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Reverse gear jumps out?
Peter Laidler (Harvest Gold 0811) from Oxfordshire has a tip that could avoid that snatch as reverse gear pops out - a common MGBGTV8 problem. (May 80)

If you have one of these models and find it has taken to jumping out of reverse gear then take heart, all is not lost. This simple remedy will possibly apply to the MGB1800 as well. It might well be that the front engine mountings are going soft and this is allowing the engine to move forward very slightly. As a result of this, when the reverse gear is selected, the rear of the gear

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lever contacts the rear of the gear lever hole and does not permit the gear to be fully engaged. As a result of this, it slips out of reverse gear.

If after replacing the engine mountings you still feel that there is insufficient clearance between the gear lever and the back of the hole, simply file a larger clearance between the gear lever and the opening. If this does not solve the problem, then I am afraid you will have to start further investigations of the cause of jumping out of reverse gear. But the tip above solved the problem on my MGBGTV8.