Can anyone clear up a piont on gearboxes for me?
In the regs is says any gearbox from either Escort or Mk3,4,5 Cortina or type 9, 5 speed boxes from Siera.
But I have also read that you Cannot use a 2000E Gearbox which contradicts the regs.

Can any of you clear this up for me as I am in the market for a box for racing and don't wany to buy the wrong one.

Thanks in advance.

Rick

The regs say
"The gearbox must be of the 4-speed integral bellhousing type as used in the 1300cc rear wheel drive Escort, or any standard production gearbox as used in the Cortina Mk3, 4 or 5 range, or the 4 or 5 speed Ford Sierra Type 9 gearbox. "
Why do you think the 2000E is not allowed?

Hi John,
Well I checked the the Locost Ltd site and in big red writing it says new regs for 2001, you cannot use a 2000e gearbox.

This is the only reason that I am confused.

But cant seem to find anyone who realy knows the 2002 regs.

Cheers Rick

I quoted you from the 750 site. They have a caption called
"Racecar Technical Regulations 2002"
So I presume this is more recent (and more reliable than your unofficial source.

Might be worth calling them to see if there are 2003 regs out yet . . 01379 741641

I do race in the Lococst Championship, and the only reason i remeber being told about the 2000e gearbox is the price that somebody can and I think did spend on the gearbox to gain an advantage, along with some mentions of prices for the box as well as avalabilty. As memory serves you can get different 2000e boxes with various ratios as well.

Most front runners run a 4-speed type 2 box or type E box found from cortinas.
I ran a type 9 5 speeder but you hardly every use 5th gear and there is the weight handicap. Im switching to a 4 speeder next year.

Hope some of this helps.

Yes it does help , thanks. I am still looking for a 1300Gt engine if anyone knows of one going.
I don't want you lot leaving me behind now do I

Im going to Mallory Park on the 20th if anyone would like a meet?

You know swap idears that sort of thing.

Rick

Yeh should be going myself. Time off work permitting though.
Not going to be racing, saving money for next year. If you want to meet up and have a chin wag.

Gearboxes.....2000E boxes tend to have an aluminium bellhousing which I believe is the main reason why you can't have one. The regs say that you can have any ratios you want as long as they are standard Ford ratios so if you have the mind to (and the money) there is nothing stopping you having 2000E ratios of whatever variety.

There are pros and cons for both boxes (steer well clear of the 'shopping' escort boxes with the steel gearshift linkage tube, as opposed to the one piece ali casting of a GT box, tho as they are made of chocolate) :-

MK2 Escort GT box:
FOR - lighter, perhaps slightly better ratios, you can use standard clutch plate
AGAINST - MUCH harder to find in good condition, have that horrible plastic screw in gearstick that is possible to pull out at a vital point in a race.

Type 9:
FOR - 10 a penny in scrapyards, usualy at least 10 years newer than an Escort box, the gearlever screws into the box with proper bolts, gearlever is a good couple of inches further back.
AGAINST - slightly heavier, gear ratios slightly wider spaced, input shaft has different splines to an Escort clutch.

We've raced with both, the diff ratios you need to use are different depending on which box you use but I don't think one is especialy any better than the other. Unless you get two prop shafts made they aren't interchangeable tho so you do have to make up your mind. Personaly I think the type 9 is more versatile especialy if you have a selection of diffs (you forget 5th gear exists btw)and even with one we're still about 5kg under the weight limit before balast (and Mr Townsend is no midget type bloke)

Cheers

Dave

Ah you forget Dave.

My and my car are very heavy barstards.
4 speeder very neccesary for me

Congrats on the Snett win. First of many I hope.

D.

Just to confirm what Dave said, the 2000E 'box had a removeable alloy bellhousing, precluding it from use in the race series. This is also the reason you can't use an RS2000 'box (the ratios are crap anyhoo)

So whats the difference between a 2000E box and a Mexico box.
I was told that a Mexico box doesn't have an alloy bell housing and the ratios seem better than 1300gt and Rs2000

Seems like the Ideal box to have and fits the regs.

Rick

In my opinion which gearbox you choose isn't going to win or loose you races (your choice of diff ratio might well though...). We've won a race with a Type 9 and Darryl Beckwith has won several with one but plenty of people have won races with a GT box as well so you can't realy say one is better than the other.

People have looked into building a 'mix and match' box with an 'optimum' selection of standard Ford ratios as well but the performance advantage you would get wouldn't be worth the cost of doing it. Mind you gear ratios are tricky things to check on a race day so if you have the skill, money and know the right people........... (you'd have more money than sense mind you)

One of the things I like best about Type 9s though is that I can walk into virtualy any scrapyard in Britain tomorow and know they'll have one.

A couple of tips. No matter what box you decide on make sure the change from 1st to 2nd is as positive and foolproof as you can possibly make it. Doing it sitting in the comfort of your garage is one thing, doing it when you're sat on the start line sh*tting yourself is an entirely different matter and if you change into 3rd by mistake, or even worse can't find any gear at all, odds are you'll find yourself going into the first corner last. Secondly make sure you cut out an inspection pannel in the aluminium above the gearbox lid - you don't realy want to have to take the engine out every time you want to check the gearbox oil level do you!