1966 Mk1 Cortina GT
Discussion
Retro_Jim said:
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.
Chunkychucky said:
I've got an old Austin A35 that I (mistakenly) built as a competition car of sorts, meaning i'm lumbered with the A series engine, lever-arm dampers, and all the other associated loveliness... so I come and see projects such as yours, it makes me somewhat envious! For my tastes i'd have preferred to have done something along the lines of your Cortina, something usable for the road whilst improving it using parts available nowadays.
A35's are cool! With it being for competition are you able to change much so long as the block is retained? At least you can use the "for competition" restricts your choices - I'm just stubborn 
Mrs Jim has taken a liking to the A35 but has specific requirements for one that I don't think would work such as power steering and brakes, they can be done but it would be much easier and less stressful if she had a modern mini and I have something old that's as comfortable as falling down a flight of stairs!
[quote]
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...
I'm still plodding on with the gearbox mount but I've had to build up the courage to drill the chassis legs for crush tubes etc and waiting on some 6mm plate so I got on with another job I'd be procrastinating on.
Last year I bought a GT cylinder head on eBay that appears to have been found at the bottom of a canal
I spent some time trying to remove the valves (2 of which had corroded heads which was a novelty!) I removed the moss too which is something I haven't had to do to a cylinder head before. Unfortunately 2 of the valves decided they didn't want to leave despite using hammers, heat and foul language.
On the whole the head doesn't look that bad apart from the mating surfaces which look like the surface of the moon but it hasn't been ground yet or had the ports/ combustion chamber played with so that's quite a rarity.
I want to clean this head up so that I can see how bad the damage is and use it for some designing/ fabrication for things that I would like to do in the future, I have a couple of spare heads but they're both standard 1500 items.
To remove the rust I could have used electrolysis which I have had success with in the past but this can lead to hydrogen embrittlement as hydrogen is given off in the reaction, weakening the head and the hydrogen gas can easily ignite which is a problem if I was to do this in the garage as I like how it has walls and a roof!
I had seen citric acid powder in the supermarket and thought of the old cola on a coin trick (although that's phosphoric acid but similar PH) I'd buy a box and put the head in a small water bath and see what happens. This was after 5 hours.
When setting this up I had a great idea (they don't happen often so I will blow my own trumpet this time) to use a small water pump to agitate the water and keep a constant flow through the coolant chamber and help remove the rust/ deposits. Happy with the results so far I left the head in there overnight and returned to it after 24hrs.
I was amazed that with the result given the £2 investment!
I rinsed the head with clean water and dried it to prevent it rusting, There is some grime in the oil galleries and coolant chamber which I have thought about setting up another bath with a dishwasher tablet (we used to clean heads that way at uni) but this isn't as important.
it's hard to tell from the photo but it will need some serious skimming but there aren't any crack so I'm taking it that this head could be saved.
Retro_Jim said:
Chunkychucky said:
I've got an old Austin A35 that I (mistakenly) built as a competition car of sorts, meaning i'm lumbered with the A series engine, lever-arm dampers, and all the other associated loveliness... so I come and see projects such as yours, it makes me somewhat envious! For my tastes i'd have preferred to have done something along the lines of your Cortina, something usable for the road whilst improving it using parts available nowadays.
A35's are cool! With it being for competition are you able to change much so long as the block is retained? At least you can use the "for competition" restricts your choices - I'm just stubborn Mrs Jim has taken a liking to the A35 but has specific requirements for one that I don't think would work such as power steering and brakes, they can be done but it would be much easier and less stressful if she had a modern mini and I have something old that's as comfortable as falling down a flight of stairs!
Awesome work on the cylinder head there, came up way nicer than I was expecting! As you say, a skim to get the surfaces back perfect and touch wood should be good to rock and roll - a nice bump in compression ratio too should you be aiming for more power..!
Keep an eye on how much you skim off the head as that could be added using a thicker head gasket.
It does look quiet pitted around the cast holes which could be welded first. Any warping due to heat would be removed when machined.
If it requires welding make the sure the head is well prepped and brought up to temperature first overwise lots of hair line cracks around the welded areas.
