Should I change from 4 speed to 5 speed gearbox??

[zetec]

I have an 1800 Zetec engine with ATB diff in live axle.I can change the diff ratios

Any recommendations??

 

Edited by - Zetec on 11 Sep 2011 08:04:17

[6speedmanual]

I would say it depends entirely on what you are trying to achieve.

Have you some area of dissatisfaction with the ratio steps or the overall top gear revs/mph?

 

Peter

[DJ.]

I think the only reason you would change to the 5 speed is for reducing noise/wear/consumption on long journeys.

 

The overdrive top is great when I'm on a motorway, but on a blat or track use it is really just a four speed box

 

Duncan

 

Edited by - DJ. on 11 Sep 2011 09:48:07

[Sheds Moderator]

3 speed IMO, that first gear on the 5 speed is dreadful in a 7. In a Sierra for hillstarting caravans, OK, but a car that weighs only 500kg needs a smaller gap from 1-2.

[OliverSedlacek]

BGH do a gearbox with perfect ratios for a 7, so don't go for a standard 5 speed box under any circumstances. The BGH box has an 0.89:1 5th ratio, which is ideal for my car with it's 3.9:1 final drive. On the down side, the change quality isn't as good and I get a lot more heat from the transmission tunnel.

[zetec]

Thanks gents. Anyone else changed from 4-5 & there thoughts please!

[zetec]

How do I strengthen the four speed gearbox?

[tiddy1]

I changed from 4 to 5 speed on my old xflow and the biggest pain was that the gearlever moved forward by about 2 inches, you have to get rid of the caterham double linkage thingy and just go with the one in the box.

 

Simon

[cskip]

Which four speed box do you have?

 

The Type 2 boxes are not built for large power outputs, but the internals can be improved with a Quaife gear kit. I have the quaife kit (S/C) in my type 2 and I can honestly say that this has been the best upgrade I have done. The ratios are a fantastic upgrade over the standard 4 speed ratios. Note: The standard 4 speed ratios in the sport box are good anyway.

 

As mentioned above the 5 speed ratios are dreadful out of the box and would need to be altered to bring them on a par with the 4 speed box.

 

Ultimately you need to consider what you want. If you want to upgrade to a box that will "take" more power, there are other ford 4 speed boxes that will deal with more power. If you want a motorway gear then the type 9 is a good option.

[Pezky]

Not always a straight forward swap to 5-speed.

Chassis may need to be modified as gearbox mounting bracket needs moving

Prop will need modifing

You can either use a short input shaft gearbox without Caterham spacer plate or long input shaft with it.

As mentioned above you loose the sloppy remote linkage but if using the short input shaft approach get one of these here ( I believe Steve "Eugene" has one)

I fitted a BGH 5-speed with my Zetec as the 4-speed would not handle the 2ltr engine

[Eugene]

I went 5 speed BGH when I changed to Zetec power.

 

I used a short input shaft, with alloy bell-housing to keep the location of the box similar to the old 4 speed.

 

I then used a remote gear lever extension from ebay to place the gear lever in the right place - exactly as it was for the old 4 speed.

 

The set-up works very well, and the change is very slick - I even used a quick shift mod for the gear lever 😬 😬 😬

 

Edited to say I missed the post above - that is the extension I have!

But you must have short input shaft with short bell housing!

 

Edited by - Eugene on 17 Sep 2011 12:39:14

[Schnitzel]

me to i went also form x-flow to zetec with 5 speed. What a comfort at the Autobahn driving 160 km for 2-3 hours, swim with the traffic perfect. Less fuel and faster. Before 3 hours to swiss now only 3 hours for example.

 

Florian

[Schnitzel]

getting old 2 hours to swiss