chapman-era
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Re: Bell housing

To: "Brian D. Devlin" <103252.3100@CompuServe.COM>, chapman-era@Autox.Team.Net,
Subject: Re: Bell housing
From: "Erik Berg" <Erik.Berg@trw.com>
Date: 8 Feb 1997 00:48:57 -0800
 Reply to:     RE>>Bell housing

Hi, All.  Standard bandwidth apology/disclaimer.

Brent G. DeWitt wrote:
>> I would like to use the 5-speed from a Merkur XR4-Ti with a 1600 (soon to be 
>> 1700) Ford Kent crossflow.  From what I've read, the transmission is a T9, 
>> correct?

Yes, to the best of our collective knowledge.

>> Where does one find a bell housing to mate the two?

I think there are readily available Ford bellhousings, that will do the job!

Many months ago, Phil Bradshaw wrote in a private email to me:
> The ford gearboxes (escort/cortina/capri/sierra) have the same bellhousing to 
> gearbox bolt pattern, I think, which is how my friend got a Capri 2.8i box 
>bolted 
> to a cortina bellhousing bolted up behind a pushrod 1300 in a MK I Escort 
>race 
> car!

The Capri 2.8i 'box to which Phil is referring is a 5 speed, so it is, in fact, 
the T9.  I 
am still having trouble contacting Phil on the web, so at the moment I don't 
have 
a way to verify the exact details of the above comment, but based on this it 
seems likely to me, that the bellhousing from a 7 or Cortina might even work!

rkallman@technis.syh.fi wrote:
> If you use a type 9 gearbox (1.6 - 1.8 - 2.0 Sierra, 2.8i Capri, Granada 2.3 
>and 2.8 
> V6) it will bolt directly to the back of a crossflow or a pinto (all sizes)

I have never yet corresponded with this guy, directly.  I have only found his 
postings around the web.  I don't know for certain, but I assume what he meant 
is that the type 9 _with_its_bellhousing_ will bolt to the back of either a 
SOHC 
block or a Kent block.

The key to rkallman's post is the statement:  "crossflow or a pinto (all 
sizes)".   In 
other words, he has made a statement that the Kent block and the SOHC pinto 
block have the same bellhousing bolt pattern.  Assuming that this is true, then 
immediately it is evident that the T9 out of any car with a SOHC Pinto derived 
engine (such as, for example, the XR4Ti) already comes with the right 
bellhousing 
to bolt it to a Kent block!

Brian Devlin wrote, in a post three months ago:
> I've been considering the Ford Sierra (Mercury Merkur, Scorpio in the USA) 
> 5 speed.  Dave Bean Engineering in the US and Christopher Neil, LTD, in the 
>UK 
> offer bellhousings to adapt the box to the Lotus twin cam.  Bean even offers 
> the bellhousing in alloy or steel.

Brian's twink block has the same bellhousing pattern as your crossflow block.  
They are both Kent engines.  So, worst case, you can call DBE.  They can supply 
a bellhousing that will do the job.  I would be very surprised, if these are 
not just 
factory (or maybe even wrecking yard) Ford parts.

rkallman@technis.syh.fi also wrote:
> you have to change the clutch because the type 9 has 23 splines instead of 20 
> for type 2 and 3 (fourspeeds).  If you fit a fivespeeder to a 1600 crossflow 
>or 
> pinto you could buy a 23 spline 7.5 inch clutch from your Ford dealer (part 
> number 5010151).

The main details left to sort out, are those related to the input shaft lengths 
and
clutch/flywheel configurations.  I think that contacting Gary Marquis would 
probably be an effective way to accomplish this.

Regarding Gary Marquis, Michael Sands wrote:
>>> Gary has been helpful by telling me all the things required.  A one inch
>>> spacer between gear box and bellhousing and moving the engine and
>>> transmission back five inches seems like a bit of fabrication.  It would be
>>> nice to have the five speed...

I wrote:
>>Hmmmmm.... Gary who? How would I contact him?

>Gary Marquis at <GMARQUIS@oavax.csuchico.edu>.  He did the 
>engineering to get the 5 speed into his Seven.

Brent, would you be willing to contact Gary Marquis, ask him for details of 
his installation, and report any findings back to the chapman-era group?

OK, back to recent history, Rod Bean wrote:
> there is a place that makes aluminum adapters for lots of odd 
> combinations.  He's in Pacoima or someplace nearby.  Mostly associated 
> with VW to something else. 

Hmmm.......   could that be:
[ Kennedy Engineered Products  (They make VW-rotary and VW-V8 adapters)
[ 38830 17th St E
[ Palmdale, CA 93550
[ 805-272-1147

Or, possibly:
[ Advance Adapters  
[ PO Box 247    
[ 335 Santa Bella        
[ Paso Robles CA 93447
[ 805-238-7000

> I got a Mazda rotary to VW trans. adapter

For the Berserk, eh, Rod?

Brent wrote:
>> RM Super 7 in progress

Hmmm.  I just realized that I don't really know what you mean, by RM!   Does 
that 
imply R Modified, as in one of the classes of your local autocross organization?

Regards,
erik.berg@trw.com


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