'J' type gearbox cross member

[Mike Stevens]

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Well, I am very pleased to say that the short engine and gearbox are now reunited with the body! It was an interesting experience lifting them both in together, but it does work and there is sufficient space to get the engine between the chassis rails. I fitted the engine mounts to the block after I had lifted it all up, but I reckon there was space for one of them to fit through already on the engine.

However, I'm not convinced that I have the gearbox cross member the correct way round. It was a bit of a struggle to get the 'hanging studs' to align. So, all you experts out there, can you tell me if this is the right way round?

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In the following picture you can see the new rubber mounts under a bit of strain, and quite how the speedo cable will get past the cross member is anybody's guess as the fitting is right behind it!

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Sorry for all the cobwebs. It's been some time since I've been under there. They'll soon blow away when it gets back on the road....

I really feel it's now beginning to happen. Today's work was probably the hardest bit to do. The next job is to finish cleaning and then painting the front suspension cross member and then refit it with its new rack bushes.

Thanks!

Cheers,
Mike.

[73stagman]

I think you need a right angled drive for the speedo.
You might need to do a long search on ebay remembering that they will be pretty much the same for all Triumphs not just Stags...

I ope Im not wrong but Im sure somebody will have pleasure in correcting me if i am!

[wader3]

I have been doing the same thing this evening, only my gearbox is still on the bench. The bracket to chassis is correct I think, and I've put the circular bit on same as you, but looking at it now I think it needs reversing as if fitted, where the shifter goes in will be off cock. It's a pain getting that circular past the speedo housing.

Is there a seal between gearbox and the right angel speedo fitment? I don't remember there being one when I took it off (only a month ago) but looks like there should be.

Rob

[wader3]

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This is the best 'before' picture I have of it - very dirty and not much good!

[dasadrew]

a) The main cross member can be fitted wrong to the car, and
b) the overdrive support can be fitted wrong to the gearbox crossmember.

For a), your search of the forum should have turned up this thread from a couple of days ago:

http://www.stag.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?16653-Gearbox-Crossmember-Which-way-is-it-mounted-onto-the-car

For b), I'm still waiting for any answer on the same question in October last year !

.....I notice that there are about 2³ ways to fit the cross member and the support, so...........................which way does it fit on the overdrive? Top Pic or Bottom Pic?

Cheers

Drew

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[Mike Stevens]

Thanks all for the replies. Looking at the parts book, there are 2 cross members listed. One for 'J' type overdrive (218440) and another for all the other types of gearbox (215270). The 2 types seem to be quite different.

The upper (curved) bracket, although it can fit in 2 ways, it's pretty obvious when it's wrong as the cross member itself is at completely the wrong angle to fit to the body if the curved bracket is wrong.

Looking the the pictures from wader3 and Drew, I have got the cross member fitted the same way so it should be right then! However, the parts book does not show a right angle adapter for the speedo cable, and I don't remember there being one when I took it apart all those years ago. I shall have another look in all the boxes of bits - and also maybe see if the speedo cable will fit in it's present state. I know the big saloons don't use an angle adapter with a 'J' type.

I much appreciate the replies. It's been so long since I started all this (must be nearly 20 years) and the thought that I might really be going to finish it is something else!

Cheers,
Mike.

[jleyton]

Good on you Mike. At this rate, you'll have it finished early

I haven't checked my car but I don't think there's an angle drive, however I seem to remember the speedo drive being incredibly inaccessible. Mind you, I warned you about the engine mountings being inaccessible and then you avoided that problem by fitting the engine without the heads and manifolds !

Cheers

Julian

[dasadrew]

Mike, I just checked my box of removed bits and my speedo cable has an angle drive fitted to it on my "J" Type O/D. Looking at the underside pictures prior to disassembly, there is no way the speedo cable could have gone in without this angle drive (at least the way my speedo cable had been routed)

Drew

[73stagman]

I know when I converted my spitfire four speed to an over drive box I had to get a angled drive as there just was no room to do it any other way. The parts breakdown for the Stag overdrive version (only) in Rimmers catalogue shows the right angled drive too.

[Mike Stevens]

The original Triumph parts book only shows the angle drive for use with an 'A' type, but we know that's wrong as it's used at least on the BW35. That can be added to the list of mistakes in there! I'm pretty sure I didn't have an angle drive when I took it all apart, but there are others on here who have got it and some that haven't - all with a 'J' type.

I said earlier that the big saloons don't use an angle drive with a 'J' type 'box, but thinking about it, they don't have that little adapter from the overdrive to a threaded cable - they use a different cable with a clamp end that goes straight into the overdrive. Having the threaded adpater suggests to me that an angle drive was to be fitted. I shall have to go and search for one.

Thanks very much for all the helpful replies. It is much appreciated with the short timescale I have to complete the rebuild. Today I spent most of the time cleaning and painting bits. The front suspension cross member is now cleaned and painted and fitted back onto the car complete with new poly rack bushes. What a nightmare of a job it was to fit the new bushes!

I have added a few more photos to the album...

Cheers,
Mike.

[Dieter H. Marschall]

@Drew and others,

The cross member for the Stag BW35 auto in the picture is from my "spares shelf". I reconditioned it and when putting it back together I did not know which way round to build in the bracket. The "longer end" is marked with the blue sticker.

Can anybody please advise?

Kind regards,
Dieter.stag querträger.jpg