Trying mine on a bench and comparing it with the Moss in the non-working car, I can only echo Bill's and John Bolster's comments on the sweetness of the change.

On James Taylor's description, the long travel of the lever is partly due to its length. The lever on the Moss is an inch shorter and, I believe, some all synch boxes used much shorter gear sticks than the first all sync. The levers are easily swapped or shortened and I'd certainly do one or the other. My own view is that the lever on the Moss was already too long.

Bottom gear in the Moss is so low as to be close to useless for anything other than pulling out tree stumps. Even for that, you'd need lead weight in the boot to achieve the adhesion to transfer the torque into thrust against the ground. Accounting for the time required to engage first and that, with the howl, I change up at less than walking pace, I don't see any advantage for speed off the line.

Apart from the change in position of reverse, the detente against against engaging it is much stiffer on the all synch. Instead of firmly pushing against it, it's more a case of taking a swing like many boxes of the time (and since).

 

The shift push to engage reverse on all synch cars is adjustable. Mine is the opposite at present and too easy to nick reverse on the first to second change. I intend stiffening it up a bit. One adjusting bolt & locknut.

 

Adjuster.

 

Thanks Glyn. That's very useful. It's something that I hadn't noticed though the screw and locknut are pretty obvious. It's very convenient that it can be adjusted fairly easily after the box is installed in the car as it's difficult to make a good judgement with the gearbox on a bench.

 

It's very difficult to judge on the bench. I stuck the gear lever on and thought that's enough tension so as not to potentially nick reverse. I was wrong. Now that I'm used to driving the car I achieve a clean first to second change but if someone else drives it they stand a very good chance of nicking reverse so I need to adjust for a little more pressure requirement to select reverse gear. It's on my to do list. I don't think "to do" lists ever end with a classic car if you are fussy.

 

I wish Jaguar would give us something as basic as a target Spring Gauge reading to do basic set up.

 

I have the same experience and back you up 100% in your saying

 

good to know about the reverse detent adjustability... as i'm having a mech do a "the shifting's too sloppy" job on my mk2's transmission and seeing as how i've had numerous experiences when shifting between 2nd and 3rd that left me grinding it out and in some cases almost having to stop the car and start all over again in 1st, i will request that the mech perform an "adjustment".

 

For the sloppiness, there's a rubber bush at the bottom of the stick that may well have perished. It looks easy to swap. It appears to be the same bush on both the Moss and all-synch boxes though the one on my Moss box looks in better condition. Also, without trying it in the car, the all-synch stick seems a couple of inches too long, which will only exaggerate any slop. My impression is that when all is correct, both boxes should have a tight, mechanical feel.

 

let's hope so...