Fixing Gear Stick Housing

[dyl003]

I have just bought my first mini which is a 1275 1995 Sprite auto.

The plastic housing that sits on the carpet below the gear stick is not fastened and I wondered if I had something missing.

There is a hole on the left side where I guess a screw should be. If I remove the housing there is a metal lug behind with a large hole but nothing on it to take a screw.

There seems to be no other way of securing the housing. Even if I could fix a screw I would expect there must be another way it locks in place. I really winder if I have a piece missing.

Please see pics with the cover on and removed.

[kalkat]

Yes there should be a spire clip around that tab - sort of a folded piece of metal with a twisted hole for a screw to wind into. These come in various sizes to suit the screw ... often available in small packs in motor accessory shops.


Emma

[notamini]

Canadians call them 'J' nuts or 'U'nuts depending on the shape. They are made of spring steel.

[mikerotherham]

Dear dyl003

I have exactly the same problem with my housing or nascelle to give it its proper name.

If you turn the housing over there should be 4 spring clips that latch onto the top of the metal bit that is fastened to transmission tunnel.

Unfortunately, the plastic that holds the spring clips in the housing is apparently easily broken when the housing is lifted off.

When I got my mini the housing was screwed to the transmission tunnel with wood screws using two plastic fittings used for joining kitchen units.

I did wonder if I could use the hole on the side in someway to fasten the housing down. But then you'd need a similar hole on the other side as well.

Any ideas?

Regards

Mike.

[kalkat]

Hmmmmm .......... velcro?


Emma

[dyl003]

Thanks for your replies.

I guessed it would need one of those clips, although I had no idea what they were called

As for the main housing (nascelle) mine must be broken internally. I see four rectangular holes where something should be (the clips) and they do look like they have broken at some point in time.

I don't suppose these can be purchased anymore? I have tried looking but didn't see anything. Are there any second hand breakers yards for mini's?

[mikerotherham]

Hello dyl003

The clips are available from Rimmer Brothers.

www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-DAM2319.

If yours is anything like mine there's not much plastic for the clips to fasten to but you may be lucky.

Regards

Mike.

[dyl003]

Thanks Mike for the advice and link.

Ordered...hopefully they will work.

[norm]

Zombie thread reawakening

I've got the same problem. My housing has 3 of the 4 clips attached, but the missing one has also broken away the plastic it attaches to, so a replacement clip won't work.

Did anyone have any success with another method of securing the housing?

I don't quite understand the earlier point about the spire clip - is there meant to be a screw that holds the housing in place, or just the 4 clips?

Thanks!

[limby2000]

Hi Norm, these always break, there rubbish, they snap a bit of plastic off the shroud housing where there attached. I did try arraldite, that did,nt work. Use whatever method is available to you, i,m fortunately i have a mig welder and welded a 6mm nut to the bracket on the side of the shifter show,n in top photo (which does,nt have any function on mini,s. I then drilled a matching hole in the side of the shroud and put in a chrome pan head allen bolt, now nice and tight.

[mikerotherham]

Hello Limby2000

Can you supply some images of how you have achieved this?

Mike.

[limby2000]

as i said, theres an unused bracket on side, i migged a 6mm nut on the side, then drilled the corresponding hole in ppastic to line up. Was going to do both sides but was solid enough with only one.

Attachments:

[limby2000]

my orginal bulb and holder had melted,so i replaced with a 5x led strip which runs much cooler and brighter and will probably outlive the car.

Attachments:

[mikerotherham]

Thanks for the images.

Looks like a very good solution.

Shame they didn't come up with something like that at the factory.

[limby2000]

They always went for the cheapest solution. Good luck with repair.

[norm]

Thanks for the tips. I managed to fix mine with a spire clip over the redundant bracket, and a black screw through a small hole I drilled in the plastic housing. It's not perfect, but a lot better than it was, and virtually invisible.

[limby2000]

As long as its fuctional, thats all that matters.