Is it a Major Benefit to Remove Engine Cover to Replace Short Gear Cable?

The joys of MGF ownership - My year 2000 1.8VVC decides at a set of lights last night that gear changes are going to be no more.....



After scrambling under the car and putting the gearbox in third by moving the lever manually I managed to get the car home and hoped it was just be a broken clip but unfortunately discovered the short gear cable had snapped at the gearbox end.



Bit of surfing later and it appears I'm in for a great weekend as the cable bulkhead holding plate 8mm bolts sound a right nightmare to remove.



Question for anyone thats done this before - I put my hardtop on for the winter and ideally I would just leave this and the engine cover in place to do this job. Does this make sense or is this job a lot easier having access from the top???



Cheers!

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