the.vet Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 She's finally arrived - 2 years lurking on here without a 7 is now over! First job is to change the gear knob and I'm stuck already! 6 speed box, original knob. Removed by unscrewing but it looks like there is an entension piece on the original shift lever. Have trawled archives but still unsure if it's ok to remove this and if so, how??? Can't get a gri on the shaft (arf arf) to unscrew it! Ta, Graeme Edited by - the.vet on 16 Jan 2013 10:38:42 Edited by - the.vet on 13 Feb 2013 19:06:15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlesElliott Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Mine doesn't have an extension - so on that basis I would say that it is definitely ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlesElliott Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 If you remove the tunnel cover, it is just three bolts to undo the gear selector and take it off the car. You might then find it easier to remove the extension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted December 20, 2012 Member Share Posted December 20, 2012 Is it the same as this problem? There's a suggested solution in the last post in that thread. Welcome aboard. Jonathan Edited by - Jonathan Kay on 20 Dec 2012 08:49:39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.vet Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 Cheers for the link, the two Nut approach sounds like it'll work. Think they are m12 but anyone know if they are unc or unf thread? Also would you use counter pressure on the shaft with some stilsons to prevent trauma to the linkage innards? Graeme Edited by - the.vet on 20 Dec 2012 13:34:28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 You have your threads mixed there. UNC and UNF are imperial threads. You mean M12 coarse (std) or fine ? Don't think it would be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.vet Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 Thanks again - I really don't know one end of a spanner from the other. This is going to be a steep learning curve!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted December 20, 2012 Member Share Posted December 20, 2012 Don't worry: you will soon. The Club is very helpful. As well as BlatChat there are generous people who will come and help. And sometimes there are "Get to know your 7" sessions. And FAQs. And the Alcester Racing 7s pages: great advice on maintenance. Just ask. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 As long as you know one end of sheep/dog/cat from the other 😬 The car stuff can be sorted on Blatchat. Take your threaded shaft bit to a nut and bolt supplier (or car spares shop .... old fashioned type, not Halfords) and ask for whatever nuts you need. Then you will know they fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ. Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 I've recently made a new gear knob for my car, and I thought it would be a metric thread. It wasn't though it was very similar. After some research online I believe the thread is 3/8 UNC Duncan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin J Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Sounds like you have lathe at home Duncan...good man My late Dad had a complete machine shop at home & never retired. He restored vintage motorbikes & engines for many years. He was so skilled at the lathe & the mill, no CNC equipment. I never learnt to use the machine tools & all the equipment has now been sold. ☹️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECR Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Yep' 3/8" UNC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy couchman Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 One of the last things my dad did before he died (back in 1992) was to design and start to make an ali gear knob for the 7. Didin't finish it before he died, sadly, but I completed it a few weeks afterwards, and it's been on the car ever since. Reminded of him often when I drive the car and is one of my most valued posesssions. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.vet Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I'm still struggling with my knob ☹️ I ordered some 3/8" UNC nuts to try to lock them together (as above) to remove this damn gear stick extension thing but they don't fit... I've now measured the threaded shaft - 10.3mm outside diameter. Threads/inch appears to be about 14 but I'm not very good at measuring this. I'm now wondering if I've got a weird size or have I been sent the wrong nuts... Sorry for mixing old and new measurements but as a child of the 80's, I'm neither fluent in imperial or metric (thanks maggie!) Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Just a thought ...... if you are trying to remove a screw on extension shaft .... maybe it is secured with loctite thread locking compound. Try heating the joint with a hot air gun on highest setting. This should soften the compound to allow you to unscrew it. Suggest you remove the top plate on the gearbox - complete with the gear stick. Then you can hold the stick in a vice and grip the extension with mole grips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.vet Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 OK, afternoon with build manual maybe - not the best with spanners! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Are you sure there is an extension? An extension on the original lever would put it too high to use under the dash lower edge. Removing the tunnel top trim will allow you to see the full lever assembly and how to remove the whole thing from the gear box by removing the three M8 screws. you can then abuse it as you like mounted in a vice without fear of damage the car or gearbox - but you might wreck the actual lever. Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.vet Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 OK, its cold and my tolerance for the unheated garage is low... Do you have to disconnect the handbrake to get the tunnel top off or is it a case of brute force? There is definitely an extension attached to the original shaft. See image here: linky this is driving me nuts :-( Thanks for the suggestions so far... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Tunnel top is fun. First get under car and slacken off handbrake adjuster until lever can be pulled to vertical. This is two knurled plastic nuts. One locks against the other. There are two self tapper screws at the rear of the tunnel cover .... down the sides of the tunnel .... they screw into the rear bulkhead. Then you can pull the cover backwards and lift it off the handbrake and gear lever. Definitely apply some heat and use a vice and molegrips. Three screws will let you remove the lever from the gearbox. Just apply the heat to the extension sleeve. The vice that holds the gearstick will help keep the heat from radiating down to the ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ. Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Sounds like good advice. Hopefully you will find that the 3/8 UNC nuts fit the thread hidden inside the extension Duncan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted January 16, 2013 Member Share Posted January 16, 2013 Quoting the.vet: I've now measured the threaded shaft - 10.3mm outside diameter. Threads/inch appears to be about 14 but I'm not very good at measuring this. I'm now wondering if I've got a weird size or have I been sent the wrong nuts... Sorry for mixing old and new measurements but as a child of the 80's, I'm neither fluent in imperial or metricThere's an app for that Jonathan Edited by - Jonathan Kay on 16 Jan 2013 16:57:58 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Any news ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.vet Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 not as yet - seems winter has arrived in Scotland too... ... too cold for any work on the 7 at the moment. Knob is currently performing duties as a paperweight on the kitchen table! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.vet Posted February 13, 2013 Author Share Posted February 13, 2013 SO I've finally done it! Turns out there is an extension - 2 inches long female 3/8ths thread one end and male 1/2 in UNC at the other! 2 nuts a wrench and a bit of force saw it off. Now I've got the shiny caterham knob I've always wanted! Thanks for all the help guys. Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 That has to prompt so many remarks Glad it is sorted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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