BGH Sporting Close 'Rocket' Box

[Richard M Green]

 

 

This is a Ford Type E box which means that it was originally fitted to a very early Sierra: it’s a four speed synchromesh box with a three bolt gearstick fixing and large (1”, from memory) input and output shafts. Apparently the three bolt fixing overcomes the risk of an over-enthusiastic driver pulling the gear stick straight out of the box as occasionally happened with the original screw-in gearstick.

I bought the box in 2001 and immediately gave it to Brian Hill at BGH Geartech who converted it to what he refers to as a “Sporting Close” ratio box. It’s still got helical gears and synchromesh, but new input shaft and matching cog on the lay gear, plus a needle roller race to absorb the axial thrust forces exerted on the lay gear because it’s helical.
The ratios are 2.83, 1.81, 1.26 and 1.00 :1

As you can see the breather now has a 3/16" pipe brazed to it in order to feed to a catch tank: not that anything ever gets ejected!

I used it in my Westfield for many years before replacing it with a 5 Speed alloy cased Quaife Type 9 box – but the four speed box is still the lighter of the two.

When removed the box was still working fine, and  a visual inspection shows no adverse chips or marking.I kept the four speed as a spare, but as the car may soon be up for sale then I'm clearing out the unused spares.

It's got a mechnical speedo output and I may be able to find a transducer to fit if you need one.

When fitted to the Westfield I needed the gearstick further back, so at Brian Hill’s suggestion, rather than use one of the those horrible bolt-on extender devices which I had in my first Westie, using Brian’s design I extended the selector shaft and made an add-on extension housing to support the extended shaft. This works really well and provides the perfect ‘feel’ that is lost when a bolt-on extender is used.

It only takes ten minutes to remove the extended arrangement and revert it to standard, which is what I’ve now done for sale, but the extension kit is all still here, so if you’d prefer the longer version then I’ll happily re-convert for free.

BGH Geartech now charge £955 + VAT for an exchange sporting close Type E gearbox like this, with a £250 + VAT surcharge if you’ve not got an exchange, so the thick end of £1500 all in.
On that basis I think that £650 ono is a fair price.

 

There's also a bog standard Rocket box sitting in the garage which is yours for £200 if you'd like it - or I'll do a deal on the pair.

I might be able to deliver within Hampshire, Wiltshire or Surrey, but otherwise I'm afraid it's collection only as I know how good the box is and don't want the risk of damage by a courier with the inevitable recriminations.

 

Please PM me if you're interested.

[Pistol Pete]

i have one of these and its a fantastic box with imho a much better gear change than the 5 speed.

Good luck with the sale.