It does look quiet pitted around the cast holes which could be welded first. Any warping due to heat would be removed when machined.
If it requires welding make the sure the head is well prepped and brought up to temperature first overwise lots of hair line cracks around the welded areas.
Chunkychucky said:
Yep that's the sort of thing, so a 1275 A series from an MG Midget built to 'race spec', 4 speed straight cut close ratio box from a Midget, etc etc. It's ridiculous as the thing doesn't resemble much of an A35 any more, but because it's all stuff done 'as in period' then it's still slow and loud... not ideal! They are interesting little cars, if you're ever considering one i'd say take a magnet with you to any you view so you know if/where there is filler, and aside from that try not to go "full 'tard" like I have done!
Awesome work on the cylinder head there, came up way nicer than I was expecting! As you say, a skim to get the surfaces back perfect and touch wood should be good to rock and roll - a nice bump in compression ratio too should you be aiming for more power..!
It sounds like a lively car to be in, it's a shame you can't go for the BMW bike head but then the gearbox is at risk of going super nova! They're on the list of 2nd project should I have the garage space etc but I can't make any promises I won't make irresponsible choices regarding spec!Awesome work on the cylinder head there, came up way nicer than I was expecting! As you say, a skim to get the surfaces back perfect and touch wood should be good to rock and roll - a nice bump in compression ratio too should you be aiming for more power..!
I'd recommend the citric acid crystals for anything like this, when that head first arrived I thought it would be a major task getting it stripped and cleaned given how awful it was so put it in a corner for another day. I'll take it over to the people who ground my crank as I was impressed with their work given they're diesel specialists but liked looking at something a little different! Compression maybe an issue as I had considered going down the road of supercharging but have also keep thinking a set of ITB's would make it sound a little more traditional whilst moving towards modern day fuel management.
RobXjcoupe said:
Keep an eye on how much you skim off the head as that could be added using a thicker head gasket.
It does look quiet pitted around the cast holes which could be welded first. Any warping due to heat would be removed when machined.
If it requires welding make the sure the head is well prepped and brought up to temperature first overwise lots of hair line cracks around the welded areas.
I'll bear that in mind Rob, I think Burton power sell head gaskets in various thicknesses, well spotted on the pitting near the water/ oil galleries it wasn't till I saw this and went back to the photos that they're much closer than what I'm comfortable with so I will make sure if this head is to be reconditioned those things are fixed as a priority.It does look quiet pitted around the cast holes which could be welded first. Any warping due to heat would be removed when machined.
If it requires welding make the sure the head is well prepped and brought up to temperature first overwise lots of hair line cracks around the welded areas.
The main reason I would prefer the GT head is because of the water feed under the thermostat, it's a 3/8 BSP and I have found modern temp sensors for aftermarket ECU's that would work perfectly without having to modify anything. The standard 1500 heads don't have this feature and the machined face on the casting stays tighter to the gauge temp sender. I'll get some photos to explain better than I can!
I've had a grid few hours/ days of thinking how I would mount the gearbox to the chassis in a way that is: accessible, strong enough for the job, not overly complex to fabricate and works
Having seen other attempts in an escort that essentially was a flat plate and bolted through the floor didn't seem ideal to me. If I needed to remove the gearbox once all this was finished i.e. a clutch swap I wanted the mount to be accessible from underneath and not having to remove the seats/carpet.
A measure of the chassis rail made seemed like a good place to start, it's essentially 50x50 box and surprisingly in line given that it has had sections replaced! For a starting point I decided to use 50x50x3 right angle steel - it's easy to acquire and work with and would use the chassis to align with.
The gearbox side of the mount is further forward than the rail but for this I thought I would use another angle section that sits over the 50x50, essentially making a box with enough room to access the nut for the rubber mount. Some time was taken getting the height correct!
I'll also point out that using pink tools enhances all work...
I used an offset from the 6mm plate I used for the adaptor plate which unfortunately wasn't long enough for the job but enough to test height etc, jigged up into the chassis and aligned meant I could start working on the chassis legs.
