble. Thanks!!!

[@midwestmotoring]

Gotta love these cars. Everything is "some assembly required."

[@codbob]

Great video thanks very much!Like everyone else just bought repair kit,bag of bits,no instructions,no diagram !Very clear instructions from yourself,glad I found you!

[@midwestmotoring]

Glad to be of service

[@royboy3597]

Thanks, you made the job go much easier. I had to hunt to find gears. Now all good.

[@midwestmotoring]

Glad I could help! No need for a 5 speed when this gearbox is working properly

[@dennisbeauchamp6193]

Great video my parts arrived today and will be doing this tomorrow. Thanks.

[@midwestmotoring]

Glad it helped. Good luck!

[@josephcamilleri6829]

Thank you so much. I can do the job myself on my own now. I will surely work on your instructions. Thanks again.

[@midwestmotoring]

Wonderful! It's actually a pretty simple job to do, and will make a world of difference in how the car shifts. Keep that car on the road!

[@speedmonkey75]

Thanks so much for the excellent video. I'm subscribed, and will be looking at the rest of your videos.

[@midwestmotoring]

Hi Chris, and thank you. I'm far from an expert, but I hope that my viewers can see that they can maintain these cars without laying out large dollars!

[@hugoschyns6937]

Yesterday I scrolled through all your videos in hope to see this one, what a coincidence ! That’s on my agenda for the next weeks as well :-)

[@midwestmotoring]

There are a few related projects on the way. I need to set the crankshaft end float in the 1147 engine, and then I'll be installing a new clutch, so stay tuned!

[@hugoschyns6937]

@@midwestmotoring my engine and clutch are already assembled but I’ll watch the videos with great interest!

[@truequan]

Yeah this is a confidence builder for me. I m ready. Thx True Quan

[@midwestmotoring]

Glad to hear that! Hopefully the other videos help too!

[@jimmatt8005]

Great video. Very informative. Thank you

[@midwestmotoring]

Happy to help!

[@gillesguarino6523]

Man you saved my life, thanks to U i fixed my pb. !!! you rock

[@midwestmotoring]

I AM pretty awesome, aren't I? Please continue....

[@midwestmotoring]

Seriously though, I'm happy to help!

[@Evansimp]

Really great video.

[@midwestmotoring]

Thank you! It's such a simple thing but pretty intimidating if you haven't done it.

[@jabberwockytdi8901]

The bolts holding the selectors to the rails in the top cover and holding the selector ball end to the rod in the remote in this video were secured with threadlock from the factory (you can see the residue in this video )

[@midwestmotoring]

Excellent catch! Thank you.

[@unstablecobra2673]

Good step by step

[@midwestmotoring]

Thanks! It's less intuitive than I thought the first time through.

[@jody1skinobe314]

What a fantastic video, I’ll be using it soon to help sort my car 👍🏼 Thankyou. Just a couple of questions, if that’s cool. On refitting the shift linkage to the car, you said to put it in 1st gear, so should I put in it 1st gear before I start to disassemble it initially? Plus my Speedo has never worked - I’ve replaced the cable a couple of times, but other than a couple of ‘twitches’ from the needle upon fitting it, it just stopped and never worked. I suspect the drive gear by the gearbox - as if I recall, the cables I replaced, were damaged at that end - tho it was some time ago. Is the drive gear easy to replace during the shift linkage renovation process? Also, my reverse lights have never worked, so this sounds like a good opportunity to go over the switch too 👍🏼 Thankyou 🙏 Thanks again for a well made video 👍🏼

[@midwestmotoring]

Hello, yes--being in 1st gear at the outset is helpful.... but it's not required. You can shift the hub at any time, even after it's disassembled. It just makes it easier to get the top cover around reverse gear. For the speedo, it's possible the drive gear is at fault, but that's less likely. More commonly the cable isn't fully seated or it's the gauge itself. The drive gear is fairly easy to replace, but it's not near the shift linkage. With the tunnel out, it shouldn't be too bad. Finally, yes, the reverse lights should be fixed now. Most likely you've just got a bad switch. You can check this with a voltmeter to see if it's working, then repair if needed.

[@jody1skinobe314]

@@midwestmotoring Thankyou very much for your response and help 🙏 it really is appreciated.

[@doug8715]

This video is exactly what I have been searching for all over the internet! Answered so many of my questions. My oil seal needs replaced. I heard you mention in this video about replacing it. Is it just an o-ring? In my Haynes Repair Manual it says oil seal but the picture looks like an o-ring. Thank you!

