1966 Mk1 Cortina GT
Discussion
Looking at that tan Alfa interior, it’s very doable for most classic cars with flat door cards. Seat cover design is also straight forward.
If you have an idea of mix and matched interior parts. I love a challenge
Oh and the Jag driving, I can’t compare an s-type with the xj as I’ve never driven a newer xj.
Performance wise the v8 S-type with the auto box is lovely, you can waft along or easily keep up with the best of them. As it’s Ford era Jag it’s quite easy to repair mechanically. Rust is a thing. Mine isn’t too bad underneath as a previous owner had been there but it’s getting a bit ratty again. Once the xjc is finished the str can have a bit of tlc
If you have an idea of mix and matched interior parts. I love a challenge
Oh and the Jag driving, I can’t compare an s-type with the xj as I’ve never driven a newer xj.
Performance wise the v8 S-type with the auto box is lovely, you can waft along or easily keep up with the best of them. As it’s Ford era Jag it’s quite easy to repair mechanically. Rust is a thing. Mine isn’t too bad underneath as a previous owner had been there but it’s getting a bit ratty again. Once the xjc is finished the str can have a bit of tlc
Edited by RobXjcoupe on Monday 21st August 12:13
RobXjcoupe said:
Looking at that tan Alfa interior, it’s very doable for most classic cars with flat door cards. Seat cover design is also straight forward.
If you have an idea of mix and matched interior parts. I love a challenge
Oh and the Jag driving, I can’t compare an s-type with the xj as I’ve never driven a newer xj.
Performance wise the v8 S-type with the auto box is lovely, you can waft along or easily keep up with the best of them. As it’s Ford era Jag it’s quite easy to repair mechanically. Rust is a thing. Mine isn’t too bad underneath as a previous owner had been there but it’s getting a bit ratty again. Once the xjc is finished the str can have a bit of tlc
I'm glad you've said that about the interior as I picked these seats up last week, I happened to be trawling Facebook marketplace for financially irresponsible cars for a friend of mine and they popped up for £100. They've been sat for a while and has a couple of very small marks but they've cleaned up well, I'll sort a set of runners but I quite like them and I'd like to see what they're like in the Cortina but ripe for a trimming!If you have an idea of mix and matched interior parts. I love a challenge
Oh and the Jag driving, I can’t compare an s-type with the xj as I’ve never driven a newer xj.
Performance wise the v8 S-type with the auto box is lovely, you can waft along or easily keep up with the best of them. As it’s Ford era Jag it’s quite easy to repair mechanically. Rust is a thing. Mine isn’t too bad underneath as a previous owner had been there but it’s getting a bit ratty again. Once the xjc is finished the str can have a bit of tlc
Edited by RobXjcoupe on Monday 21st August 12:13
I took the Cortina to work this week and notice there was a clunk coming from the gearbox when the engine fires up, it looks like the bolts that hold the gearbox casing to the bell house have started to work loose - this motorway driving is having an impact, I've ordered gaskets so I'll drop the box and have a look at what has happened and how to fix it plus it'll give me a chance to compare it dimensionally to the RX8 gearbox.
Feeling a bit deflated about the gearbox I limped the Cortina home and then did this to the door FFS!
On to more positive things, I dropped the crank off at a machine shop near work that I had been recommended and they've crack checked the crank and took 10 thou off the mains and big end. This is the first grind it's had since leaving Dagenham which is impressive. I've ordered mains bearings (along with the gearbox gaskets.) Once they've arrived I'll put the crank in to keep it safe and start working on the rear oil seal modifications.
A quick measure up and print of the end of the crank will give me something to trial fit seals to before trying it on the actual crank
Whilst I was in a huff with the Cortina I needed something to do so I'm back on with tidying up the garage as I liked what I did with the pallet wall and having more storage space would be nice, it's a like dark in there and the inside of the garage door looked a bit dirty. I've given it a clean and a few coats of white paint which has brightened the garage up.
I'll paint the ceiling (?) too next, I'm just waiting for some decent weather to push the cortina out
Over the last few weeks I have been making small progress on a number of jobs for the Cortina but I haven't actually completed any of them which says more about me than I'd like to admit! Part of this is planning further ahead than need to but as it stands currently the Cortina's gearbox isn't looking good.
After the drive to Pistonheads 25 and a day out on the B roads I had noticed when the Cortina fires up there is a knock from the gearbox and a shudder through the shifter, when I was driving it shifting is as smooth as usual and no issues using the gears but something was loose. When inspecting from underneath I could move the gearbox with my bare hands (this was a mistake as it's filthy under there!). The optimist in me thought it was the mount then I noticed the movement was between the bell house and the main casing
For those of you that haven't worked on a Mk1 GT to get the gearbox out you. have to remove the centre console which can be a pain if you leave the front seats in, this is because the remote shifter is mounted to the gearbox through the bulkhead/ transmission tunnel for reasons only known to whatever deviant at Dagenham thought it would be a good idea!
