Conference terri::cars_uk

    
    The article in Kit Car about a 3-litre Marcos mentions that the
    owner had replaced the Zodiac box with a Sierra 5-speed by using
    a � inch thick adaptor plate.
    
    Now considering that the gearbox is the only bad thing about a Marcos
    (:^)) I reckon that this would be a worthwhile change to make,
    especially as it doesn't seem to require much in the way of engineering
    changes (no welding or modifying the gearbox or engine end plates)
    so it wuld be easy to replace the Zodiac box should I ever decide
    to sell the car.
    
    My questions are :-
    
    I) What would a second hand 5-Speed Sierra box cost (I've seen one
       for �90)?
    
    II) Where does the adaptor plate fit? Between the box and the bell
    	housing?
    
    III) How does the � inch extra between the gearbox and the engine
    	 get taken up in the input shaft (which presumably is � inch
    	 too short!)?
    
    IV)	 Where could I get this kind of adaptor plate made up (a generic
    	 rather than specific reference unless you know somewhere really
    	 good and cheap)?
    
    V)	 Has anyone ever done this kind of thing?
    
    Thanks,
    
    	Mark

    Mark,
    
    Try a company called UVA, I can get the address from the car at lunch,
    They make alot of adapters for various engines, fords, bmc, alfa etc,
    most of the ones I've seen priced are for the VW box, but then thats
    because they are ad's in a VW magazine. They make the Fugative kit etc.
    
    Carl.
    

Sierra 5 speed boxes sound like a good idea.  When I built the Marlin I was
quoted around �300 for a new one.  Second hand ones weren't that much different.
As the 'tina 4 speed was �70 exchange, I went for that.  In fact, my 4th is 
somewhere between 4th and 5th in my old XR2, so it's not a bad cruising gear.
�90 doesn't sound a bad price.  However, this was 3.5 years ago, the scrapyards
are now full of bent Sierras (anywhere close the M4), so it's worth trying a 
breaker's yard.  Indeed, many kits (including, of course, Marlin) are now 
based on them.

The first version of the Ford 5-speed had a slight problem and they were
re-designed.  A lot of the older (problematical) ones found their way onto the
market cheaply.  So, the newer version sounds better.  I believe that the
problem related to lack of oil/lubrication.  The fix was to make the gearbox
hold more oil, however this made it difficult (in my neighbour's opinion) to
fill.

UVA are in Newbury and do sound like a good bet for information.

Dave

    
    I rang UVA, but the best they could offer was Essex to VW (not a
    lot of use, unless I put the engine in the boot!).
    
    Any other takers?
    
    Mark

Re .17

	Undergeared, yes I know the feeling, all that torque and
	nowhere to put it to best use!.

	The Lotus Elan fraternity were fitting Sierra boxes 7 yrs
	ago. There are several problems to be sorted out in that 
	car with gear levers, bell housings and the like. Just possible
	some Lotus specialist (Try Paul Matty) might be able to provide
	useful info re. Marcos. Surprised the Marcos club haven't got
	it sorted out!.

	Shame about the originality aspect, but anything to get rid
	of that dreadful undergearing.

	-John

    
    Maybe I'll get this note in at the nth attempt!
    
    I bet it's a squeeze getting a 5-speed into an Elan!
    
    Having failed with UVA I decided to ring Kit Car magazine. I spoke
    to Dave Hill (who wrote the article) and he gave the phone number
    of the bloke who owned the car in the article.
    
    I tried to phone him last night, but got no reply, I may try again
    later tonight. I did phone the MOC, but the only case of a 3 litre
    car with a 5 speed was of one equipped with the 2.8 injection engine
    too and I'm not interested in going down that route.
    
    Interestingly the guy at the MOC was complaining about the fact
    that the 3 litre runs at high revs in top & overdrive. I don't know
    what speed he drives at but at 100mph my car is doing about 2750
    rpm!
    
    Mark

    Unless you are very lucky, I would imagine that the clutch plate
    might also cause a bit of a problem. After all, the first motion
    shaft does have to engage with it over the splines.

    But then again, if it has already been done, it must be possible ...

    I know of people who do a similar type of conversion for the A series
    engine to mate it to a toyota 5-speed box. After that, you can tune the
    A series engine all you like and wont be able to wreck the gear box.

    Other possible problem areas are:

	- location of gear-lever
	- mating the final drive shaft to the propshaft
	- mounting the box to the car
	- speedo drive mountings

    I hate to put the dampers on things, but it doesn't sound like it will be
    too easy to me ...

    Mark

    
    Re .23
    
    I must admit it does sound too good to be true, that's why I was
    trying to get hold of this bloke (or someone else) who'd actually
    done it. Apparently the gear lever is in exactly the same place
    as with the original box, but all the other problems sound likely
    (although the speedo cable is easily and cheaply solved).
    
    Mark