Gearbox Spacer

[Snapperpaul]

On the 3a the tunnel is pre formed and welded, early on i decided on new gauges so have magnets on the rear prop UJ and a neat little bracket off the A arm/diff mount. I did this so i cound change gearbox ratios or diff ratios quickly, then i only have to recalibrate the speedo which is done by a button on the front of the speedo.

My thoughts of a Cosworth T5 box are now right out of the window, no way that will fit and as the tunnel is structural on the 3a i will look at other solutions in the future.

[Guest AWhite]

BGH geartech do standard dimension type 9s with different ratios i know cos ive got one. Not cheap though.

 

Rally Design are doing quaife and close ratio gearboxes now. Again not cheap.

[Snapperpaul]

I covet thy BGH gearbox but like many can,t justify the expense, however i am keeping my eyes open for a solution.

Burtons are doing a better first for the V6 box but that will still be near £400 with fitting and oil.

[Snapperpaul]

AAAARGH the saga goes on, desperately trying to get it running under its own steam and now find even with modified clutch pawl that it won't disengage the clutch.

Feels bad, when i press the pedal there is no give, it feels like i am stretching the cable.

There is some movement at the clutch lever but no real clutch plate movement as far as i can tell.

It may be that the bearing has fallen off the lever and has jammed.

it may be that the bearing is too big a diameter and is hitting the clutch cover.

It may be the combination of V6 gearbox, RS2000 ally bell housing , 30m spacer and RS2000 clutch release lever are just not quite right.

What ever it is, i think its engine out again, dam it.

This weekend would have been ideal but i am going to Stoneliegh tommorow.

Anyone able to post on the Caterham site? i know they use the V6 box and the spacer, i use is one of theirs.

Got to be something simple and i don't want to admit defeat and fit the standard box just yet.

[Guest salty_monk]

Got to be that 30 metres of spacer you have in there..... (just being facetious...)

 

Hope you get it sorted. Can you get it all working on the bench before you re-fit??

 

Dan

[Snapperpaul]

Gingerfix idea was to drag it out and put it on a bench next to the car with a clutch cable fitted, and thats what i shall be doing.

It could be as simple as the release arm slipping off or a fraction to short, the wrong release bearing ( although i fitted the same one that came off, or the bearing carrier dropping off the end of the slide tube, a longer carrier is available from Burtons..... So close yet so far away. Just waiting for the weather to pickup again and i will decline the offer of work from my boss and get it fixed. Still by the time it is all working we will have the definitive solution to fitting the V6 box to a Pinto...... Still have a standard Type 9 in the spares pile just in case.

[Longboarder]

Don't know what the release arm hole is like on the RS bellhousing but on the standard type nine if you disconnect the cable and push the arm toward the back of the car you can inspect quite a lot of the innards through the hole with a torch while crawling under the car. Certainly see if the bearing is still on the release arm and if it fouls on the pressure plate. If the pedal is solid it does sound like something major, spinner the wrong way round perhaps.

Why not assemble the box/bell housing/engine on the bench to test. If its working you will find that you can lever the release arm forward to release the clutch with a long screwdriver. You can also see where the lever sits in the slot when held against the diaphragm springs. You only need about half an inch of movement to release the clutch so you can see if you need a taller release bearing. The one from a Capri, Quinton Hazel CCT133 is about 9mm taller than the sierra bearing and cheaper than buying from Burtons and no postage.

 

Nigel

[Snapperpaul]

Crawled under the car yesterday with tourches, mirrors on sticks and mobile phone incase i got stuck and had to call the Fire Brigade. Just managed to squeeze my hand in the starter motor hole and it all felt as it should, then put light in one side ( i have two starter holes on the Ally bellhousing) and the mirrors in the other, it looked correct with just a few mm seperating bearing from clutch with lever pushed back.

 

So on to rectify the problem.

 

Remove modified clutch pawl and replace with black Granada one, better already, try different spacers at pedal box end, again a little better, try spacer at gearbox end ( this moves the pedal bight point) still working on this.

Cut bulkhead floor under pedal box back to allow full movement (the pedal with Granada pawl could not move to the static free position, return pedal to original positon ( i had cut the spacer in half and moved the pedal away from the tunnel side) it now touches the tunnel side on full depression but the auto release mechanism now works and the clutch pawl adjusted 2 to 3 clicks more than i could do manually and BINGO, I can now push the pedal through the clutch release point and it feels as it should do.

 

Started the car (all four wheels up in the air) pressed clutch and engage gear, the wheels on my bus go round and round, depress clutch again and this time they stop spinning.

 

Got a bit enthusiastic and engaged 3rd to get a huge CLUNK and rattles, this is the gearbox hitting the support cross memeber and the tunnel sides, so next job stronger rubbers and i may have to shift the gearbox back to the original position thus having to move the engine forward. What i should have done in the first place.

 

Thanks to all who posted ideas on this long running thread, they really do help and stop me making harder work than it should be.

 

The reason i keep posting on this thread is to end up with the definative Type 9 V6 conversion for the Monocoques and if i win the T5 next year i may do it all again FOOLISH man

 

I will keep you posted

 

Longboarder, thanks fot the part No. i think i will put one in the spares pile just in case.

[Snapperpaul]

All completed now, gearbox has been moved forward/back to my original position which was about 10mm to the rear of the pre drilled holes as set by Robin Hood.

 

Conclusion is that the gearbox has only a very little rearward movement available before it will hit the tunnel.

 

The pre cut exhaust hole was a little to the rear even with my 10mm rear mounting position, i ended up cutting a good 2 inches out to give enough forward clearance.

 

The alternator position now 30mm forward fouled the steering support bearing and this has been moved towards the engine bay side about 20mm, even then the steering shaft is within 5mm of the manifold, i will keep an eye on this.

 

Clutch release bearing will be bought with a view to replacing it after SVA the next time the engine comes out.

 

Clutch pedal has been returned to original position with spacers replaced ( thanks Ron) and the pedal will be cut, bent and re welded to give clearance to the footwell side tunnel.

 

BONUS..... there are holes now for the fitting of a standard type 9 and a V6 type 9 with spacer, most of the holes are in the sled and can't be seen.

While it was all apart i managed to refit the oil cooler take off with new rubber seal and not the silicon stuff, this should cure the slight oil leak.

[Guest salty_monk]

Congrats on cracking it.....

 

Dan

[Longboarder]

Shame. I'm going to miss this long running thread. It's like Family Affairs (Used to be 6.30 after 'Home and Away'). You sort of get used to it, becomes part of your day and then it disappears.

 

Nigel

 

ps. at least your car works now which is a bonus now that you won't be providing regular entertainment!