gearboxes and axles

[Steve Kerswell]

So there he is, 4wd kit car with 2.9 of boat anchor and it will not go around corners, " Stevo, what do I do?" chuck in a Rover V8 half the weight, "But how do I keep the 4wd?" well that's a tad more difficult, so what you do is this, get a saw cut off the bell housing, get the Rover bell housing and chop a bit of that off and weld them back together, and bingo you have the full monty, here, just like this !

[James Doulton]

Helicopters have sensors on the gearbox so they know when they are getting rough. I think that Noddy needs MORE sensors so that you'd know before it was so bad that you could hear it. Dave Adams Type 9, Noddy's Type 2, Dolly's Type 2 all failed in the last year. Time we fixed some sensors on our 'boxes and got some proper instrumentation - torque indicators, bearing condition, clutch thickness ... wire me up!

[Steve Kerswell]

After a false start, we are nearly there tonight. False start ? Bolted everything up tight and using an air drive we turned the engine over with the plugs out, PING, one of the tacks let go and we soon realised the alignment was slightly askew. So feint heart and the pig story, we went for it in gear and turned it over and over on the air drive until ice started forming on the gun ! Only the one spot let go and showed a gap of 6mm. So I tacked it up again in place, and went for lunch :-) Then big Billy made the management decision "weld it Up" so I did, not pretty welding gaps with silicone rods but its strong and straight (I hope). So that's me done, no, still have the starter problem but leave it to them thinking, clunk, click :-))

[Steve Kerswell]

Bit of sanding and it'll be OK

[James Doulton]

That looks like a really good job there, Steve. Nice work!

[Steve Kerswell]

I was just considering if there is a lot of torque or stress in that joint, on the Rover bell housing there is only 6 bolts at 6mm holding it to the gearbox, just a thought.

[Steve Kerswell]

Next hurdle is the front diff and drive, using a Sierra rear diff at the front with a hybrid drive cv joint. Keeping the Sierra diff at the back too. We could end up with the wheels driving the wrong way!  

[Adrian Southgate]

I'm fairly sure the diffs on the front go t'other way so yes, one will push and the other will push back.... could end up folded up in the middle.... 

I might be wrong though having never actually taken one apart.

[Steve Kerswell]

running the front diff upside down, well that's the plan. Xr4x4 diffs etc are in the sump of Ford's. This front axle is way out in front. The front prop is in the same space as the starter, the steering column and the exhaust down pipe. Something gotta move, discovered also the starter bolts to the crankcase not the bell housing. Thought this was moving well :-))

[Steve Kerswell]

just read this, this is on the paperwork of my refurbed gearbox:

This would change the ratio in 5th to reduce the engine revs at 70mph from 3039rpm down to 2746rpm, enough to give better economy at this speed and reduce engine noise. But if allowed to run flat out, would give a top speed of 178mph@7000rpm in place of the old top speed of 161mph@7000rpm. if you had the power and could rev to 8000 rpm you could get 204mph.

Dojj and i are using ours, they do present us with a small problem,,,, how to keep at the legal speed limit.

[Steve Kerswell]

I've been Robin Hooding for the afternoon, what a transformed car it has become. The tuned Pinto, the bike carbs, the lightened flywheel and now finally a gearbox that works with the engine, it equals a flyer, very impressed. Looks good too. On the way home we hit the hillbillies, they too are moving forward with the Jago, drive shafts are sorted and they have driven it slowly up the lane, results are not good, front prop and diff are all wrong, now thinking of the front diff from the sump of the V6 ! Back in my cave the gearbox is ready, the engine is ready, the Sierra is ready, just the owner to get in the positive mood to take it on, I really don't feel like it at present, to much on my job sheet. Back end of the B+ is half stripped, some previous muppet used grease on the suspension pivots, so now they are rusted solid. Complete 5 link will now be built instead of a conversion. All to do by April. Rover V8 has taken a back seat, getting expensive for parts so it can wait. Have a SW Lotus guy coming tomorrow to talk 5 links and how to find the ultimate point to fit them.

[Steve Kerswell]

Arghh!! Just been told to get my B+ weighed tomorrow, to find the centre of gravity and centre of balance, that means putting the axle back together first thing, wish I never mentioned it to him now, stupid car.

[Dave Adams]

Duttons are pretty good balance wise.....with you in it close to 50 - 50