SPlAT / WESTFIELD 129
Thanks for the comments and information regards type 9 installation , much appreciated and I will take heed of all that's ben said .
Bob Whottaker
Ford type 9 gearbox
-
bobwhittaker
- Posts: 194
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 5:42 pm
Re: Ford type 9 gearbox
Type 9 conversion , The kit was ordered Dec !6th 2013 suggested delivery mid Jan 2014 . After many phone call / emails / face - face at Race Retro Show with company director ( All communications intiated by me.) part delivery received 14th March having made full payment 7th March , the major item missing was the propshaft . Commenced rebuild and had car running by 19th March but not driving , no propshaft ! !
After phone calls , an email to " The Complaints Department " (No response) and a final phone call to a Director Thursday 3rd April shaft dispatched and received Friday 4th April !5.15 hrs , fitted and a test drive 15.30 hrs. The 5 speed conversion is all I want it to be , I have the standard 1st gear but run a 3.9 diff with 14" X 165 tyres so 1st gear is usable
No right angle drive for speedo cable with kit and Westfield state it is not needed , that is not my opinion !!! Will proceed with this item further ( £115.00 From Burton , Extortionate !!! )
My car is an early one ( Chassis No. 123 ) however fitting the conversion was relatively straightforward , there were no clearance problems
in way of the bellhousing / starter motor / clutch slave . The three areas were work was needed were :-
(1) Chassis plate that carries the gear box mount ,this had to be relieved on both the front and the rear edges to clear the gear box casing.!0 minutes with an angle grinder fited with a 0.8mm slitting disc
(2) Simple brackets were made that bolted to the existing holes in the chassis plate and gave holes some 90 mm further back to pick up the new gearbox mount . These brackets were nothing more than two separate pieces of 6mm X 30mm flat bar 120mm long with two 10.5mm holes .
(3) The short chassis tube between the the two top tubes ofthe tunnel section was cut out ( two minutes with the grinder) . The new gear lever came up dead in the middle . As yet I have not welded in a replacement , instead I have replaced the 1mm thick sheet aluminium tunnel top with 4mm thick aluminium plate bolted to the chassis tubes using 5mm Rivnuts , a new tunnel top was needed anyway .I feel this arrangement will be at least as ridgid as the tube I cut out.
All the mods were done by measurement and the Engine / Gearbox went into place on the first attempt and haven't been removed since.
In all it was a straightforward job other rhan the annoying delivery delays and now the speedo to sort out . BOB
After phone calls , an email to " The Complaints Department " (No response) and a final phone call to a Director Thursday 3rd April shaft dispatched and received Friday 4th April !5.15 hrs , fitted and a test drive 15.30 hrs. The 5 speed conversion is all I want it to be , I have the standard 1st gear but run a 3.9 diff with 14" X 165 tyres so 1st gear is usable
No right angle drive for speedo cable with kit and Westfield state it is not needed , that is not my opinion !!! Will proceed with this item further ( £115.00 From Burton , Extortionate !!! )
My car is an early one ( Chassis No. 123 ) however fitting the conversion was relatively straightforward , there were no clearance problems
in way of the bellhousing / starter motor / clutch slave . The three areas were work was needed were :-
(1) Chassis plate that carries the gear box mount ,this had to be relieved on both the front and the rear edges to clear the gear box casing.!0 minutes with an angle grinder fited with a 0.8mm slitting disc
(2) Simple brackets were made that bolted to the existing holes in the chassis plate and gave holes some 90 mm further back to pick up the new gearbox mount . These brackets were nothing more than two separate pieces of 6mm X 30mm flat bar 120mm long with two 10.5mm holes .
(3) The short chassis tube between the the two top tubes ofthe tunnel section was cut out ( two minutes with the grinder) . The new gear lever came up dead in the middle . As yet I have not welded in a replacement , instead I have replaced the 1mm thick sheet aluminium tunnel top with 4mm thick aluminium plate bolted to the chassis tubes using 5mm Rivnuts , a new tunnel top was needed anyway .I feel this arrangement will be at least as ridgid as the tube I cut out.
All the mods were done by measurement and the Engine / Gearbox went into place on the first attempt and haven't been removed since.
In all it was a straightforward job other rhan the annoying delivery delays and now the speedo to sort out . BOB
-
alleggerita
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:06 pm
- Location: Uden, the Netherlands
- Contact:
Re: Ford type 9 gearbox
hi Bob,
that is good to read and to hear that everything went smooth.
Time for a tea?
that is good to read and to hear that everything went smooth.
Time for a tea?
-
bobwhittaker
- Posts: 194
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 5:42 pm
Re: Ford type 9 gearbox
Sorted speedo by using 90 degree drive and a bespoke cable from Speedograph Richfield , three days from ordering to receiving . However another £127.00 was needed on top of the price of the kit from Westfield who still maintain it can be done without the angled drive . If anyone has fitted a speedo cable to a Type 9 gearbox in an XI I would like to hear from them .
Regards the gearbox , I have fitted a Quick Shift lever and initialy the change from 1st - 2cnd was stiff but the rest 2-3-4-5 and 5-4-3-2 were like a rifle bolt . I have only coverd some 8-10 miles so far and I am hoping 1-2 will ease . The ratios seem acceptable and synchro is much better than the rib case box I had in previously . BOB
Regards the gearbox , I have fitted a Quick Shift lever and initialy the change from 1st - 2cnd was stiff but the rest 2-3-4-5 and 5-4-3-2 were like a rifle bolt . I have only coverd some 8-10 miles so far and I am hoping 1-2 will ease . The ratios seem acceptable and synchro is much better than the rib case box I had in previously . BOB
-
Westfield 129
- Posts: 867
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 4:20 am
Re: Ford type 9 gearbox
Interestingly enough, the right angle speedo drive came with the Westfield Type 9 conversion kit that was sent along with my RHD car. It fit perfectly. I can't imagine having to hook up the speedo cable without the right angle drive, even in the new chassis. Also included with the kit were three speedo cables. Obviously an error, as two other cars that were delivered locally were missing their cables...
The trans mount had to be cut down (too wide for the chassis), and was eventually held in with the single long bolt through the chassis plate and the transmission. I suspect that this adds a little NVH, but it has been acceptable.
Other than that, it was an easy installation, covered in my build albums.
The short throw shifters do trade some effort for distance. I used a longer lever, and the throw is still very short and accurate. The transmission has not really loosened up, which is a tribute to the SP Components rebuild and CR gears. Very positive shifting.
The trans mount had to be cut down (too wide for the chassis), and was eventually held in with the single long bolt through the chassis plate and the transmission. I suspect that this adds a little NVH, but it has been acceptable.
Other than that, it was an easy installation, covered in my build albums.
The short throw shifters do trade some effort for distance. I used a longer lever, and the throw is still very short and accurate. The transmission has not really loosened up, which is a tribute to the SP Components rebuild and CR gears. Very positive shifting.