As they are now load bearing for the gearbox I didn't want to just drill through and use a bigger washer on the back side of it. To support the leg where it would be drilled I decided to use some 10mm ID tube to act as a crush tube, this will support the fasteners for alignment/ prevent the leg from being pinched if over torqued. As a belts and braces job I also welded a 1.5mm thick fish plate on the back side.
I must admit that drilling the leg took some building up to!
It all paid off as the mount aligns perfectly and the bolts just slide though the tube without any issue
When I sat down to draw all this out I had anticipated the exhaust being slightly closer to the N/S of the tunnel but as it turns out it's closer to the centre than expected. cutting this section out made the 50x50 so close to the mount saddle tricky as I didn't want to weaken anything or ruin the alignment.
After careful cutting and filing the exhaust could be tucked up into the tunnel where it had been before, I then bent a piece of steel plate (4mm I believe) which I will seam weld in once I've finished the mount. Even with some tacks an a seam underneath it doesn't flex so I'm happy that it will more than make up for what I have removed.
The gearbox mount was mocked up using card then transferred to 6mm plate steel which again I'll make look fancy before it's put on for the last time.
I was relieved when I removed the trolley jack and the gearbox stayed where I'd mounted it - especially as I was laying under the thing at the time! Next up is to start re-panelling the tunnel I removed which will be a series of plates rather than a 1 swooping curve of steel as I can't fabricate stuff like that!
Having seen other attempts in an escort that essentially was a flat plate and bolted through the floor didn't seem ideal to me. If I needed to remove the gearbox once all this was finished i.e. a clutch swap I wanted the mount to be accessible from underneath and not having to remove the seats/carpet.
A measure of the chassis rail made seemed like a good place to start, it's essentially 50x50 box and surprisingly in line given that it has had sections replaced! For a starting point I decided to use 50x50x3 right angle steel - it's easy to acquire and work with and would use the chassis to align with.
The gearbox side of the mount is further forward than the rail but for this I thought I would use another angle section that sits over the 50x50, essentially making a box with enough room to access the nut for the rubber mount. Some time was taken getting the height correct!
I'll also point out that using pink tools enhances all work...
I used an offset from the 6mm plate I used for the adaptor plate which unfortunately wasn't long enough for the job but enough to test height etc, jigged up into the chassis and aligned meant I could start working on the chassis legs.
As they are now load bearing for the gearbox I didn't want to just drill through and use a bigger washer on the back side of it. To support the leg where it would be drilled I decided to use some 10mm ID tube to act as a crush tube, this will support the fasteners for alignment/ prevent the leg from being pinched if over torqued. As a belts and braces job I also welded a 1.5mm thick fish plate on the back side.
I must admit that drilling the leg took some building up to!
It all paid off as the mount aligns perfectly and the bolts just slide though the tube without any issue
When I sat down to draw all this out I had anticipated the exhaust being slightly closer to the N/S of the tunnel but as it turns out it's closer to the centre than expected. cutting this section out made the 50x50 so close to the mount saddle tricky as I didn't want to weaken anything or ruin the alignment.
After careful cutting and filing the exhaust could be tucked up into the tunnel where it had been before, I then bent a piece of steel plate (4mm I believe) which I will seam weld in once I've finished the mount. Even with some tacks an a seam underneath it doesn't flex so I'm happy that it will more than make up for what I have removed.
The gearbox mount was mocked up using card then transferred to 6mm plate steel which again I'll make look fancy before it's put on for the last time.
I was relieved when I removed the trolley jack and the gearbox stayed where I'd mounted it - especially as I was laying under the thing at the time! Next up is to start re-panelling the tunnel I removed which will be a series of plates rather than a 1 swooping curve of steel as I can't fabricate stuff like that!
Edited by Retro_Jim on Monday 11th December 09:55
With the gearbox mounted I still had the problem of the hole I had made in the floor, I thought I'd make a start on the tunnel rather than the selector because I need to modify the gearbox to get it to the position of the original selector which is a job for another day!
