Jump to content

Gearboxes


Westfieldman

Recommended Posts

Chris the reason i have the type 9 . Changing gear  is about

as slick as a 70 s Atkinson eight wheeler.

I want something you can change gear a bit sharper like🙂

Especially 1st to 2nd.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a type 9 which is pretty smooth. So perhaps yours can be improved. Do you have the extension on to the gearbox to move your lever further backwards ?  There is a bush in this that is simple to replace but can cause shifting issues if it is worn .

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No mate , its just standard.

I'm just thinking its a 70's gearbox made to take 70 - 80 hp.

3rd to 4th back to 3rd is smooth enough🙂

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you can afford it, get an uprated type 9 from the likes of BGH or SPC. The difference is night and day and the gearing is soooooo much better!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I swapped my standard type 9 for a BGH box with a long first gear- what a difference it makes. No more crunching the gears and up to 40mph in 1st.

definitely recommend BGH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The BGH is a great upgrade.  I'm not sure if they still offer their bespoke Westfield gear lever extension, but that combination is very, very good.  To put it in perspective, I also have an Elan and MX-5, two cars known for their gear change.  For me, the BGH is a very close second to the Elan, with the MX-5 coming in third.  

 

-John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can see how you can upgrade a gearbox to take more power.

But how do you make a gearbox slicker? If the workings are 

fundemetaly the same.

So the BGH type 9 (40 year old design) is as slick as a modern mx5 (20 year old design)?

Surely £1500 would be better spent on a mx5 gearbox and conversion no?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No. 
 

The BGH or SPC will be slicker than std. mine certainly is. 
 

But more importantly they will have ratios suited to our type of car. The mx5 box is certainly a nice one but the ratios aren’t actually that good. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, MR.C said:

So the BGH type 9 (40 year old design) is as slick as a modern mx5 (20 year old design)?

I'm sure there are a number of things that contribute to shift quality, including weight of the internals that must move to execute a gear change.  Another important aspect is the shift linkage.  As mentioned, my BGH uses a very different setup than the stock Westfield extension and is more precise.  I'm sure this helps.  The throws between the two boxes in my cars are virtually identical, and although the MX-5's throws are a touch lighter, the BGH feels more mechanical, which I prefer.  The Elan's gearbox -- which is closer to a 60 year old design --  is the slickest of the three.  

 

Chris is also spot on regarding ratios.   There is nothing wrong with the MX-5 box, the point here is that a BGH Type-9 is great in its own right.  

 

-John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, JohnCh said:

BGH uses a very different setup than the stock Westfield extension and is more precise. 

What is it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They take the rear portion of a sacrificial Type-9 case, attach the shift rod sections with a coupler and roll pins, then attach the two cases with a thick U-shaped aluminium bracket (~6mm thick).  Here are photos taken before installing mine back in 2007.

1466478_orig.jpg

 

2001250_orig.jpg

 

-John

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, JohnCh said:

As mentioned, my BGH uses a very different setup than the stock Westfield extension

Mine has no extension and still was way better than the original 1980’s type 9 I originally fitted. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chris , in what way would you say it was better?

Apart from of course being able to take more Power safely.

Can you change from first to second swiftly if giving it the beans so to speak?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Please review our Terms of Use, Guidelines and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.