A few hours later and the gearbox was out and on the bench
Upon inspection I found that that one of the bolts had removed itself whilst I'd been driving it, the clutch pressure plate had a few scuffs but nothing too serious fortunately and that's when I found the offending item, it must have fallen out whilst I was trying to not drop the gearbox on myself.
I don't think I'll be using it again! The threads in the gearbox casing aren't the best I've seen so I'd put it down to high revs causing vibration and 60 year old threads getting ready for retirement. I could helical them to be fair, I also have 2 spare cases so best to assume they'll be in a similar state. The loose bellhops has had an impact on the input bearing as there is considerable play but the oil is surprisingly shrapnel free so a few new bearings and an in-depth inspection could be all it needs.
But...
I've enjoyed going further in the Cortina this year having covered in the region of 2000 miles in a few months going to the in-laws, Le Mans and PH25 and this is what I have wanted from the Cortina since I purchased it in 2005. It just needs some modernising without taking away from the 1960's feel. Last year I purchased a gearbox from an rx8 and an adaptor plate but I didn't have the time to do the conversion before Le Mans so it was sat in the garage till I had the chance to look at it properly and with the original gearbox out and stunt block and crank ready now is the time to revisit this.
The bearings for the mains had been sat for a week on my bench before I built up the necessary minerals to attempt fitting a crank which is something I hadn't done before and I was a little intimidated by it thinking I'd cause more harm than good. Hands steadied and assembly lube purchased along with a strong cup of tea the crank was soon in and turning smoothly.
Back to the gearbox, the RX8 gearbox is huge! and when compared to the 2000e that was in it the shifter is 50mm further forward with a lot of work required to move it back to where the Cortina's is. I don't mind putting the work in but I also need to make a new exhaust as the casing is much wider especially at the bell house, upon reflection I think this could work but it isn't the best solution given first is so low I'm essentially carrying a 5 speed box with a crawler gear.
I had seen a few people using the NA MX5 5 speed gearbox in Morris minors and a mk1 escort, the ratios are a little longer than the 2000e but not enough to make the Cortina feel sluggish given their similar power output (on paper). The mx5 gearbox can have it's shifter relocated with less headaches but this is something I'll look at a later date as it's only 25mm further forward minus the thickness of the adaptor plate so could only be a negligible difference.
2000e vs RX8
2000e vs NA MX5
The NA box is wider than the 2000e but not a ridiculous amount and the bellhouses aren't far off width wise which means I may be able to use the original manifold for now. They both have hydraulic clutches which is great and the MX5's is on the opposite side to my exhaust which is a current issue with the 2000e box. The main issue is the starter motor for the 2000e is exactly where the cultch arm is and I'd like to keep the MX5 components standard if possible and the MX5 starter motor position is where the one of the engine block to gearbox mounts is which I need to use as all the mounting points between the 1500 block and the 2000e are located on the block unlike the MX5.
There's some thinking and planning to do but I'm not stressed yet having seen these mounted on zetecs.
On yet another tangent I have managed to source a seal that is the right diameter for the the end of the crank via SKF, I just need to sort a way of mounting it to the block!
After the drive to Pistonheads 25 and a day out on the B roads I had noticed when the Cortina fires up there is a knock from the gearbox and a shudder through the shifter, when I was driving it shifting is as smooth as usual and no issues using the gears but something was loose. When inspecting from underneath I could move the gearbox with my bare hands (this was a mistake as it's filthy under there!). The optimist in me thought it was the mount then I noticed the movement was between the bell house and the main casing
For those of you that haven't worked on a Mk1 GT to get the gearbox out you. have to remove the centre console which can be a pain if you leave the front seats in, this is because the remote shifter is mounted to the gearbox through the bulkhead/ transmission tunnel for reasons only known to whatever deviant at Dagenham thought it would be a good idea!
A few hours later and the gearbox was out and on the bench
Upon inspection I found that that one of the bolts had removed itself whilst I'd been driving it, the clutch pressure plate had a few scuffs but nothing too serious fortunately and that's when I found the offending item, it must have fallen out whilst I was trying to not drop the gearbox on myself.
I don't think I'll be using it again! The threads in the gearbox casing aren't the best I've seen so I'd put it down to high revs causing vibration and 60 year old threads getting ready for retirement. I could helical them to be fair, I also have 2 spare cases so best to assume they'll be in a similar state. The loose bellhops has had an impact on the input bearing as there is considerable play but the oil is surprisingly shrapnel free so a few new bearings and an in-depth inspection could be all it needs.