[@midwestmotoring]

Glad it was helpful! Which oil seal do you mean? Are you talking about the top cover of the gearbox (the bit with 3 rails?) I'm going from memory at this point, but yes I believe it's just an o-ring that kind of fits into a slot.

[@doug8715]

@@midwestmotoring thank you so much for the reply! The oil seal I am talking about is the one you mention at the 4:30 mark of your video. I ordered a transmission shifter repair kit and I am hoping it comes with this oil seal because mine is leaking. Also, you mention about having it in 1st gear when reassembling. I am not taking the entire transmission out, just the gear change extension so I can change the shift linkage. When I am doing this, does it need to be in 1st gear as you mention or is having it in neutral ok?

[@midwestmotoring]

I think it's an o ring, but haven't had to change one in a while. Either way it wasn't too difficult or expensive as I recall. As for the 1st gear bit, that's mostly to get the reverse gear to line up with the selector, which may overlap if it's not in gear. Long story short, whatever gear you're in... if it comes apart it will go back together. You can always push the box into a gear manually after it's open.

[@haydenhill9977]

Awesome video! Thank you! Are you sure there’s an oil seal in there? Seems like too tight of a fit unless it’s recessed?

[@midwestmotoring]

On the shift linkage? Not sure which part you mean, but no, there wouldn't be an oil seal.

[@robertmonaco5351]

I was about to overhaul the linkage on my 1966 Spitfire and I thought "let's see if there's a smart somebody on KZbin who can show me how to do it." Guess what? There is a smart somebody on KZbin who can show me how to do it! Thanks for the video. Now I want to add Oil Pressure and Voltmeter Gauges. Any ideas?

[@midwestmotoring]

I added a voltmeter gauge to my 64 Spitfire. If I know my Spitfires correctly, yours would be a Mk II, so the dash is still in the center. You can bolt a gauge pod to the side of the steering column support without needing to drill any holes, and there's probably not a good reason you couldn't put 2 gauges in the same spot. Alternatively, I know you can buy a combination oil pressure/coolant temperature gauge. Maybe replace the temp gauge with the combo gauge, and then you only need to add a single volt meter. For what it's worth, once I sorted out the electrical issues (I replaced the generator with an alternator) I haven't needed the volt meter in years. I was thinking of removing it and just using the idiot light again.

[@darrelldamare6839]

Can the top section containing the linkage be removed from inside the vehicle without removing the entire transmission?

[@midwestmotoring]

Yes. You just need to pull the gearbox cover and you can get the bolts pretty easily.

[@andreasandriopoulos9330]

You forgot to slightly grease the friction parts.

[@midwestmotoring]

Good call! White lithium grease works great and stays in place.

[@hotttt28]

perfect , do you have a tr-6 trans rebuild ?

[@midwestmotoring]

Not yet, but I do have a TR6 gearbox in storage so that could happen. I'll make a project out of it and get it on the channel once the Spitfire is back on its wheels.

[@Helm-w1q]

When mine broke, the mechanic told me this break was caused by resting your hand on the shifter while driving.

[@midwestmotoring]

So the way the linkage works is that it's all connected to a brass fork that slots into the shift hub (inside the gearbox). If you're resting your hand on the gear knob, you could inadvertently be putting pressure and wearing down that brass shifting fork. Mind you, that's one of the functions of the detent in the top cover--to prevent the shift fork from moving unless you're doing it on purpose. If there's no slop at all in the linkage, it might still wear it down, but otherwise it's probably minimal. Less damaging than keeping your foot on the clutch, anyway.... If he was talking about the nylon ball at the bottom of the gear shift lever... then no. That was not caused by resting your hand on the shifter.

[@Helm-w1q]

@@midwestmotoring Well I am guilty of resting my hand on the shifter ,,,alot, all the time up until then. It was way back in 1972 so I don't remember all of it. What you described is what he told me broke. As for the car, Got married had to let go of it. Fifteen years later I bought my second 70 Spitfire I just plane loved that little car. Wish I was still young enough to enjoy one, but my body won't do it. So I'm here enjoying all of the Spitfires and you owners.

[@midwestmotoring]

Sounds like you need to upgrade to a Stag....

[@Helm-w1q]

@@midwestmotoring No. I went another way. If you ever get a chance to drive a first generation Cadillac CTS 2003-2006.) You will know why I drive one. It maybe a sedan, but it handles, well if you get the chance.

[@midwestmotoring]

I had a new 2008 with a 6 speed. Apparently the only one the dealer had seen that wasn't a V. Great car, but the 3.6 had issues with rings and started burning through oil a bit too quickly.