3.8 with synchro box fitted, speedo drive question

andrewh · Post by **andrewh** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 4:51 pm

I have just had a crawl under my 3.8 OTS which has a synchro box fitted, which frankly I am quite pleased about. However, looking up from underneath it seems it would be totally impossible to change out the angle drive with the engine and box in position. Question therefore, is, on a 4.2 is there an access plate on the side of the tunnel to enable this to be done, and is it usual for conversions to create said access panel ? I have never got to the bottom of whether it is true or false that some late 3.8s had synchro boxes or not, but if anyone can shed any light on the situation I would be grateful. I am going to do a full restoration on the car, but intend keeping the synchro box. What I don't want to find is that one would have to drop the E and B if there was a problem with the angle drive in the future. On the subject of angle drives, what is the thinking on who makes the best replacements?

Mich7920 · Post by **Mich7920** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 5:35 pm

Hi,

Changing the angle drive is not really easy but absolutly possible on a 4.2L with the engine and gear in place but you must to do the job by the top of the gearbox
You also need to be a little bit contorsionist and have small fingers...

I haven't the answer for the other questions, sorry.

Mich

cactusman · Post by **cactusman** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:13 pm

Lots of things are possible on an E if you are a small handed contortionist with double joints and scrape proof knuckles....or don't mind pools of blood everywhere. I love E types... :D

Moeregaard · Post by **Moeregaard** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:40 pm

Look at the bright side of things. Most difficult-to-reach places on an E-Type are well lubricated! Think about how relieved you are when you realize that the warm liquid running down to your elbow is just Castrol 20/50 and not the red stuff we so desperately need to keep inside :D

64etype · Post by **64etype** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 10:24 pm

I cut an additional access hole when I did the synchro conversion on my '64. It's been some time ago, but I believe I positioned the hole slightly farther to the rear of the tunnel after reading something about the location of the 4.2 hole being too far forward for good access.

andrewh · Post by **andrewh** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 9:01 am

64etype wrote:I cut an additional access hole when I did the synchro conversion on my '64. It's been some time ago, but I believe I positioned the hole slightly farther to the rear of the tunnel after reading something about the location of the 4.2 hole being too far forward for good access.

Ah, thats the information i was after. I don't know whether the 4.2 tunnel is different to the 3.8, but there is barely enough room to get a long nose pair of pliers up there, so I would have thought an access hole is a must. Must get a look at a 4.2 thanks

64etype · Post by **64etype** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:57 pm

Andrew, I found some photos of the hole I cut on the right side, and also one of the left side of the '64 tunnel. Can't tell for sure, but I think I positioned the hole forward a bit from the aft access hole on the left side. But best to either remove the cover and eyeball it on your car, or look at a 4.2. If you PM me an email address, I will forward you the photos, although they're not all that helpful without the angle drive in the picture. Regards.

JimmyS · Post by **JimmyS** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:24 pm

Hi Andrew,

Here are a couple of photographs of my car's tunnel. It's an early 4.2 (Nov. '64).

Regards,
Jim

andrewh · Post by **andrewh** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:40 am

thank you very much. So no access hole on the RHS rear. Interesting . This either suggests there is enough room to access the angle drive, or the tunnel is slightly wider at this point than the 3.8. Umm

andrewh · Post by **andrewh** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:46 am

well I have actually found a photo I took a while back of a 4.2 myself. Sorry should have looked harder to start with. this has an access hole??

Duckham · Post by **Duckham** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 8:07 am

Andrew - I think that the gearbox filler is also positioned differently on the 4.2 so it will also be worth checking you have access to that.
Joe

64etype · Post by **64etype** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:03 pm

andrewh wrote:well I have actually found a photo I took a while back of a 4.2 myself. Sorry should have looked harder to start with. this has an access hole??

The photo provided by Jim shows the same configuration as for my 3.8/Moss gearbox car. So there must have been some early 4.2 cars without the right side access hole...interesting. By the way, I compared he photo of your 4.2 tunnel to the one I took after cutting an additional hole and I did in fact position it slightly forward of the factory location. I'd recommend that you get under the car and take some measurements. I'm sure I read complaints about the location of the factory access hole at some point in the past. Also, the end of the right angle drive on my 3.8 is about 3/8" from the wall of the tunnel.

JimmyS · Post by **JimmyS** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 8:34 am

Thanks Gents,

It looks like I'll have to cut an access hole on the RHS of the tunnel too. I wonder if this was done by the dealer service departments as and when it became necessary to change a speedo drive? If so, perhaps David knows of a service bulletin that gives its location?

Regards,
Jim

64etype · Post by **64etype** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 12:44 pm

JimmyS wrote:Thanks Gents,

It looks like I'll have to cut an access hole on the RHS of the tunnel too. I wonder if this was done by the dealer service departments as and when it became necessary to change a speedo drive? If so, perhaps David knows of a service bulletin that gives its location?

Regards,
Jim

The factory holes have a small inward stiffening flare around the circumference. The holes in the later 4.2s are probably stamped. But good point about a service bulletin for the interim cars....then again it probably says drop the engine and transmission. And if it says put the hole in the location for the later 4.2 tunnel, I'm pretty sure there's a better location. I'd measure carefully before cutting.

JimmyS · Post by **JimmyS** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 1:31 pm

I'm pretty sure there's a better location. I'd measure carefully before cutting.

You've talked me into it Eric. I've measured my gearbox and the position of the speedo drive relative to the oil filler appears to be as shown below

The big question is of course, how concentric is the oil filler to the 3.8 forward hole?

64etype · Post by **64etype** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 1:51 pm

If I remember correctly, I defined the distance between the transmission mount pin and the speedo drive. Then measured it out on the chassis/tunnel.

Post by **Heuer** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 2:01 pm

JimmyS wrote: I wonder if this was done by the dealer service departments as and when it became necessary to change a speedo drive? If so, perhaps David knows of a service bulletin that gives its location?

None that I can find.

andrewh · Post by **andrewh** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 8:05 pm

Interesting Intel here. I must say I don't like the idea of fitting a hole where there should not be one. Presumably this would also mean a flap in the carpet which for a 3.8 would be incorrect. But , the angle drive is not removable with box in from what I can see. Decisions decisions . Any thoughts on the best angle drives out there?

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
	Hide post links

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
	Hide post links

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
	Hide post links

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
	Hide post links

Link:
BBcode:
HTML:
	Hide post links

The 'E' Type Forum

3.8 with synchro box fitted, speedo drive question

#1 3.8 with synchro box fitted, speedo drive question

#2

#3 Speedo

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18