But...
I've enjoyed going further in the Cortina this year having covered in the region of 2000 miles in a few months going to the in-laws, Le Mans and PH25 and this is what I have wanted from the Cortina since I purchased it in 2005. It just needs some modernising without taking away from the 1960's feel. Last year I purchased a gearbox from an rx8 and an adaptor plate but I didn't have the time to do the conversion before Le Mans so it was sat in the garage till I had the chance to look at it properly and with the original gearbox out and stunt block and crank ready now is the time to revisit this.
The bearings for the mains had been sat for a week on my bench before I built up the necessary minerals to attempt fitting a crank which is something I hadn't done before and I was a little intimidated by it thinking I'd cause more harm than good. Hands steadied and assembly lube purchased along with a strong cup of tea the crank was soon in and turning smoothly.
Back to the gearbox, the RX8 gearbox is huge! and when compared to the 2000e that was in it the shifter is 50mm further forward with a lot of work required to move it back to where the Cortina's is. I don't mind putting the work in but I also need to make a new exhaust as the casing is much wider especially at the bell house, upon reflection I think this could work but it isn't the best solution given first is so low I'm essentially carrying a 5 speed box with a crawler gear.
I had seen a few people using the NA MX5 5 speed gearbox in Morris minors and a mk1 escort, the ratios are a little longer than the 2000e but not enough to make the Cortina feel sluggish given their similar power output (on paper). The mx5 gearbox can have it's shifter relocated with less headaches but this is something I'll look at a later date as it's only 25mm further forward minus the thickness of the adaptor plate so could only be a negligible difference.
2000e vs RX8
2000e vs NA MX5
The NA box is wider than the 2000e but not a ridiculous amount and the bellhouses aren't far off width wise which means I may be able to use the original manifold for now. They both have hydraulic clutches which is great and the MX5's is on the opposite side to my exhaust which is a current issue with the 2000e box. The main issue is the starter motor for the 2000e is exactly where the cultch arm is and I'd like to keep the MX5 components standard if possible and the MX5 starter motor position is where the one of the engine block to gearbox mounts is which I need to use as all the mounting points between the 1500 block and the 2000e are located on the block unlike the MX5.
There's some thinking and planning to do but I'm not stressed yet having seen these mounted on zetecs.
On yet another tangent I have managed to source a seal that is the right diameter for the the end of the crank via SKF, I just need to sort a way of mounting it to the block!
Great to read the last couple of updates Jim, good to see the progress being made!
Can sympathise with the remote change on the GT/Lotus boxes, always preferred the long old 'magic wand' from the 1200 gearboxes, had a nice shift quality and despite the huuuuge gearstick always found you could get gears so easily going up or down the gearbox.
Fair play for having a go at the engine assembly on your own and the gearbox swap, sort of makes a mockery of anyone calling their car 'a build' after sticking on a set of chinese coilovers/air ride, some replica wheels and some dodgy stickers
Did you have the crank lightened at all? Trying to tell if the crank webs look slightly smaller than usual but don't get to see these engines in bits anymore unfortunately..
Can sympathise with the remote change on the GT/Lotus boxes, always preferred the long old 'magic wand' from the 1200 gearboxes, had a nice shift quality and despite the huuuuge gearstick always found you could get gears so easily going up or down the gearbox.
Fair play for having a go at the engine assembly on your own and the gearbox swap, sort of makes a mockery of anyone calling their car 'a build' after sticking on a set of chinese coilovers/air ride, some replica wheels and some dodgy stickers
Did you have the crank lightened at all? Trying to tell if the crank webs look slightly smaller than usual but don't get to see these engines in bits anymore unfortunately..
Chunkychucky said:
Great to read the last couple of updates Jim, good to see the progress being made!
Can sympathise with the remote change on the GT/Lotus boxes, always preferred the long old 'magic wand' from the 1200 gearboxes, had a nice shift quality and despite the huuuuge gearstick always found you could get gears so easily going up or down the gearbox.
.
I had a 63 Super 1500 as my first car with the long wand gearlever, always wanted a remote but they were like rocking horse poo in the 70's when I wanted one.Can sympathise with the remote change on the GT/Lotus boxes, always preferred the long old 'magic wand' from the 1200 gearboxes, had a nice shift quality and despite the huuuuge gearstick always found you could get gears so easily going up or down the gearbox.
.
A word of warning on Ford stuff of this era. When Ford manufactured the block if they had a machining problem they line bored the block so you need O/S main bearings on the O/D. Not uncommon & can cause no end of grief.
That brings back memories! My first car was a 1967 Cortina MK2 with the 1500 engine and a remote shifter which had to be removed when the gearbox broke. 
