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Moving the Gear Lever Forward – Dave's Garage Zetec RWD Mk1 Escort Ep 10

Dave's Garage UK Zetec RWD Mk1 Escort – Episode 10 title card: moving the gear lever forward

With the clutch sorted in Episode 9, the first-generation (NA) Mazda MX-5 gearbox now bolts to the ST170 Zetec and drives. The problem left is where its gear lever comes out. In the MX-5 the lever sits well back on a remote shift rod, which in the Mk1 would put it in the wrong place. In the tenth video of the Zetec RWD playlist, Dave’s Garage UK shortens the rod and its tube so the lever moves forward, an idea he’d seen others use on Mazda RX-7 gearboxes.

Video: Dave's Garage on YouTube · watch “Ford Escort MK1 Restoration Project, Part # - ITEM: Old car restoration project full episodes” on YouTube

What happens in Episode 10

Stripping the shifter (1:23). Two locating pins between the shifter housing and the gearbox tail stop the assembly coming away. They’d be no use once the lever moves anyway, so he cuts them off with a hacksaw blade rather than removing the whole tail housing. Under the top cover (expect oil to pour out if it’s never been off) a roll pin holds the lever to the shift rod. It has to be tapped through, and the detent springs and parts behind it need keeping safe and in order.

Working out the cut (6:57). To measure between the centres of two holes, he measures from the edge of one to the matching edge of the other. That gives 102 mm, about four inches, and that’s how far the lever moves. He scribes a mark 102 mm up the rod, lines up a new hole with the same orientation as the flat on the rod, holding things in place with magnets and eyeballing it, then drills it freehand from both sides to meet in the middle. The surplus rod is cut off.

Lost gears (14:01). Put loosely back together, the lever just flops about and won’t find a gear. That means splitting the tail housing from the gearbox after all. Once he looks it up, the fix is simple: when the selector slots all line up, the box is in neutral. Lining them up and refitting the rod between them brings the gears back.

Shortening the tube (19:53). The outer tube has seals at each end, so welding a 102 mm section out of the middle would put the heat too close to them. Instead he cuts 102 mm off the end and refits the end piece with RTV silicone. An O-ring from his kit helps hold it, though he first shortens the wrong piece and has to swap them over.

Back together (24:13). He couldn’t find a torque figure for the tail housing bolts. He starts at 40 lb ft, decides that feels like too much for the threads, and does them up to just under 30 lb ft by feel, asking viewers to comment if they know the proper figure. A thin bead of RTV seals the tail housing, the rod has to sit between the selectors as it goes in, and the detent ball and spring that centre the lever in neutral go back in their only possible orientation.

The result

The lever has moved forward by 102 mm and changes smoothly through every gear, including reverse, with no bracing needed. The big bonus is that he can now reuse the Mk1’s existing gearbox tunnel and leave its strengthening piece in place instead of cutting the floor about.

Lessons for your own Mk1

  • Plan to remove the tail housing. He hadn’t expected to, but says it wasn’t as bad as he feared, so you might as well do it from the start.
  • Neutral means lined up. If the gears disappear, line up the selector slots before refitting the rod.
  • Keep welding heat off seals. Shortening the tube from the end avoids cooking them.
  • Check the oil. The shifter area holds oil, so refill the box properly afterwards.

Still to sort

  • Starter motor. He has bought an ST170 starter motor, which should suit the engine and flywheel, and says the next video goes back to the starter.
  • Gearbox mount. With the welding finished and the underside nearly ready for cleaning and underseal, where the gearbox mounts is the next big question.

Mk1 context

The lever position is what makes this swap feel right from the driver’s seat. Moving it forward on the gearbox itself, rather than cutting the Mk1’s tunnel, keeps the shell as original and as strong as possible.

Mk1 EscortZetec