Gearbox I/D

[Ianashdown57]

Hi,

I have two spare gearboxes that came with my 64 Elan when I bought it and I'm wondering if anyone can help me identify what they are specifically from the two photographs.

They both are attached to bellhousings that have 105E cast in, one has what appears to be a reverse light switch on the top.

Are the Semi-Close Ratio, Close Ratio, Extra Close Ratio or what?

Thank in advance for any help,

Ian

[garyeanderson]

Hi,

I have two spare gearboxes that came with my 64 Elan when I bought it and I'm wondering if anyone can help me identify what they are specifically from the two photographs.

They both are attached to bellhousings that have 105E cast in, one has what appears to be a reverse light switch on the top.

Are the Semi-Close Ratio, Close Ratio, Extra Close Ratio or what?

Thank in advance for any help,

Ian

Hi Ian

So what did you find out?

The box with the steel shifter cap and 2 bolt tailshaft mount is likely to have the 17mm input shaft and is either a wide or an ultra close. The other box (15mm input shaft?) with the reverse gear switch on it, is likely to be either semi-close or wide. The 105E bells on them would weight the guesses to be ultra-close and Semi-close.

Best of luck with your Elans

Gary

=================
Ian

Put a tie wrap or a piece of masking tape on both the input and output shafts so that you have a flag or pointer. Put both flags so that they are upward vertical location. Now put the gearboxes in frist gear and rotate the input shaft and watch the output shaft flag so that it makes a complete revolution while you count the number of turns that the input shaft flag takes to make that happen.
2.5 turns is a ultra close box, 3 turns semi-close and 3.5 turns is a wide box.

Hope this helps
Gary

=============================================
Rick asked the same question on the cortina list back on November 19th

this is the email, 82 minutes later Rick knew what he had

Subject: Re: [Cortina-list] 1600 4 speed Cortina gear box
To: cortina-list
Date: Monday, November 19, 2012, 9:02 PM

Gary, 3 turns. Semi close box



-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Anderson
To: cortina-list <[email protected]>
Sent: Mon, Nov 19, 2012 7:40 pm
Subject: Re: [Cortina-list] 1600 4 speed Cortina gear box


Hi Rick

Put the gearbox in first gear and wrap tie wraps aroung the input and output
shafts. Rotate the input shaft and count the number of turns till the output is
back in its original position. 2.5 Ultra close, 3 turn Semi-close, 3.5 turns
Wide box. Then you will know what the box is worth. Tough to offer $80 plus
shipping if you are just getting a wide box. Where is the shifter? Front by the
gear case or at the back of the tailshaft? What bellhousing? If somebody was
close that can pick it up then things are different.

Gary

[Ianashdown57]

Hi,

You know your Elans!

It looks like one is an Close Ratio (the one with the plus sign on it) and the other is a Semi-Close ratio.
The numbers I eye-balled by turns were:

Box with the + sign
1st 2.5
2nd 1.7
3rd 1.25
4th 1

The other box
1st 2.8
2nd 2.1
3rd 1.5
4th 1.0

Now I just have to figure out whats in the car itself.

Ian

[lance54]

Ian,

Gary's method of checking gearbox ratios is generations old but still the best....will for work the box in the car as well. Just mark the driveshaft.

That 2.5 first gear can be bothersome in a street car depending on the tune of the engine.

Here's what is inside each box. Tooth count and resulting ratios. Also the Ultra Close Dog Box used by most Elan racers. There are even closer ratio gear sets with first as high as 1.8. That's like starting between 2nd and 3rd gear in the standard gearbox and may require push start assistance.

[garyeanderson]

Ian
With 3 Ultra-close, 8 Semi-close and several 4-6? Wide boxes. I have seen a couple. There are not all that many clues and I made a few assumptions about the previous owner of your Elans and the time frame when he was active in his Elan involvement. The biggest clue was the 105e bell housing and the fact that it looked like it was always there and not may Elans in the U.S. ever came with a wide box or at least no one has ever mentioned one on this forum or the yahoo group before that I can remember.

Clark

Nice chart, those dog box gears look better than the stock boxes in that it doesn't seem to spin the counter shaft (second motion) as fast.

Gary