I'm sure you have a good reason for choosing the Mazda box, but years later I had a Sierra with an MT75 gearbox that was great and would keep things Ford.
I'm sure you have a good reason for choosing the Mazda box, but years later I had a Sierra with an MT75 gearbox that was great and would keep things Ford.
Chunkychucky said:
Great to read the last couple of updates Jim, good to see the progress being made!
Can sympathise with the remote change on the GT/Lotus boxes, always preferred the long old 'magic wand' from the 1200 gearboxes, had a nice shift quality and despite the huuuuge gearstick always found you could get gears so easily going up or down the gearbox.
Fair play for having a go at the engine assembly on your own and the gearbox swap, sort of makes a mockery of anyone calling their car 'a build' after sticking on a set of chinese coilovers/air ride, some replica wheels and some dodgy stickers
Did you have the crank lightened at all? Trying to tell if the crank webs look slightly smaller than usual but don't get to see these engines in bits anymore unfortunately..
Thanks for having a read! I've never tried a standard Cortina or the column shift but I'd be interested to see what the difference is in the gear change, I'm trying to have a go at everything on the Cortina if I get anything drastically wrong I can always get it repaired. I do however have replica lotus steels on the rear, my coil overs were made in Essex (Gaz) and the inside of my bottled is where I put my stickers! Can sympathise with the remote change on the GT/Lotus boxes, always preferred the long old 'magic wand' from the 1200 gearboxes, had a nice shift quality and despite the huuuuge gearstick always found you could get gears so easily going up or down the gearbox.
Fair play for having a go at the engine assembly on your own and the gearbox swap, sort of makes a mockery of anyone calling their car 'a build' after sticking on a set of chinese coilovers/air ride, some replica wheels and some dodgy stickers
Did you have the crank lightened at all? Trying to tell if the crank webs look slightly smaller than usual but don't get to see these engines in bits anymore unfortunately..
Currently the stunt crank hasn't been lightened just ground so that I can put it in the block for mocking up the gearbox and rear oil seal, my intention is to fabricate a number of parts etc for a slightly more powerful/ user friendly engine which this block and crank will be the base for. Once I've done all the fabrication I'll get the block cleaned/ bored and the crank lightened as part of building it into something that will replace my current 1500 which will then be my working spare.
tr7v8 said:
I had a 63 Super 1500 as my first car with the long wand gearlever, always wanted a remote but they were like rocking horse poo in the 70's when I wanted one.
A word of warning on Ford stuff of this era. When Ford manufactured the block if they had a machining problem they line bored the block so you need O/S main bearings on the O/D. Not uncommon & can cause no end of grief.
I only realised last year that there are 2 versions of the remote shifter, the first being for the Cortina and the second is for the Console Capri GT that is 2 inches or so shorter and doesn't fit inside the Cortina's center console.A word of warning on Ford stuff of this era. When Ford manufactured the block if they had a machining problem they line bored the block so you need O/S main bearings on the O/D. Not uncommon & can cause no end of grief.
Before ordering the bearings I did check if the block had been oversized on the mains as the current one had to be as the bearings that came out of it were no longer available, fortunately this one hasn't been oversized but when I come to build it up properly I will be replacing the mains caps for steel ones which are much stronger and better for high sustained revving but thank you for the heads up!
Mr Tidy said:
That brings back memories! My first car was a 1967 Cortina MK2 with the 1500 engine and a remote shifter which had to be removed when the gearbox broke.
I'm sure you have a good reason for choosing the Mazda box, but years later I had a Sierra with an MT75 gearbox that was great and would keep things Ford.
The mk2 1500 is a holy grail when it comes to the crank as it uses 6 bolts for the flywheel over the 4 in the mk1 and has a better oil seal - they're pretty hard to come by these days which is a shame!I'm sure you have a good reason for choosing the Mazda box, but years later I had a Sierra with an MT75 gearbox that was great and would keep things Ford.
I hadn't looked at the MT75, I did look at the type 9 which has a chasm between 2nd and 3rd which I'd lose about 3000rpm between shifts which makes driving the cortina a bit of a pig. The main reasons behind the MX5 box is the the gear selector position can be moved relatively easily, they're plentiful and cheap (mine was £120), the ratios are pretty good and not too dissimilar from a 2000e but has a longer 5th which will make 70mph at just under 3500rpm and it's much lighter than the 2000e
Retro_Jim said:
The mk2 1500 is a holy grail when it comes to the crank as it uses 6 bolts for the flywheel over the 4 in the mk1 and has a better oil seal - they're pretty hard to come by these days which is a shame!