After some time and many pieces of roughly cut card I started to make a tangible tunnel which is roughly how I had imagined it, I would have preferred to make it from fewer pieces but I don't have the tools/ experience to do so
Whilst tidying the folds I had made my hammer decided to break - fortunately nothing was harmed and I have a drawer of hammers waiting to go but I've never seen something like this happen before!
Moving on from the demise of the hammer I managed to get the last few pieces finished, I have only tacked it for now knowing I need to try the gearbox back in there just to confirm what I have done is correct.
After some time and many pieces of roughly cut card I started to make a tangible tunnel which is roughly how I had imagined it, I would have preferred to make it from fewer pieces but I don't have the tools/ experience to do so
Whilst tidying the folds I had made my hammer decided to break - fortunately nothing was harmed and I have a drawer of hammers waiting to go but I've never seen something like this happen before!
Moving on from the demise of the hammer I managed to get the last few pieces finished, I have only tacked it for now knowing I need to try the gearbox back in there just to confirm what I have done is correct.
I've had some time on the Cortina over Christmas as Mrs Jim had to work over the holidays, this gave me some time to finish the tunnel panelling I had started (albeit takes in still).
Before getting starting any more panelling I wanted to sort the gearstick position, when I decided to use the MX5 gearbox I went with a mk1 as the whole gear selector housing is separate to the main casing which means it can be moved. There are a few videos online of people moving them forward which is a process of making brackets to support the housing, drilling the selector shaft and cutting off the excess and then put it all together in time for tea and biscuits!
Nobody has extended one and the more I watched these videos my concern for alignment and how I would extend the shaft without compromising gear selection or longevity for 20mm seemed overkill at best.
That is how the stick sits within the centre console which I'm adamant on keeping as it's a big part of the GT interior as I keep my sunglasses in it, a quick trawl on eBay showed that I could replace the gearstick for another used item for £12 so why not modify this one and if it all goes wrong I can replace it rather than messing up the gearbox internals and writing it off.
With the gearstick on the bench I could have a proper look at it, at first I thought the stick was 2 pieces that have been pressed or welded together and filled to give it a nice weighted feel. As it turns out they are 2 pieces but the bulbous bit is filled with rubber and that's what gives it the weight and bonds it all together.
This was found after I started to grind the bulbous bit down with the angle grinder and the heat build up started to melt an evil black material forced it's way out! A quick change of plan to use a blowtorch, my heavy duty air filter mask and extreme prejudice soon had it split.
Back in the Cortina I placed the lower part back into the gearbox with the centre console to take some measurements and using some flat bar I had left over and the threaded part of the stick I welded the lot together and made this...
[Imgur](https://imgur.com/yf3yjuG)
The reason for the chody shifter wasn't for a cheap gag, it was so that I could use an aluminium gearstick extension that would make the whole lot look like the original GT selector. This is purely for appeasing the rivet counters but I quite like it too!
The best part is that I can get all 5 gears and reverse, it's far more precise than the 2000e and has a shorter throw!
Before I remove the gearbox for a lengthy weldathon I figured I would get the bucket seats in and positioned, I purchased a pari of universal runners which sit under a little bit of tension to get parallel but I should have this sorted fairly quickly.
Before getting starting any more panelling I wanted to sort the gearstick position, when I decided to use the MX5 gearbox I went with a mk1 as the whole gear selector housing is separate to the main casing which means it can be moved. There are a few videos online of people moving them forward which is a process of making brackets to support the housing, drilling the selector shaft and cutting off the excess and then put it all together in time for tea and biscuits!
Nobody has extended one and the more I watched these videos my concern for alignment and how I would extend the shaft without compromising gear selection or longevity for 20mm seemed overkill at best.
That is how the stick sits within the centre console which I'm adamant on keeping as it's a big part of the GT interior as I keep my sunglasses in it, a quick trawl on eBay showed that I could replace the gearstick for another used item for £12 so why not modify this one and if it all goes wrong I can replace it rather than messing up the gearbox internals and writing it off.
With the gearstick on the bench I could have a proper look at it, at first I thought the stick was 2 pieces that have been pressed or welded together and filled to give it a nice weighted feel. As it turns out they are 2 pieces but the bulbous bit is filled with rubber and that's what gives it the weight and bonds it all together.
