Type 9 conversions
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 9:51 am
Hi all (and Happy New Year)
I'm currently having a few parts machined to alter the linkage on a Type 9 to shift the lever forward. It's an idea I've come up with that appears to be pretty simple (at this stage at least) and what's generated it is the recent input from possible would-be owners who responded to a question I put about T5 boxes.
I'm having the parts duplicated initially to enable some sort of blueprints to be made once I'm satisfied they do the job ok.
I know something similar to my idea has already been done successfully so I'm not exactly working in the dark I admit but my approach involves a lot less machining and initially only requires the removal of 5th selector fork ie the gears don't need to be disturbed. Admittedly my idea is slightly less "pretty" but it'll work exactly the same as the other conversions I've seen.
All potential owners would require to do if not particularly technically minded would be to remove the alloy gearbox tail, the gearlever "crank" (by punching out a rollpin), unscrew the forward spring loaded plunger (a 2 minute job), punch out the roll pin on the selector rod and extract the rod itself.
A 5/16 inch hole needs to be drilled through the alloy sandwich plate and the gearbox casing and then following instructions the parts I've had machined can be assembled and the linkage tested.
Obviously the lever still needs to be relocated and the alloy tail altered accordingly but this is relatively simple.
Owners who are "adventurous" to put it one way could probably do all/most of the conversion themselves for about ?3-400 (possibly a lot less depending on skill levels and how much they had to farm out) and this would include altering the alloy tail, fitting a spring loaded system to bias the gearlever across the gate (or alternatively introduce a simple spring loaded cam arrangement to reverse and 5th gears) or, if they wanted to stick with the Ford system for locking out reverse this is also possible using a ?40 rose jointed gearlever.
Owners would be advised to have any box overhauled as a precaution but the beauty of this idea is that any high street box specialist could easily do the job since the conversion is so simple and doesn't require specialist tools etc to assemble/dismantle.
I reckon I could get the parts required for the initial stage of altering the linkage for less than ?100 so if any would-be owners out there are interested feel free to get in touch.
Last point- my own car has had a T9 since 1999 using a pretty simple system of linkage conversion but this latest idea is actually just as simple but is arguably more flexible in terms of the features that can be incorporated into it.
If you want a discussion ring 0151 480 8400
Regards
John
I'm currently having a few parts machined to alter the linkage on a Type 9 to shift the lever forward. It's an idea I've come up with that appears to be pretty simple (at this stage at least) and what's generated it is the recent input from possible would-be owners who responded to a question I put about T5 boxes.
I'm having the parts duplicated initially to enable some sort of blueprints to be made once I'm satisfied they do the job ok.
I know something similar to my idea has already been done successfully so I'm not exactly working in the dark I admit but my approach involves a lot less machining and initially only requires the removal of 5th selector fork ie the gears don't need to be disturbed. Admittedly my idea is slightly less "pretty" but it'll work exactly the same as the other conversions I've seen.
All potential owners would require to do if not particularly technically minded would be to remove the alloy gearbox tail, the gearlever "crank" (by punching out a rollpin), unscrew the forward spring loaded plunger (a 2 minute job), punch out the roll pin on the selector rod and extract the rod itself.
A 5/16 inch hole needs to be drilled through the alloy sandwich plate and the gearbox casing and then following instructions the parts I've had machined can be assembled and the linkage tested.
Obviously the lever still needs to be relocated and the alloy tail altered accordingly but this is relatively simple.
Owners who are "adventurous" to put it one way could probably do all/most of the conversion themselves for about ?3-400 (possibly a lot less depending on skill levels and how much they had to farm out) and this would include altering the alloy tail, fitting a spring loaded system to bias the gearlever across the gate (or alternatively introduce a simple spring loaded cam arrangement to reverse and 5th gears) or, if they wanted to stick with the Ford system for locking out reverse this is also possible using a ?40 rose jointed gearlever.
Owners would be advised to have any box overhauled as a precaution but the beauty of this idea is that any high street box specialist could easily do the job since the conversion is so simple and doesn't require specialist tools etc to assemble/dismantle.
I reckon I could get the parts required for the initial stage of altering the linkage for less than ?100 so if any would-be owners out there are interested feel free to get in touch.
Last point- my own car has had a T9 since 1999 using a pretty simple system of linkage conversion but this latest idea is actually just as simple but is arguably more flexible in terms of the features that can be incorporated into it.
If you want a discussion ring 0151 480 8400
Regards
John