Chris's Mkiv Basket Case restored to glory

[itiejim]

I'd be interested to know the dimensions Nick. Particularly distance from tip of the input shaft to the gear lever and the width (is it wider at the back than an OD unit?

[oldtuckunder]

Gearbox A (4 synchro) has a knackered main-shaft tip too.  Was hoping this would be ok so we could just freshen it up with some new bearings.  Now feeling the urge to go direct to a non-Triumph option as I've wasted far too much of my life messing about with the under-engineered crap Triumph call a gearbox.......

 

 

Got a picture of that tip, may have a suggestion.

 

Alan

[Nick Jones]

Some pics......

The knackered tip and chipped reverse gear teeth on the laygear cluster and idler

 

Closer up of the tip

The unworn part on the end measures 12.75mm, the pitted part adjacent approx 12.48 increasing to 12.53 at the other end so it's tapered too (as usual).  I've seen much worse but it's bad enough.  The bore in the input shaft looks ok.

 

Chipped reverse gear teeth on the synchro sleeve.  There are others too but this is the worst.

 

I know it's probably possible to get the tip machined to take a sleeved bearing - or even a phosphor bronze bush - was that what you had in mind Alan?

 

I've also seen the aftermath of one that had been completely "re-tipped" and failed in spectacular fashion soon after.  Possibly the case could have been saved............

 

Nick

[Nick Jones]

We tried the 5 speed in the hole.  It's too big.

 

Yes, it could be got in there but would involve some serious chassis flange mods - certainly more so than a W58 and the gear-stick is about half way down the handbrake.

 

Relative to the Triumph box the gearstick is 135mm further back.  I do have more measurements but left them in the garage and it's peeing down here right now.....

 

..... however, IIRC

Bell housing face to gearstick c/l is 735mm.  Then about another 100mm behind.  Width 180mm pretty much the whole length and there's a very rectangular deep sump section towards the front which causes the chassis issues.

 

Nick

 

 

[Nick Jones]

In better news I scored some 5" steel wheels with a matching set of decent tyres on ebay for less than the price of two tyres.

 

 

I've also swilled out the starter motor and it seems to work fine.

 

Chris is fighting with MX5 seat runners.  Was complaining he can't get the seat low enough - then I got him to try a standard seat and that's not low enough either......

 

Nick

[oldtuckunder]

 

I know it's probably possible to get the tip machined to take a sleeved bearing - or even a phosphor bronze bush - was that what you had in mind Alan?

 

 

 

Yes I pressed an oilite bush onto a main shaft for a friend about 20 years ago, and its still running!

[GT6 Nick]

As you're sticking with a Triumph engine for now, Nick, I'd suggest reconditioning one of the Triumph gearboxes - if you can find any NOS parts you need. My Herald's three rail has lasted about twenty years since it was rebuilt. The D-type is getting tired, but otherwise, I wouldn't call the boxes under-engineered for a four cylinder car. Best of all, you don't need to modify anything to make them fit. It's only when you start putting much more power through them that they start breaking.

[CHRIS211083]

Nick, what about an non overdrive gearbox. I know it will be reving more but there are loads of them about for very little money. At least if he upgrades to a type 9 at some point or just to an overdrive he will appreciate it much more???

 

Chris.

[Nick Jones]

I'm going to try to find a cheap non-OD box for some (hopefully) less chewed gears and spare baulk rings then experiment with an oilite bush as Alan suggests to try and recover the OD mainshaft.  The 4-synchro ones don't seem that common at present though there are quite a few 3 synchro ones about.

 

Nick

[Mark]

Hi Nick

 

I have a Mk1 MX5 and I have read on some forums they do a 'Foamectomy', peel out the seat base slice down the depth of the foam and stick it all back. Something I was considering when I fit a roll cage that goes under the hardtop to give me a bit more head clearance.

 

Mark

Edited November 21, 2016 by Mark

[zetecspit]

Nick, re gearbox, how about the dolly 4 speed (3 rail) box, in the ads on here (I think) or here http://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=31873

 

A longer first gear, but it does work on a spit friend runs a GT6 box with cut and shut first motion shaft in his spit mk3, that has a few PB bushes in the box too, and been like that for about 100k now I think.

[oldtuckunder]

Nick, what about an non overdrive gearbox.

 

 

I'm going to try to find a cheap non-OD box for some (hopefully) less chewed gears and spare baulk rings then experiment with an oilite bush as Alan suggests to try and recover the OD mainshaft.  

 

If you want to follow Chris's suggestion if you have room in the Estate on Sunday you can take away a single rail box (there is a choice!) complete with propshaft mounting plate and what looks like an almost new clutch cover and plate!   I need shot of all these Spitfire Bits!

 

Alan

 

PS If anyone else wants/needs a good chassis, body shell, or 1500 engine (choice of two!) then PM me they are going cheap if you collect!

[BiTurbo228]

If you don't mind doing without the seat runners, I've found that an MX5 seat bolted directly to the floor is roughly the same height base as the standard seat...

[Nick Jones]

Gearbox mainshaft has been attended to........  need to put some shallow spiral grooves in it to allow the oil in as the machinist seems to think and air-tight fit is the goal!

