Transmission

The transmission fitting issues were initially thrown up by the engine trial fit (previous blog).

1) Diff: I needed to get Ruairidh to bail me out here by getting him to fit the inner seals. He fitted modern lip seals for me and yes there is a trick to it, and no I cannot explain adequately here, you have to see to believe it. Otherwise I assembled it as per the manual and some more bits from the Seven workshop.

2) Gearbox output flange: Ruairidh came to the rescue again, I managed to trade some windscreen supports for a gearbox output flange.

3) Torque tube flange: The dealer who sold me this did not have a four hole flange and was unable to supply one. I however managed to make an adapter plate out of steel stock.  I decided  I was not going not to just drill four holes in it and hope all aligns, I machined the differing indents for alignment into either side of the 6mm steel plate.

4) Rear springs: To check all the transmission interface and body fit issues I needed to trial fit the rear springs as well. I obtained new springs from Ruairidh's dad Ian. And assembled it using HTS U bolts.

5) Gear Linkage: Worked on the remote linkage for the best part of a day. The linkage, the selector blade and top spacer plate had to be modified.

Otherwise it all went together after a day and a half most of the time taken up by the diff refurb.




New gearbox flange + sliding joint position acceptablele

Torque tube adapter plate

Spring attachment points

Gear linkage

Problems

Clutch engagement

When I first mated the engine and gearbox, the operation of the clutch appeared very strange. Further discussions with  Ruairidh the operation of the clutch was deemed to be normal. The first inch takes up the free play in the pedal to thrust bearing contact. The next two inches takes up the thrust bearing to clutch leaver contact, the last inch (or less) is the actual clutch release plate compression area. I am an event competitor, and having the clutch take up in the last 0.5" (or less) is not what I am used to, I know this is going to cause me problems.

Solution:

I made an alloy round washer shaped spacer approx. 70mm od and 51mm id and 9mm thick and located it behind the release mechanism. I experimented with the thickness until I got what I think is an acceptable clutch feel. It now disengages less than  an inch after taking up the pedal free play. The pedal free play is eliminated using a spring pre tensioner having no adverse effect on the release bearing.

Update 4th Aug 2021

The gearbox was subsequently upgraded to a dog box that no longer needed the spacer or the spring fabrication. I know not why and will possibly remain a mystery.

 Here is an Index page for the build