I hadn't looked at the MT75, I did look at the type 9 which has a chasm between 2nd and 3rd which I'd lose about 3000rpm between shifts which makes driving the cortina a bit of a pig. The main reasons behind the MX5 box is the the gear selector position can be moved relatively easily, they're plentiful and cheap (mine was £120), the ratios are pretty good and not too dissimilar from a 2000e but has a longer 5th which will make 70mph at just under 3500rpm and it's much lighter than the 2000e
Every day is a school day - I didn't know the MK2 1500 had any redeeming features! I hadn't looked at the MT75, I did look at the type 9 which has a chasm between 2nd and 3rd which I'd lose about 3000rpm between shifts which makes driving the cortina a bit of a pig. The main reasons behind the MX5 box is the the gear selector position can be moved relatively easily, they're plentiful and cheap (mine was £120), the ratios are pretty good and not too dissimilar from a 2000e but has a longer 5th which will make 70mph at just under 3500rpm and it's much lighter than the 2000e
I was glad to get just over £200 for my clapped-out rust-bucket in 1977 complete with a 1600E wooden dash and the plate PJJ 1E.
To be fair MX5 boxes seem to be highly-rated and having options with the position of the gear selector is a bonus. I remember a mate having to chop up the tunnel in his MK1 GT to fit a 2000E box although it was a huge improvement over the original. Lighter can only be a good thing too.
Mr Tidy said:
That brings back memories! My first car was a 1967 Cortina MK2 with the 1500 engine and a remote shifter which had to be removed when the gearbox broke.
I'm sure you have a good reason for choosing the Mazda box, but years later I had a Sierra with an MT75 gearbox that was great and would keep things Ford.
My old man had a 1965 Gt bought at 5yrs old in 1970just after he left the RAF in Tangmere..I'm sure you have a good reason for choosing the Mazda box, but years later I had a Sierra with an MT75 gearbox that was great and would keep things Ford.
Great memories of those days !!
Lovely car O/P too
e600 said:
That's very cool, does it have a YB in it?nismo48 said:
My old man had a 1965 Gt bought at 5yrs old in 1970just after he left the RAF in Tangmere..
Great memories of those days !!
Lovely car O/P too
Thank you, I'm glad it's bought back some happy memories, the '65 was a changeover year so it would be interesting to see if it was an early type or later like mine.Great memories of those days !!
Lovely car O/P too
I have been soldiering on with the gearboxes and have made some progress, I have been taking my time as I haven't tried this before and I don't want issues down the line so getting things centralised has been the main goal.
I will go through the process if anyone is interested. But after some time of marking/ measuring and drilling I had this basic plate.
it's 1.2mm steel with nuts welded to it which will be the basis of a template that I can then use to transfer it to a thicker sheet of steel, the inner has been roughed out and gives enough clearance for the crank and rear seal mount etc without exposing the flywheel. I even managed to find a home for the starter motor on the opposite side - and it cranks as it should!
Given it's 1.2 and has been welded very roughly it has located each other quite well!
There is a small amount of room for error (0.1-0.2mm) so I am happy so far it is aligned concentrically between the crank and the gearbox input, I have purchased a 1.6 MX5 clutch which from my initial inspection is 10mm larger in diameter and the pressure plate doesn't overhang on the flywheel. It just needs drilling but I need to talk to a grown up about doing that!
My father is retired and spends his time at a charity doing carpentry for retired chaps like himself so they are constantly donated tools etc. One of their latest donations contained this very original Lucas box of electrical connectors etc which he has given me (I did make a donation!) I've never seen this before and would have gone into the bin otherwise.
Whilst I'm rambling I'll finish off with my lack of observation and new found OCD I recently discovered that the numbering on the speedometer and the rev counter is odd. 10, 70, 100 and 110 are the opposite way to the other numbers - I've owned the Cortina 18 years and only just noticed!
This is well timed as I had been considering making a new speedometer when I change the gearbox to have modern gubbins inside, I have started with the rev counter as they're easier but I've drawn up 3 versions of the potential dial face.
Original
OCD corrected
All numbers level
Retro_Jim said:
My father is retired and spends his time at a charity doing carpentry for retired chaps like himself so they are constantly donated tools etc. One of their latest donations contained this very original Lucas box of electrical connectors etc which he has given me (I did make a donation!) I've never seen this before and would have gone into the bin otherwise.
Whilst I'm rambling I'll finish off with my lack of observation and new found OCD I recently discovered that the numbering on the speedometer and the rev counter is odd. 10, 70, 100 and 110 are the opposite way to the other numbers - I've owned the Cortina 18 years and only just noticed!
This is well timed as I had been considering making a new speedometer when I change the gearbox to have modern gubbins inside, I have started with the rev counter as they're easier but I've drawn up 3 versions of the potential dial face.