 

 

Nick

[Nick Jones]

Of course, this now means that the bush is 0.15mm too large to allow the 3/4 synchro hub over it..........    Arse! 

 

Nick

[GT6MK3]

Bugger!

[Nick Jones]

Bugger!

 Yeah....... too soon old...... too late smart!

 

Nick

[Nick Jones]

Sorted.

 

Had to pull the bush off again, but before doing so I tried the shafts in the casing as I had a feeling that the tip of the mainshaft needs to poke through into a smaller diameter hole in the input shaft, meaning the bush would be too long and stop the main bearings fully seating in the casing.  This did  prove to be the case.

 

Managed to pull the bush back off without killing it and shortened it in the lathe by 3mm.  Then built the mainshaft back up with new synchro rings on 2nd and 3rd and refitted the bush.

Than managed to reassemble everything back into the casing in such a way as it seems to work as it should.  Had a bit of aggro with the new (but not very classy looking) main bearing on the input shaft as it didn't have quite enough chamfer to allow it on far enough to fully seat the circlip.  Got there in the end.

 

Then just had to wrestle everything back into the casing.  I've done a number of them before - last one some time in the early 90's.  Surprisingly I appeared to remember enough not to screw up - or perhaps I was just lucky.  Easier than a bloody VAG 085 'box anyway.

 

Swill out the OD next and reassemble everything with new seals.  Fill with oil and test OD.  Then we can fit the engine and 'box........

 

Nick

[Nick Jones]

OD was treated to a strainer clean and general inspection.  Didn't find anything horrific so just fitted it to the 'box - usual arsing about trying to get both sets of splines in line, but got there in the end.

 

Then filled it with ATF (because I had some and it's good at shifting filth) to test the overdrive.  My elderly 550W Bosch drill did not appreciate this, but we were were able to establish that the OD works without letting all its smoke out.

 

Also rebuilt the remote.  This was done using the best bits of the two we had as the new refurb kit purchased contained no (none at all) parts fit for use.

 

Also went through the entire clutch release mechanism with a fine tooth comb.  Freed all the pivot points (which were solid as usual), changed the pivot bushes and tolerance ring before finding a bolt of the right length to take on a new life as a non-drop-through pivot pin.  It's an alloy bell housing - original early Herald one I liberated from a very rusty Herald that turned up in a local scrapyard a few years back.  Originally sold to Toby but became surplus to his requirements when he decided to fit a real engine!

 

Then, 'cause it was too cold to play in the garage we had a wiring loom restoration session.

Two identical looms - one in really pretty good condition apart from the fuse box having been hacked off and one from Alans collection which had a fuse box but, on detailed inspection turned out to have a long list of minor injuries.  In the end we swapped the fuse box to the original loom.  There will have to be some alterations and additions to sort things like

hazard flashers

Fog light

electric fuel pump and inertia switch

central locking (possibly boot only)

electric windows

electric washer pump

headlight relays

 

It is planned that the engine and box will go in tomorrow........

 

Nick

[Nick Jones]

Engine and box now in.  Didn't have an engine crane to hand so we had to man-handle them in separately (less aggro than borrowing, assembling and returning an engine crane).  The lifting part was easy enough.  The gearbox and engine were (as usual) reluctant to join up in the car even though they'd been easily slotted together on the floor mere minutes before, but we got there in the end.

 

Brm brm.....

 

And Chris had already spent a happy (?) half day upside down under the dash refitting the loom and heater etc.  I kept right out of that!

 

He's now eagerly anticipating the fabrication of engine side panels and radiator mounting structure.  It's a Golf radiator donated by Bruce.  I've got the carbs and dizzy to rebuild......

 

Nick

[oldtuckunder]

looking good 

[Martin]

Looks nice.  Will it be on the road in summer?

Martin

[Nick Jones]

By Easter is the plan........

 

Should be possible.

 

Nick

[Nick Jones]

Radiator now fitted and looking quite at home.  There's been some fairly superior tin bashing done making the shrouding/support panels.  NTDWM - I just bought the ally sheet and rivets......

 

 

We also had a fun couple of hours in the scrapyard harvesting likely looking hoses.  Skoda Fabia 1.4 (the old pushrod one) bottom hose is made to measure for the bottom one.  Top was trickier but we did end up with a couple of possible solutions.

 

Astra/Corsa header tank being mounted on the bulkhead and heater hose plumbing most sorted - further complicated by the desire to avoid using a christmas-cracker copy of the crappy OE Smiths heater valve.  Using an all plastic VAG one probably.

 

Exhaust manifold has had an O2 sensor bung fitted.  There isn't much room.......

 

Was a little disgruntled to discover the the manifold outlet is angled and does not point straight back down the middle of the car like the one on my Herald did, meaning the centre pipe will need a kink in it.  Now I have to remember who has the pipe bender at present.....

 

 

Nick

[JMH]

 

 

We also had a fun couple of hours in the scrapyard harvesting likely looking hoses.  Skoda Fabia 1.4 (the old pushrod one) bottom hose is made to measure for the bottom one.  Top was trickier but we did end up with a couple of possible solutions.

 

Aha, then I do know what to do with the **** thing (Mrs. JMH's old Fabia combi...). It's on the second engine now 

Edited January 16, 2017 by JMH