This was found after I started to grind the bulbous bit down with the angle grinder and the heat build up started to melt an evil black material forced it's way out! A quick change of plan to use a blowtorch, my heavy duty air filter mask and extreme prejudice soon had it split.
Back in the Cortina I placed the lower part back into the gearbox with the centre console to take some measurements and using some flat bar I had left over and the threaded part of the stick I welded the lot together and made this...
[Imgur](https://imgur.com/yf3yjuG)
The reason for the chody shifter wasn't for a cheap gag, it was so that I could use an aluminium gearstick extension that would make the whole lot look like the original GT selector. This is purely for appeasing the rivet counters but I quite like it too!
The best part is that I can get all 5 gears and reverse, it's far more precise than the 2000e and has a shorter throw!
Before I remove the gearbox for a lengthy weldathon I figured I would get the bucket seats in and positioned, I purchased a pari of universal runners which sit under a little bit of tension to get parallel but I should have this sorted fairly quickly.
With the gear selector position sorted I could finish off the tunnel work, when I put the gearbox back into the Cortina a few weeks back I realised I had a clash on part of the tunnel I had put in. When I made this part of the tunnel I needed to keep it at that height as the centre console sits directly on it and moving it up to clear the gearbox would mean that the console would then clash with the heater and the parcel shelf - none of which I wanted to modify.
The simplest thing to cut another hole that's just enough for the gearbox to sit correctly but also allows the centre console to stay as it should
After an arts and crafts session I had the concept made up
It's a fairly simple pattern which I folded using hammers and my large Record vice - tin bashing is good for stress relief if anyone needs to vent!
Placed on the tunnel the fitment looks pretty good
Next up was the selector housing, a little trickier as I wanted to maintain decent clearance but again fit inside of the centre console. Some more arts and crafts gave me something to work from and as luck would have it used up the last of my sheet steel.
The first test went poorly as I hadn't folded the steel as well as I had hoped. It was too wide, so some careful cutting meant I could use what was there. Moving the sides further in towards the gearbox and then trimming off the excess on the top section. Once that was sorted I seam welded the top to the sides and put it back on the tunnel with a few tack welds so that I could make the end pieces.
Happy with the fitment, the tack welds were cut allowing me to weld the lot up on the bench in relative comfort. I also added a vertical lip where the gearstick is so that I can put a gaiter on it for weather proofing (I may 3D print one from TPU). For additional style points I tidied the welds and gave it a quick sanding even though I'll cover it with sound deadening and a centre console!
The simplest thing to cut another hole that's just enough for the gearbox to sit correctly but also allows the centre console to stay as it should
After an arts and crafts session I had the concept made up
It's a fairly simple pattern which I folded using hammers and my large Record vice - tin bashing is good for stress relief if anyone needs to vent!
Placed on the tunnel the fitment looks pretty good
Next up was the selector housing, a little trickier as I wanted to maintain decent clearance but again fit inside of the centre console. Some more arts and crafts gave me something to work from and as luck would have it used up the last of my sheet steel.
The first test went poorly as I hadn't folded the steel as well as I had hoped. It was too wide, so some careful cutting meant I could use what was there. Moving the sides further in towards the gearbox and then trimming off the excess on the top section. Once that was sorted I seam welded the top to the sides and put it back on the tunnel with a few tack welds so that I could make the end pieces.
Happy with the fitment, the tack welds were cut allowing me to weld the lot up on the bench in relative comfort. I also added a vertical lip where the gearstick is so that I can put a gaiter on it for weather proofing (I may 3D print one from TPU). For additional style points I tidied the welds and gave it a quick sanding even though I'll cover it with sound deadening and a centre console!
Mr Tidy said:
Impressive fabrication there. 
It will be much neater than the tin cover for the remote change my MK2 1500 came with!
Thanks Mr Tidy, They've come out much nicer than I had expected - I'm still happy that the console will cover them up!It will be much neater than the tin cover for the remote change my MK2 1500 came with!