That's some good progress with the gearbox fitting, and those Lucas bits were a real find! Whilst I'm rambling I'll finish off with my lack of observation and new found OCD I recently discovered that the numbering on the speedometer and the rev counter is odd. 10, 70, 100 and 110 are the opposite way to the other numbers - I've owned the Cortina 18 years and only just noticed!
This is well timed as I had been considering making a new speedometer when I change the gearbox to have modern gubbins inside, I have started with the rev counter as they're easier but I've drawn up 3 versions of the potential dial face.
But that numbering on the dials is really surprising - well spotted.
My MK2 clunker didn't have a rev counter but I wish I could remember the speedo, but I did sell it in 1977! It probably was the same as yours though seeing as most early MK2s used quite a few MK1 parts. Changing them is great attention to detail.
Mr Tidy said:
That's some good progress with the gearbox fitting, and those Lucas bits were a real find!
But that numbering on the dials is really surprising - well spotted.
My MK2 clunker didn't have a rev counter but I wish I could remember the speedo, but I did sell it in 1977! It probably was the same as yours though seeing as most early MK2s used quite a few MK1 parts. Changing them is great attention to detail.
Thank you Mr. Tidy, interesting you mention the mk2 as from what I could see they had their numbers placed vertically which is the same as the early mk1 but yet again they tried something for the later mk1 like mine that they then changed their minds on!But that numbering on the dials is really surprising - well spotted.
My MK2 clunker didn't have a rev counter but I wish I could remember the speedo, but I did sell it in 1977! It probably was the same as yours though seeing as most early MK2s used quite a few MK1 parts. Changing them is great attention to detail.
After posting the CAD renders of the rev counter I went ahead and printed a tester out of PETG, the first had a few issues with the notches as they were 0.1mm deep which meant they lacked definition as that was my layer height on the printer, the second print (pictured below) has slightly deeper notches and numbering and with a little bit of tidying and sanding I think this will fit in nicely - almost like it isn't any different to a standard gauge.
After getting the adaptor plate correct in principle with 1.2mm thick steel I ordered a 400x400mm plate of mild steel which is much thicker than what I am used to working with but quickly set about clamping the 1.2mm sheet to it and marking the center to be cut out and the centres of the welded on nuts - this was done by printing threaded bungs that had a centralised hole through it that was just big enough to get my centre punch through. This meant I wasn't trying to do all this by eye and if it worked makes it easier to replicate.
The center was cut out using a jigsaw and a huge amount of patience which meant it took approximately 1 metric lifetime to cut out! The starter motor hole was more test fit, cut a but more and refit till it was snug
Once satisfied with the inside the whole lot was thrown together and checked - interestingly the input shaft and original crank bush are the correct size for each other (circa 15mm) so if I had got anything wrong at this point I'd know - but looking though the clutch arm hole you can see it fits as it should.
This was the first time I could cut the outer of the plate as I have kept the 1.2mm "square" so it could be put onto a CMM machine for scanning and getting the coordinates to produce a drawing (depending on money/ requirement). With the outline marked I set about cutting the outer to produce something that looked fairly respectable and considering this has been cut using a grinder and carefully filed and shaped it doesn't look like if chewed on the steel!
The flywheel is on holiday with a friend of mine who is aligning the pressure plate and then drilling the flywheel to suit so more on that soon.
I did have a play with the sump as I have cut a portion of it off for the later crossflow rear seal housing which now needs patching up, the sump is made from 1.5mm steel which I don't have but to test a theory of how I'll make the horseshoe piece for the sump I set about making a piece using 1mm steel. one end was drilled and folded 90 degrees before bolting it to the housing and folding the steel over it and using a blunt bolster chisel I could make a fold on the steel so it had a close fit to the housing before drilling
Next came the fun bit! Firing up the blowtorch to heat the steel so I could carefully form a concave piece into the housing where a seal will live (like the factory sumps) This worked far better than anticipated and whilst I had the torch running I clamped the steel along the curved section with 3 mole grips and heated the steel again. This time I gently tapped the steel upwards to form a folded lip return along the curve that will help keep its shape and is much neater than a welded lip.
I've just ordered the 1.5mm steel so I can get cracking with this ASAP
The ford clutch wouldn't work with the Mazda box which is a shame so I purchased a 1.6 mx5 clutch as it's slightly larger but unfortunately too thick to use the ford pressure plate
Whilst I was working on the adaptor plate for the gearbox I took my spare flywheel and a 1.6 mx5 clutch to a friend of mine who is an excellent engineer.
He turned a piece of aluminium that would centralise the flywheel to the clutch so new pins could be put in and then drilled and tapped so it can be bolted down.
All together and it's not a major change in weight which I was concerned about and the Mazda pressure plate doesn't overhang either.
