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Re: V8s/ Alternative powerplants

To: "Scott Davis" <ssdavis1@ews.uiuc.edu>, <triumphs@Autox.Team.Net>
Subject: Re: V8s/ Alternative powerplants
From: "Bill and Sal Birney" <birneybs@onaustralia.com.au>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 15:40:39 +1100charset="iso-8859-1"
> Differentials are the parts that i have yet to figure out...  Either I
>will put in a GT6 diffy to handle the extra torque, or try to retorfit a
>Supra IRS/LSD unit.


Just a comment from the australian experience. The diff often used in
spitfires and GT6's after the stock one explodes to the umpeenth time is a
Nissan (Datsun) unit.

Here you can use the diff from the Datsun 1600 (v early 70's), a boxy 4 door
(called the bluebird I think i the U.K.), which uses drive flanges on the
inner halfshafts, or the diff form the 180B which is the same, except that
this diff has universal yokes on the inner half shafts.

This diff is also used in the back of Subaru 4wd's (this time with a spline
for the CV joint on the end of the inner half shafts).

A cradle is made that bolts to the standard Triumph diff mounts, and then
provides pickups for the 6 bolt down points on the diff (two at the back,
and one on the long front nose).

The diff is not a symetrical design like the trumph one (due to the Nissan
and Subaru IRS using wishbones rather than swing axles to control the track
width), so offset spacers are commonly used between the 1600 drive plates,
and the standard triumph axles (this is why the 1600 inner halfshafts are
favoured, no problems with different bolt patterns, just a double sided
spacer plates, with different sets of threaded holes for each pattern).

The Subaru diff provides the opportunity for :

a) an LSD, some subaru models come with a rear LSD (only the Nissan SSS 180B
came with a LSD in OZ, and they aren't that comman)

b) Easier (although more costly) attachment of suitable drive plates
directly to the inner halfshafts, just requires some spline cutting.

Anyway, hope that helps, the advantages with this diff over the 240Z etc
type of diff is that it is smaller (no frame mods) and still as tough as
nails (subaru still use this diff, 20 years later, in full on rally cars).

Bill and Sal Birney
'70 GT6+ (RHD)
'67 Spitfire MkII (Sal's)
birneybs@onaustralia.com.au


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