johny

As postage cost is usually a set amount up to certain weight its best to prepare a list of components likely to be needed in the near future and get them all at the same time...

See above☹️

Sooooo difficult to find though🤑 We need something more available in local breakers yards now....

yes as said elsewhere we're waiting on this mob to come up with a conversion for our cars. Though Ist gear ratio still pretty useless and then theres the price🙃 Triumph Gearbox upgrades | Mazda MX-5 Gearbox upgrades | Vitesse — Vitesse Global LTD (vitesse-ltd.com)

Hmmm interesting! If I put in a higher ratio diff wonder if my Vitesse could get away with just a solid shaft instead of a gear cluster? Obviously reduce the top end and probably need regular clutch plate changes but it would stop the whining....

You fill until oil comes out of the fill plug and thats below the input shaft. Non overdrive only takes 1.5 pints which its why its critical to keep it topped up...

Yes the gearboxes seem pretty prone to leaks and I dont know if its the mix of aluminium and cast iron but I always find the bolts loose. Im going to thread lock the bolts on the one Im building at the moment....

Youre right that all the small chassis gearboxes have the lowest of the bell housing to casing bolts needing a copper washer because its threaded hole goes right through into the oil. However if this leaks the oil will go into the bell housing and come out of its drain hole not the joint you have circled. Here theres a gasket which should seal the area but the bell housing to main case fixing bolts (like all of the gearbox bolts) seem to loosen over time so leaks start... The free to download manuals from vitessesteve.co.uk have very good sectional diagrams that show the gearbox design👍

ha ha yes its just a dream🤪

Sorry too tight Doug☹️

Yes looks like the PO didnt realise he had to screw the backing plate to the dash before putting it back. Easily done because all the other switches have the outer case with escutcheon which just pushes in from the front but there doesnt seem to be room for the same between speedo and tacho...

Id rather someone comes up with a really cheap and easy modern conversion like say miraculously Ford Fiesta gearbox internals are found to fit perfectly in our units😁

Is it model or age dependant which fixing method is used Chris?

Rimmers supplies them as Doug shows but says in some uses it needs to be taken out of the bezel and presumably fitted using the backing plate that Mack has....

Is it even a rubber seal? I seem to remember its just a hard bit of something as because the caps vented an air tight seal isnt necessary. I certainly would keep it vented as it works in tandem with the PCR valve to correctly draw of fumes to the intake manifold...

Is there much play in the steering wheel side to side? Heres the arrangement with 44 being the contact ring that sits in the top of the outer column so the pencil 48 can slide on it. If the steering wheel boss 46 touches the ring as might happen with an aftermarket steering wheel or worn shaft bushes (41, 42, 43) the horn circuit will be made...

Dont forget the steering wheel hasnt got too much adjustment relative to the outer column because of the indicator self cancelling cam. Pull the wheel and inner shaft out too much and your indicators will stay on after completing a turn☹️

Yes the Ford type 9 five speed gearbox from Capris and Sierras was a conversion that was available but they are hard to find now. It was stronger and of course effectively had overdrive but again the ratios available werent great. We have quite an unusual beast with the six cylinder cars in that theres high torque but relatively low weight (the Vitesse was advertised as out accelerating the E type up to 30mph) so if 1st gear isnt going to be useless it requires a close ratio gearbox...

A photo or two of the steering wheel and its lack of pencil would be useful as its hard to think how the horn could work without it...

Yes thats the gearbox Triumph should have fitted but its a lot bigger, especially with OD, and also its ratios are quite different☹️

Certainly worth a look underneath, a good inspection, check tightness of all bolts and feel for play in UJs and all suspension bushes with a lever. This is also to be recommended as a routine maintenance check👍

Dont forget you cant grease moderns wheel bearings and it would probably be difficult to even feel their temperature😁

First you could feel the temperature of the drum and wheel bearing housing on each side after a good run. Then get some grease into it to see if that makes any difference. Do one side then the other with test runs inbetween👍

Yes gearbox is sweet enough and not too heavy although if the main case had been aluminium as well it would have been a featherweight but having to deal with the torque of the long stroke 6 really is pushing it😒

Ah youve hit on our cars weakest point! The gearbox was originally used in the 948 herald (and maybe something before that?) and although uprated in some aspects it was kept during the whole production time. This was mainly because of lack of room in the separate chassis to fit anything stronger and you only have to look at it to see its undersized! Oil level is critical but also its life can be extended by not having overdrive and minimising time spent accelerating in 1, 2 and 3 gears....