The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Yes, don't.

You'd have to cut away part of the bell housing to make it fit and will end up with a heavier gearbox that prevents the car being towed

I second what Alun has said. You would be better off fitting a Ford type 9 gearbox. This has been done so it is a tried-and-tested conversion.

xvivalve wrote: ↑Mon Jul 22, 2019 4:51 pm

and will end up with a heavier gearbox that prevents the car being towed

I did recovery throughout the 1980's and 90's and never had any problems towing anything fitted with an LT77.

Just because it has an oil pump fitted it doesn't automatically mean you can't tow it.

I would add that it was all local work through loads of traffic though.

You're probably right Harvey. I have an R380 (the later version of the LT77) in my MGB V8 and all the manuals tell you they mustn't be towed for more than a few miles. I'm led to believe that the oil pump is driven off the first motion shaft, so if the engine is off, the box is in neutral and the propshaft is driving it, then it gradually gets starved of oil.

It is a heavy gearbox with a not particularly nice gear change, so I wouldn't put one in a Dolomite.

The pump is driven off the back of the layshaft. Of course I was lifting and towing (speclift) so the oil in the box would have run backwards and covered the rear bearing. Flat towing on a rope/bar may have a different outcome.

I have an LT77 which I run on ATF and that shifts nicely, but I agree it is a heavy box.

The thread poses the question, if you don't want an overdrive box, what are the alternatives?

In the old days it would have been a Ford box but Ford stopped making rear wheel drive cars years ago. As did everyone else.

So that leaves a box from an MX5, BMW, Mercedes and I am now struggling to think of another company that fits a manual box to a rear wheel drive car. Is there any modernish car you could find in a scrap yard that would have a gearbox that could be used?

Putting a Mazda 5-speed into an MGB is now easily done with a complete kit available. Has anyone tried it in a Triumph? It is a super box with very short positive action.

Honda S2000 box is supposed to be rather nice and I think there are still RWD Toyota boxes around too. The Mazda box is extremely long and difficult to shorten the shift extension on for use in a Dolomite, ask the guys who've put the Mazda powerplant in!

Steve

Re. the Ford type 9 boxes,
please note that only the long input shaft versions are suitable for a slant four,
they 'boxes are from diesel or V6 engined cars.


The Toyota option should be viable given that these can fit a Vitesse,
but note that the clutch plate choice is problematic. You may need to factor
in having a bespoke plate made.



Ian.

you can flat tow and even front lift tow but you have to disconnect the propshaft.