Whilst I was working on the adaptor plate for the gearbox I took my spare flywheel and a 1.6 mx5 clutch to a friend of mine who is an excellent engineer.
He turned a piece of aluminium that would centralise the flywheel to the clutch so new pins could be put in and then drilled and tapped so it can be bolted down.
All together and it's not a major change in weight which I was concerned about and the Mazda pressure plate doesn't overhang either.
With the adaptor plate made and the clutch waiting to go, the next thing on the list of things to do is try and get the MX5 gearbox to fit into the Cortina. As the 2000e gearbox's stick is mounted further forward to the MX5 but the stick position is fairly close I needed to mark where a hole needed to be cut. To do this I used a spare casing to make an empty gearbox which I lifted in and put back into the Cortina.
With the position marked (in Red) I made a larger cut line (in blue.) I knew that the hole would need to be a little wider as gear lever on the MX5 is a little wider at this point. Cutting the shell seemed a little weird as it is good metal but I'd take this over revving the nuts off it and be able to enjoy the Cortina doing more miles.
There is a chassis leg running through here that I will need to replace as it is exactly where the shifter housing is but I have a plan to not only put the strength back in but also improve on it.
I could have left my original engine in but I wanted to try and install the gearbox and block as one (the same way I installed the 1500 and 2000e). I also have a few jobs to do on the 1500 to improve oil seals and give it a going over. Stripping it down has become muscle memory which I'm not sure I'm happy about!
With the engine bay clear I could see the extent of leaking seals and lots of miles had on the bay and engine!
So putting the engine and box as one won't work - I'm not a fan of lifting gearboxes onto myself and then trying to align them but hopefully I won't have to do it often!
It was at this point the box was wedged! The tunnel is narrow where the gearbox has a reverse light switch and the mount that ties the gearbox to the diff on the MX5 - I wanted to keep the reverse light switch but a bit of cutting and shaving of that bracket has made fitting the gearbox a bit easier.
After some more careful cutting of the tunnel the gearbox was in at the same angle of the engine and 2000e that proceeded it.
A desperate phonecall to a local MX5 restorer to ask about switches turned into an interesting conversation, they had a pro-shaft from an automatic they was planning to throw away as they're too short to use on manual cars but they have the same splines etc on the gearbox side and I was able to get under an MX5 and look at the gearbox mount and have a look at their SU carburettored mk2.
With the position marked (in Red) I made a larger cut line (in blue.) I knew that the hole would need to be a little wider as gear lever on the MX5 is a little wider at this point. Cutting the shell seemed a little weird as it is good metal but I'd take this over revving the nuts off it and be able to enjoy the Cortina doing more miles.
There is a chassis leg running through here that I will need to replace as it is exactly where the shifter housing is but I have a plan to not only put the strength back in but also improve on it.
I could have left my original engine in but I wanted to try and install the gearbox and block as one (the same way I installed the 1500 and 2000e). I also have a few jobs to do on the 1500 to improve oil seals and give it a going over. Stripping it down has become muscle memory which I'm not sure I'm happy about!
With the engine bay clear I could see the extent of leaking seals and lots of miles had on the bay and engine!
So putting the engine and box as one won't work - I'm not a fan of lifting gearboxes onto myself and then trying to align them but hopefully I won't have to do it often!
It was at this point the box was wedged! The tunnel is narrow where the gearbox has a reverse light switch and the mount that ties the gearbox to the diff on the MX5 - I wanted to keep the reverse light switch but a bit of cutting and shaving of that bracket has made fitting the gearbox a bit easier.
After some more careful cutting of the tunnel the gearbox was in at the same angle of the engine and 2000e that proceeded it.
A desperate phonecall to a local MX5 restorer to ask about switches turned into an interesting conversation, they had a pro-shaft from an automatic they was planning to throw away as they're too short to use on manual cars but they have the same splines etc on the gearbox side and I was able to get under an MX5 and look at the gearbox mount and have a look at their SU carburettored mk2.
I've been under the Cortina thinking about the gearbox mount and I figured the best way to do this was to basically go freestyle. I have a view of how it would be in my head so thought I would start there and see how it pans out.
As luck would have it the chassis rails are essentially 50x50mm square section so the starter for 10 was to use 50x50x3 right angle section that's 500mm long to be the main part of the support with a second right angled piece embedded into it to form the pad for the gearbox mount. A quick lead test on CAD would suggest it has a safety factor of 3 which I'm happy with.
Unfortunately the gearbox side is a little further away from the chassis mount that I had originally measured and drew up so I've ordered some more 6mm (I only had off cuts). so far it's looking like it will work.
having spent some time aligning the mount to the chassis (within 0.5mm) I'll make a start on drilling them. I'm in the process of making crush tubes to go through the leg to act as a support and prevent damaging the leg also.
