papak

When I got it back together, a couple of things didn’t look right and there was a bit of sludge in the bottom of the main case so I decided to pull it all apart and clean/check everything. I ended up changing a couple of the bearings and seals. As it went back together (fairly logical process), I ran into a problem with the ¾ synchronizer not working. As it turns out, while the blocking bars for the third/fourth synchronizer and the fifth gear synchronizer are visually similar, they are very slightly different. Those for the third/fourth measure 4.16mm thick in cross-section while those for the fifth gear synchro measure 4.88mm. In all other respects they measure the same. Hard to spot just by looking but it keeps the third/fourth synchro from working. Fifth will work with either one. The plastic oil scoop ring on the fifth gear hub has been replaced with an aluminum two part filler from BGH. After a conversation with Chris at BGH, I removed what looked like a randomly installed circlip in a groove on the second gear side of the first/second synchronizer. It was quite beaten up from the synchro ring riding on it. Chris said that they often remove it when rebuilding boxes. Not needed and it was a source of unwanted metal particles. While everything was apart, I added a drain plug. Chris said to drill the bottom of the aluminum “sandwich” plate to access the internal passage at the bottom of the gearbox. It an be safely done to accommodate a1/4” NPT plug. Once done, it is obvious that you can additionally relieve a bit more of the passage internally to allow it to flow better. The steel main case is too thin at the bottom to correctly install a threaded plug.

As I recall, the kit included the wedge and a new windage cover, several o-rings and a short section of pipe. A couple of the rings were square cross-section, if I remember correctly, to fit the grooves in the wedge. Haven’t had it apart since. It would have been nice to get a new tubular screen for the return filter. Have fun!

I have the older Raceline wetsump. The fellow I acquired it from had converted to the Raceline dry simp stop om his 2.0l Duratec. I contacted Raceline and the sent me an"update" kit so that the older wet-sump would work with my 2.3l Duratec. I recall the wedge and the o-rings. I considered the higher output oil pump but stayed with a new stock one. There is no really valid way to measure the internal clearances in the oil pump but by installing a new one, you are pretty much assured of decent oil pressure. I run 0W40 Mobil One and see 85-90 psi cold and 20 psi at a hot idle. If Peter can't find the proper o-ring, he should send you a correctly machined wedge. I just had some parts sent over from England. One week via Royal Mail, 3 days via DHL currently.

The parts arrived and after installation, I buttoned up the tail shaft housing. I won't go into fifth gear now! We took it back apart and something didn't feel right when rotating the input shaft. Upon further examination, I found an extra?? circlip aft of the second gear synchro cluster?? No idea where it came from or how long it had been there. Looks like I will be disassembling the entire gearbox this afternoon. Oh well, tomorrow was Groundhog day anyway.

I have the T-9 gearbox opened up on the workbench awaiting a new 5th gear synchro and final circlip (the one that got away). The packaged has arrived at the local USPS distribution Center at last! I should have it in a day or two. While waiting for the parts, I have had an opportunity the clean up some of the shroud for the radiator and other minor sheetmetal tweaks. The upside and downside of owning a 7 is that there is always something to tinker with.

The actual measurement is 5 5/8” below the top surface of the cover. While I have the transmission on the bench, I drilled and tapped for a ¼” NPT plug in the mounting flange of the tail This should allow nearly all of the lube to drain, particularly if you raise the front of the car a bit.

Update! Upon disassembly, I discovered that the aftmost circlip on the input shaft had popped out of it's groove, allowing the fifth gear synchronizer to move aft about 10mm. After a lengthly discussion with Chris at BGH Gear Tech, we surmise that in a previous assembly the old circlip was reused. There is a definite wear pattern to one face of the circlip. He also gave me a great insight into lubricant quantity in the T-9, always a source of debate. According to Chris, Ford of England went to 1.9l with the introduction of the "N" gearbox only to find that they were seeing evidence of heat damage to some of the bearings and gears. They had originally done their research on the lubricant (75/80 EP, GL-4) and found that at the higher quantity, it foamed enough that there was a somewhat diluted amount of lubricant going to the wear surfaces. They were also seeing seal and vent leaks. With the later "N" units, you will notice that they moved the fill plug back down on the casting to limit the fill to 1.25l. He said that 1.25 is good for track and "spirited" driving but for cruising, it is safe to fill to 1.5l. This is only possible if you have fabricated a fill plug in the top cover. If you plan on doing so, do it in the forward right corner. When done correctly, you can then make and calibrate a dipstick to check the level when needed. As I recall, 1.25l measures about 5" below the top cover. While you have the cover off, you can add a vent line if desired. The existing vent hole is drilled above an internal sheetmetal bracket that aligns one of the selectors. This serves as a baffle to minimize fluid loss. Drill to fit a bung for an AN-4 fitting and have it brazed or TIGed in place. I fabricated a 12" braided steel hose remnant and mounted it to a 90 degree fitting on top of this bung. Mine comes forward and turns straight up ending in a cross drilled end cap. I'll post pics in a day or two. Just waiting on gaskets and such now before putting it back together.

The shifter goes into position just fine. It just seems to lose all drive, as if it had popped out of gear. All other gears work fine. Pm on the way. Thanks

The adhesive wasn't obvious to me either at first but when I heated the surrounding surface, it oozed a little at the seam. I figured that if I got it out, I would simply drill the the bore and tap it to accommodate a more standard fitting.