As I am making changes to the floor and interior in general I figured I'd go all in and change the seats to the ones I purchased a few months ago. They're 60's style bucket seats usually found in minis which is where these had come from. I had been on the fence about whether I should use them as they're quite tight but if I don't like them I can put the originals back in.
These seats can be purchased with universal runners which I managed to find a set. The runners however do not simply bolt to the seat and away you go - I had to fabricate a small frame to go between the two.
The frame is a combination of 25x25x3 box section and 20mm wide 3mm the flat bar, it took some time to get the fame square as the central handle doesn't run parallel. I assume that's so that when you mount something to the rails so they are aligned the handle is compressed into the tabs . The problem was making sure that everything ran true and somehow I got it to within 1mm which I was happy about.
Taking some reference dimensions from the original seat I found the height and angle of 15 degrees from horizontal which I replicated by stuffing whatever I had to hand in the gap till the angle was correct!
Conveniently the height was 50mm exactly and the bandsaw was quickly set up and giving a clean cut
Trial fitting in the Cortina was harder than I expected, the first attempt gave me a seating position similar to an early 2000's Alfa GTV! Incredibly offset and very uncomfortable, moving the seat towards the centre of the Cortina soon sorted the problem and with 4 holes drilled and bolted the seat was in.
To get to this point had taken about 3 days of trial and error throughout the process but it was finished, to make and fit the passengers seat took 6hrs - it's much. easier to make when you have one in front of you!
Mrs. Jim hasn't tried these seats yet and thinking back to when I had a M7/8 fiesta ST's she wasn't a fan of the Recaro seats so I might have made a mistake but given the original seats aren't the best for cornering or bolted down front and back I think she'll accept the compromise!
Loved reading the updates Jim, great effort with the fabrication fitting the gearbox and the shifter/surround, should look ace once the centre console and everything is fitted back in 
Appreciate the fitment of 'bucket' seats also, the standard seats did leave you hanging on to the wheel a bit too much through corners, should be a hoot to throw around with the new gearbox and those seats once back on the road! Thanks for sharing the progress, looking forward to further updates
Appreciate the fitment of 'bucket' seats also, the standard seats did leave you hanging on to the wheel a bit too much through corners, should be a hoot to throw around with the new gearbox and those seats once back on the road! Thanks for sharing the progress, looking forward to further updates Chunkychucky said:
Loved reading the updates Jim, great effort with the fabrication fitting the gearbox and the shifter/surround, should look ace once the centre console and everything is fitted back in Appreciate the fitment of 'bucket' seats also, the standard seats did leave you hanging on to the wheel a bit too much through corners, should be a hoot to throw around with the new gearbox and those seats once back on the road! Thanks for sharing the progress, looking forward to further updates
Thanks Chucky! I feel like I'm making progress towards adding things etc rather than taking them off which is nice. Next up is to get the gearbox out and on my current engine so I can check the clutch actuation is adequate along with checking the fitment of various parts that I haven't trialed since I just used stunt block. Appreciate the fitment of 'bucket' seats also, the standard seats did leave you hanging on to the wheel a bit too much through corners, should be a hoot to throw around with the new gearbox and those seats once back on the road! Thanks for sharing the progress, looking forward to further updates Finger crossed these go smoothly as I'm buggered if I've missed something!
Progress has slowed a little the last few weeks as we're removing the kitchen in preparation for a new one and have found some other issues that need sorting as soon as possible - the joys of a 1930's house!
I had a few hours spare I headed into the garage to trial fit the Mazda clutch to the Cortina's "running" engine with the adaptor plate and gearbox. this is so that I can check that the clutch works the way it should. In all of this I haven't actually measured the clutch/ flywheel height or the depth/ stroke of the Mazda clutch arm.
It just seemed easier to throw the lot together and see what happens! Fortunately the whole lot fits together under the bell house which is a nice start.
Using an adjustable spanner I can use the clutch but when the clutch isn't being pressed the bearing is right on the pressure plate. There isn't any free play which is a little concerning as I believe there should be some.
