Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing MT75 gearbox

Hi all,I have recently purchased a 2011 +4 duratec engined 2 seater an ex Morgan car with Jenvey throttle bodies,this is my 5th Morgan and the most modern.I,m over the moon with the car apart from a problem with the Ford MT75 gearbox.3rd,4th and 5th gears are sweet as a nut and give a positive change up and down the box,1st,2nd are really difficult to engage and can take quite a bit of force to get into gear(it feels like pushing the lever past a nylon obstacle)
I have tried various grades of oil and currently I am using ATF,none have made any difference.I have also bled the clutch.
The car is my daily driver and this problem makes the commute a real chore.
Any thoughts?Anyone got a the same spec car?

My Plus4 has the MX5 gearbox so I can't really comment on your problem from that perspective. But is this something wrong with the selector mechanism I wonder? What does the dealer say about it?

Is selection any easier with the engine off?

Hi Dave,thanks for the quick reply.
There is no problem with the engine off,all gears engage with the same smoothness.
Do you have a theory?

Similar problem with mine but difficult to change down from 5th to 4th. However it is easing now I have almost 10,000 miles on clock

Howard 2010 Plus 4 Duratec

On my 20104/4 sport the MT75 is sweet and positive, however I did read at time of purchase that a couple of people had problems and the shift needed adjusting - gate or something was sticking. Local dealer should be aware.

Sorry to hear about your 'trouble'.
Unfortunately I have the same problem and have also tried quite a few 'recommended' oils without any significant improvements. Oddly enough I have noticed that when it's a bit colder it gets a bit easier to change from 1st to 2nd. I've read about that elsewhere on the net and it is suggested that it's because the oil gets thicker and stickier and 'grabs' the sync rings better. A thicker oil could help if that's true - which I also read somewhere...

I will try a few things later this year (when it gets warmer):
1. Check the gear-shift lever housing bushes. They are made of Polyurethane and if they are worn they could perhaps affect the alignment of the whole assembly in a bad way.
2. Check for wear or dirt in the gear stick 'main bushing'.
3. Check for rust/dirt on the main shaft sticking out from the gear box - then grease it.
4. Fit a 'Sports Shift' kit as recommended to improve gear changing on the MT75.

Of course I will publish all findings and results here on TM.

My 2011 roadster was always a problem engaging 1st gear but during a visit to brooklands test hill i decided to attempt it by pulling away fast in second gear to avoid a mid hill gear change, I got quite alot of clutch burn smell but 1st gear now engages easier !.
Have fun trying.
Alan.

According to the internet, the MT75 has an unusual synchro hub arrangement on 1st/2nd gears.
Vehicles manufactured from build date
17. 6.1996 are fitted with a 1st/2nd gear
double synchroniser unit

Look at page 00-01-13 here...........
http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/manual/manualtrans/MT75Overhaul.pdf

If it engages OK with the engine off, then the problem is either with the synchro hub or tickover speed is too fast (this wouldn't be as big a factor for 2nd gear.
See if there's any difference in engaging 1st gear with a cold engine (fast tickover) and a hot engine (normal tickover).

If it's harder with fast tickover then it's either the synchro hub, or clutch drag. Given that the remaining gears seem OK, the former seems more likely.

My 2011 Roadster 1-2 shift was stiff when new, eased after 10,000 miles and some hard use

Interesting Dave,
easier to engage 2nd with engine off... 1st was never a big problem.

Welcome to TM.

What mileage has yours done? Like Phil I have a 4/4 Sport but a 2011 with the MT75 box. When I got it at 1500 miles it was quite stiff but now at nearly 8500 miles loosened up nicely. It started to improve noticeably once it got to about 5000 miles.

Thomas,
Have the Zetec and MT75 gearbox and have the same sluggish change from 1st to 2nd, have found that after a few minutes of driving the change up is as smooth as the higher gears, so now I just take it easy for the first few changes, have assumed it's because the oil heats up? I use Triple QX EP 75w90 trans oil. Have fitted the sports shift, it's a vast improvement on the Ford lever but makes no difference to engaging 2nd from 1st.

David

2001 4/4 4 seater.

I too had a lot of problems with the MT75 on my Plus4. It caused no end of embarrasment at traffic lights and roundabouts.
After a bit of Googling I came across "Castrol Syntrans Multivehicle 75W-90"
This meets the required Ford spec WSD-M2C200-C as specified for the MT75.
Result - smooth changes in all weathers and from startup.

Thank you for your input David (and John).
Unfortunately mine is sluggish even when warm (1st to 2nd) but perhaps I should try another oil change. Nice to hear about your experience of the Sports Shift

Sorry, but rewinding the thread a bit, I thought that +4's used a Mazda box - not MT75? Certainly my 2005 car does.

Later, did Powertorque start producing a drivetrain for Morgan that used the Duratec engine and a common MT75 box? And I guess they would have left that huge gap between 1st and 2nd.....

cheers, Colin