5 speed gearbox mod

[Pete Clayton]

Hi all,

I have cut a section out of one of the chassis rails so the type 9 box will fit. I have drilled through the rail either side and bolted the mount up, see below

Obviously I now need to put some strength in. I am planning on welding another rail in behind the existing one and then tieing the original one in to it like so. Excuse naff drawings!

Will this be sufficient? I have some 40x40x2.5 box to use

[Paul Sheridan]

Have you put some sleeves in the box section where your bolts go through? If not, you will crush the box section when doing up the bolts and they will constantly work loose. Another way to do it is to weld angle iron to the ends of the cut box section for the gearbox mount to sit on, you can then bolt it up good and tight. Have a look at page 2 on my rebuild post, you can see the modification on one of the pictures of the dash.

[Pete Clayton]

I was planning on capping the ends of the box section I cut, I was amazed at the amount of water that came out! Sleeving is a good idea

[Pete Clayton]

You mean this photo Paul?

So you have a cut a bit more out than me and are bolting to the flat bits of angle iron there?

[Paul Sheridan]

This is a better pic.  The 6mm angle has been cut to the same size as the box section and welded on as an end cap, the lip for the gear box mount has been made as small as possible to retain the strength.

[Big Vern]

That mount is meant to be used in a xmember, I doubt it will be up to the job used in isolation like that.

A better mount is the much earlier one used in MK1 and 2 Cortina's, still available - (I'll try and find the part number) as it is reinforced with a decent thickness of steel and can be used on it's own. 

[Paul Sheridan]

I had the cross member to start with, and was going to use it. But on close inspection, the mount only sat on the two ends, and the member did not appear to give any additional support to the rubber in any way. I think, as the xmember was designed to bolt to the tin floor pan by OEM, it had to be quite wide and substantial.  The only thing that may happen in my design is the rubber failing, and then the gearbox would sit inside the retainer, it can't go any where.  Would be interested to see the earlier one though Nigel.  :-)  

[Pete Clayton]

This is the sort I have http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Escort-MK1-Cortina-MK2-Gearbox-Mount...

Would I be better off with one of these then http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-CORTINA-MK1-1500GT-1600GT-NEW-GEARBO...

[Big Vern]

If you can make the one like you have work Pete then use that I Have the second one.

Note how much thicker the metal is that the rubber is bonded to compared with Paul's one from a later Cortina/Granada/Sierra

[Pete Clayton]

Ok, will try with what I have. Thanks for all the comments guys.

What do you think is better, do it like Paul and use some angle iron to put the mount on or cap the ends of the box and put some sleeves in the tube to stop it crushing?

Apart from the mount fixing does what I have drawn in the diagram look suitable for putting the strength back in to the chassis?

[Big Vern]

Have a look at danny bosworths one before his post drops off the bottom of the main page. I rekon you could run your xmember behind the mount then join the two xmembers with angle iron then sit the mount on the angle.

[Dave Adams]

I use the same gear box mount on my car. the mount bolts to a bracket welded to a 40mm X 5mm flat bar which is welded between the cut chassis rail. the whole is also incorpoated into my transmission tunnel. it it very strong.

[Pete Clayton]

That looks a sensible way of doing it BV, think I will go with that. Cheers