For your amusement - I had read a few things that the escort type 2 box wouldn't be strong enough for a zetec (a 130bhp 1.8) but I tried it anyway. This had done 3 trackdays and probably 1k road miles, but finally 3rd gear broke;

it seems that some things you read on the internet are true then

Type 2 is only slightly strengthen version of Mk1 Escort box, the mk1 boxes broke with monotonous regularity.

If it's any concelation, I did something similar to that with a 4 speed single rail, out of a mk3 cortina, attached to a 1662cc Xflow in my Mk1 Cortina back in '84'. I stripped all but 3 teeth off of the input shaft (didn't half go with a bang as I pulled away from Rushden High Street), then drove it 6 miles home using the only (but noisey) gear I had left which was 4th.

Mind you that was producing an estimated 160 -180bhp then. The only problem I had was when the drive locked up completely trying to reverse it into the garage (up hill). I had to remove the propshaft to get it off the road and into the garage.



Happy days.