The Brake and fuel line will be remade and new clips/ mount put in place that are better than the original ones.
Whilst waiting on materials and Black Friday was here I made a purchase to help with some of the jobs I have planned and for work too - a 3D scanner! I have worked on a few projects revolving around reverse engineering, usually measuring items by hand or if I'm lucky have a drawing I can work from but this is totally different! I've managed to produce a few decent scans but how I interpret this in CAD is a steep learning curve that I'll get through but I'm happy with what I have achieved so far.
As luck would have it the chassis rails are essentially 50x50mm square section so the starter for 10 was to use 50x50x3 right angle section that's 500mm long to be the main part of the support with a second right angled piece embedded into it to form the pad for the gearbox mount. A quick lead test on CAD would suggest it has a safety factor of 3 which I'm happy with.
Unfortunately the gearbox side is a little further away from the chassis mount that I had originally measured and drew up so I've ordered some more 6mm (I only had off cuts). so far it's looking like it will work.
having spent some time aligning the mount to the chassis (within 0.5mm) I'll make a start on drilling them. I'm in the process of making crush tubes to go through the leg to act as a support and prevent damaging the leg also.
The Brake and fuel line will be remade and new clips/ mount put in place that are better than the original ones.
Whilst waiting on materials and Black Friday was here I made a purchase to help with some of the jobs I have planned and for work too - a 3D scanner! I have worked on a few projects revolving around reverse engineering, usually measuring items by hand or if I'm lucky have a drawing I can work from but this is totally different! I've managed to produce a few decent scans but how I interpret this in CAD is a steep learning curve that I'll get through but I'm happy with what I have achieved so far.
Thanks for updating Jim, between this thread and Ambleton's A35 thread with his suspension works, loving the amount of CAD drawing and engineering of parts going on with these classics 
I'd be no good, keep getting over excited at the thought of finally hitting the road to try out the new gearbox and seeing what the ratios are like! Looking forward to further updates.
I'd be no good, keep getting over excited at the thought of finally hitting the road to try out the new gearbox and seeing what the ratios are like! Looking forward to further updates.
OP, thought this may give you as giggle, pre crossflow 1500 in my boat, there's a second one on the other side!
The 'radiator' in the foreground is a heat exchanger, the theory is that coolant circulates though the engine and exchanger and a second pump draws water from the river to pass through the exchanger to cool the engine....
Chunkychucky said:
Thanks for updating Jim, between this thread and Ambleton's A35 thread with his suspension works, loving the amount of CAD drawing and engineering of parts going on with these classics I'd be no good, keep getting over excited at the thought of finally hitting the road to try out the new gearbox and seeing what the ratios are like! Looking forward to further updates.
I'm glad you're enjoying it, I have been meaning to ask what car you have as you've mentioned the A series before? I was recommended the MX5 gearboxby a chap on retro rides who has made an adaptor plate for a Morris minor but hasn't put it in yet. Hopefully I'll have the gearbox self supporting in the next week so I can look at the prop shaft and fixing the holes I cut into the tunnel - I'd like to have the Cortina roadworthy in March as I would have owned it 19 years by then (half my life!) I'd be no good, keep getting over excited at the thought of finally hitting the road to try out the new gearbox and seeing what the ratios are like! Looking forward to further updates.ferret50 said:
OP, thought this may give you as giggle, pre crossflow 1500 in my boat, there's a second one on the other side!
The 'radiator' in the foreground is a heat exchanger, the theory is that coolant circulates though the engine and exchanger and a second pump draws water from the river to pass through the exchanger to cool the engine....
Retro_Jim said:
Chunkychucky said:
Thanks for updating Jim, between this thread and Ambleton's A35 thread with his suspension works, loving the amount of CAD drawing and engineering of parts going on with these classics I'd be no good, keep getting over excited at the thought of finally hitting the road to try out the new gearbox and seeing what the ratios are like! Looking forward to further updates.
I'm glad you're enjoying it, I have been meaning to ask what car you have as you've mentioned the A series before? I was recommended the MX5 gearboxby a chap on retro rides who has made an adaptor plate for a Morris minor but hasn't put it in yet. Hopefully I'll have the gearbox self supporting in the next week so I can look at the prop shaft and fixing the holes I cut into the tunnel - I'd like to have the Cortina roadworthy in March as I would have owned it 19 years by then (half my life!) I'd be no good, keep getting over excited at the thought of finally hitting the road to try out the new gearbox and seeing what the ratios are like! Looking forward to further updates.Haha ace, I look forward to seeing further progress - that 19 years is a coincidence, come March 2024 i'll have had the A35 20 years! 'Would have got less for murder', as they say...
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