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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Ford Escort 4 speed gearbox

Hi

Anyone fitted a Ford Escort 4 speed gearbox to an A Series engine? Not the Ford Type 9 gearbox.

This is for a sort of a NMC project - wondering whether I can put my Sprite engine into my Locost 7 project that is currently a chassis for 1.3 Ford Crossflow engine and gearbox and Escort back axle. If it was simple use of an available adapter plate - plus clutch actuation fun - might be less hassle than new propshaft and new gearbox mounts when using my current working but unknown 948 Sprite engine and gearbox, for something that would be a way to get the car IVA registered with a 1961 year engine. It would also be part of me as building a replacement 948cc 9CG engine (using NOS +30 flat top pistons) for the Sprite. Funny that the MkII Sprite engine and gearbox was an option for the MkII Lotus Seven (Lotus Seven America).

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

I've done it in my frogeye as I was fed up with the durability of the A series boxes I had used. As far as I know no off the shelf adapter plate was available so I made my own new backplate and converted the clutch actuation to cable so using the Escort box lever and release bearing and modifying the pedal box and clutch arm to suit the cable. The early mk1 Escort used a 6.5" clutch so that was used with the normal 1275 cover. The sump was modified to clear the starter. The backplate has the upper 2 fasteners welded in as they're covered by the block and one lower countersunk fastener on the manifold side needed a slight notch filing in the block to allow an Allen key to do it up. Overall it was well worth it as the box is far more durable and I later got a Mexico box with more suitable ratios, having synchro on first gear is also a good benefit especially in competition.
David Billington

Forgot to add before editing window expired, the spigot bush was swapped for the Escort drawn cup needle roller bearing one.
David Billington

I thought the the Type 9 was just a Ford Escort 4 speed with an alloy extension for the 5th gear? If that is the case (and Ill be honest Im no expert) then maybe the Type 9 midget alloy bellhousing will fit?
John Payne

The type 9 is derived from the type E 4 speed IIRC and has a removable bellhousing, the smaller 4 speed type 2 Escort box didn't have a removable bellhousing in the UK at least.
David Billington

Type E was used in some RWD Escorts, but mostly the more exotic ones. Mk1 Mexico, Mk1 RS 1600 etc.
Also in 2000E Mk3 Cortina where it was called the 2000E box. This was also made with an alloy case and closer ratios and called the Bullet box. They're like hens teeth now.
Type E was also used in 105e Anglia, Mk1 and 2 Cortina and Corsair.
The earliest versions did not have separate bellhousings.
Type E is also supposed to be stronger than the type 9 it became as the bolt on 5th ratio and housing limited the torque rating to about 200lb/ft, which explains why the 3 litre and 2.8 Capris were so softly tuned as standard.
(All the above from my dad's notebook which my brother guards jealously).
IIRC Tickford, who produced a twin turbo version of the 2.8 Capri, fitted a 5 speed ZF box to cope with the extra.
None of which answers your question, but David already did that admirably.
Greybeard

Greybeard,

I think something you mentioned is not correct in that the Bullet box was an earlier 3 selector rail gearbox quite different to the single selector rail type E box, one of which I have in the shed out of a mk3 Cortina 2000E which may end up in my Sprite.
David Billington

Ah, that explains it. My only dealings with Escorts (ahem!) have been rally cars and I remember the bullet and 2000e boxes being mentioned. Would be good to try and get a box with an alloy bellhousing though, those cast iron bellhousings weigh a ton!
John Payne

We never had an integral bellhousing box here, they all bolted on--bit weird
I had a bullet c/r with the 2.5/1 first gear in an early MGB years ago , it was a simple fit up if I remember, sat the early B box in the lathe and cut it off just behind the front webbing and made a bellhousing to suit the cortina box
I've got a c/r Bullet box in the elan as well and that's unboltable
Best choice for a road car conversion is the 1600GT Cortina box, semi close ratio , and hydraulic clutch, I had one in my B series engined Midget and it was dead simple , just sat the engine on it's nose,plonked the gearbox complete with bellhousing onto the back and wriggled it round to centre it up and drilled the backplate for new holes
If I remember correctly the cortina clutch and MGB have the same splines
Had about 10 of the ultra close ratio bullet boxes once, noone wanted them in road cars ,everyone wanted the semi close 1600GT boxes
Wish I still had them now-----
The only real weak point of these boxes is the drive(roll) pins through the selectors
If you're going to get angry driving you need to find some small roll pins to drive inside the ones fitted to double up on the strength of them
willy
William Revit

Thanks all, a fountain of excellent advice, information and experience.

Cheers
MIke
M Wood

Bob Kemp - Sprite technical adviser for the Austin Healey Club - runs a Ford 4 speed in one of his cars I believe
I L Cooke

This thread was discussed between 25/12/2020 and 14/02/2021

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