The elbow in the top of the water pump housing was secured with an adhesive. On my installation, I needed to turn it about 30 degrees as I recall. I heated the surrounding casting with a MAPP torch and moved it with a pair of channel lock pliers. Once cooled, it was as solid as the original. I’ve had no leak issue since. the Raceline guys are quite helpful if you give them a call. Hope they are still in the office. Maybe an email to set up a call from wherever they are working?

The elbow in the top of the water pump housing was secured with an adhesive. On my installation, I needed to turn it about 30 degrees as I recall. I heated the surrounding casting with a MAPP torch and moved it with a pair of channel lock pliers. Once cooled, it was as solid as the original. I’ve had no leak issue since. the Raceline guys are quite helpful if you give them a call. Hope they are still in the office. Maybe an email to set up a call from wherever they are working?

Finally got out for a solo blat this morning through the Malibu canyons. On the way back home on the freeway. I lost all drive in fifth gear at 75 mph. I made it home in fourth with no seeming issues. All other gears, including reverse, seem to work fine. There were no new noises or grinding that I could tell. Any one else had an issue like this? The drivetrain is coming out this week (perfect project time now). Just hoping it's a simple fix.:banghead:

The only difference I have found is with the flywheel ring gear spacing. I am running a Ford Focus flywheel and the Panther starter wouldn’t engage the ring gear. I had to go to a starter for the Focus Duratec.

I finally switched over to the digital EWP/fan controller (model 18001, a very nice piece of engineering)) and ran into a somewhat different behavior. I observed that after reaching 100F coolant temp, the fan kicked in continuously. It turns out that this was entirely coincidental. I contacted Davies-Craig and John Benson, the Sales Mgr., responded promptly. Apparently, if a coolant temp of 40C/104F is not achieved by the 5 minute mark, the fan defaults to full speed. While the pump runs at various speeds, the fan is simply on/off. I guess that the engineering assumption is that if the low temp situation is due to a sensor failure, this would more readily protect the engine. The solution is to turn off the engine and restart it. This restarts the 5 minute internal timer once again. The alternative is to reinstall the thermostat with 2-3 5mm holes drilled in the perimeter as a flow restrictor. The installation instructions are to remove the thermostat in the first place. I will ask John to add the information about the 5 minute time/temp constraint to the FAQs on their website. Now I should be able to get the engine up to normal operating temperature so that we can finish the tuning.

It looks exactly like a Colvern unit.

Ever been to Thermal? Aside from the facility, it's similar to the surface of the moon only considerably hotter. No trouble getting the tires up to temperature. The bigger challenge is staying hydrated.

You could certainly run a FV on the street. You would need to add the generator back in and re-install the cooling fan in the shroud as well as probably run a bit larger battery. Lights of course but that’s not too hard to do. They are fairly softly sprung and most of the older ones have plenty of ground clearance. If you can, try to find a car with a “zero roll” rear suspension. More stable under trail braking. They all have reverse though you may havE to tinker with the lineage a bit. Find one with a roomier cockpit. Most of the current ones are pretty tight. I ran into a fellow out here in LA who had a street legal McLaren M8! Very cool but NO ground clearance. I should talk; only 2” under my 7.

The next time the head is off, consider TIG welding on a pair of bungs to accommodate AN fittings. Absent this possibility, when you replace the hoses, be sure to use sleeved hose clamps to avoid damage to the hose material. Try to arrange the orientation of the screws to allow you to use an 8mm socket for tightening. It’s less likely to slip in the process.

You might want to use a GPS speedometer and cap or plug the drive mechanism. Always accurate, regardless of wheel/tire size or final drive ratio. Always dry too!

I know that on my 2015 Birkin XS, the solid rear rotor is from a ‘98 ROW GTI but it has been milled down on the inner side to. 10.5mm, approximately the minimum rotor thickness stamped on the outer edge. Weird but it allows the VW rotor to work with the proprietaryBirkin hub assembly. Wilwoods on the front.

I understand that they are from ROW late 80s GTI/Jetta. Check with tbox56.

That is John’s personal car. I understand that he has owned it since new. I’ve met him at a couple of C&Cs and seen the car. Very original but in good condition. He is a wonderful fellow to chat with. Very self-effacing.

Tom, Best of luck to you and Birkin. Kevin

As you can see in the attached photo, I have modified the cooling system by removing the internal water pump and eliminating the thermostat (as per the D-C instructions). By utilizing the D-C EWP controller, the thermostat value is set in the controller and it cycles the electric water pump and cooling fan (according to an internal program) as necessary to maintain the selected temperature. It originally worked quite well but more recently, it has become extremely sensitive to acceleration it seems. Aaaarrgh! I never presumed that I would need an oil cooler but I could certainly add one if necessary.

Looking for others familiar with the Davies-Craig EWP controller (the earlier style, Model 8020). Mine has been acting strangely the last few months. It self-tests normally and follows the programmed profile until I accelerate. At that point, all of the indicator lights illuminate and both the water pump and fan activate. This lasts until I drop the revs below 3000, then all is back to normal. The specifications state that the voltage supply range is 11.5 -15vdc. My little alternator (40 amp, internally regulated) produces 14.5v when at speed (>2000 rpm). I have verified this with an external tester. It sure seems like a voltage related problem but it would have to reside in the mother board, I presume. I have traced and tested every wire and connection in the system with no luck so far. The coolant temp probe is a new Ford unit. This leads to the basic problem, an inability to get the engine up to normal operating temp, even after an extended drive. Yesterday it was in the 60s and all I could get was 130 on the oil and 140-150 on the coolant after a 30 minute spirited drive. Any productive suggestions would be greatly appreciated.