A test for this was to put some 2mm washers between the engine and box to see if this would be enough which it is. I'd rather remake the plate in 8mm (currently 6). Having less flex in the plate and keeping the clutch arm, release bearing standard Mazda means it'll work.
The plan is to get the engine back in there with the gearbox on the 6mm plate etc so I can test the starter and the hydraulic clutch before pulling it all out again so I can paint stuff and generally make it all look pretty! Before that though I need to finish the welding underneath and install a kitchen...
I had a few hours spare I headed into the garage to trial fit the Mazda clutch to the Cortina's "running" engine with the adaptor plate and gearbox. this is so that I can check that the clutch works the way it should. In all of this I haven't actually measured the clutch/ flywheel height or the depth/ stroke of the Mazda clutch arm.
It just seemed easier to throw the lot together and see what happens! Fortunately the whole lot fits together under the bell house which is a nice start.
Using an adjustable spanner I can use the clutch but when the clutch isn't being pressed the bearing is right on the pressure plate. There isn't any free play which is a little concerning as I believe there should be some.
A test for this was to put some 2mm washers between the engine and box to see if this would be enough which it is. I'd rather remake the plate in 8mm (currently 6). Having less flex in the plate and keeping the clutch arm, release bearing standard Mazda means it'll work.
The plan is to get the engine back in there with the gearbox on the 6mm plate etc so I can test the starter and the hydraulic clutch before pulling it all out again so I can paint stuff and generally make it all look pretty! Before that though I need to finish the welding underneath and install a kitchen...
I'm feeling that the gearbox conversion is going well and that I'm over the halfway point but not by much. The next thing I'd like to do is put the working engine back into the Cortina with the Mazda gearbox so I can check the starter motor, exhaust, clutch hydraulics and make sure that going to an 8mm plate is the correct thing to do.
Before that however I'd like to see whether the lip seal conversion I started back in October will in fact work - as I'd only be running the engine at idle or slightly above with minimal load it would be enough of a test to see if it does in fact hold oil. A mk2 cortina 1600 sump would have been a direct replacement that would have needed no modification but they're few and far between and priced accordingly! An escort sump would work too but would have needed to be modified to be a front bowl than rear so I went with the cheapest option for sump cutting - the 1200 precrossflow. It fits onto the 1500 block but it has a slightly smaller capacity and because its for the precrossflow it is half the cost of a half decent escort sump.
I can always go back and make a new sump if this works out
After cutting the rear of the sump off and making a new section to go over the new oil seal
once all bolted onto the block and jigged up patching the rest was fairly straightforward
Whilst it's not the prettiest of welds they appear to be water tight having used cellulose thinners to test for any leakages.
I'll give it another clean out and paint before going onto my running 1500 but I think this might actually work and if it doesn't I'll just have to go back to the old shoelace seal
Before that however I'd like to see whether the lip seal conversion I started back in October will in fact work - as I'd only be running the engine at idle or slightly above with minimal load it would be enough of a test to see if it does in fact hold oil. A mk2 cortina 1600 sump would have been a direct replacement that would have needed no modification but they're few and far between and priced accordingly! An escort sump would work too but would have needed to be modified to be a front bowl than rear so I went with the cheapest option for sump cutting - the 1200 precrossflow. It fits onto the 1500 block but it has a slightly smaller capacity and because its for the precrossflow it is half the cost of a half decent escort sump.
I can always go back and make a new sump if this works out
After cutting the rear of the sump off and making a new section to go over the new oil seal
once all bolted onto the block and jigged up patching the rest was fairly straightforward
Whilst it's not the prettiest of welds they appear to be water tight having used cellulose thinners to test for any leakages.
I'll give it another clean out and paint before going onto my running 1500 but I think this might actually work and if it doesn't I'll just have to go back to the old shoelace seal
It's been a busy few weeks in the house having to replace a shower (unplanned) and remove/ install a new kitchen (planned). This left me with not as much time in the garage as I would like so most of the jobs have been done as and when or if I've gone into the garage to get some tools and became distracted!
Knowing that the adaptor plate will be remade in 8mm I wanted to confirm a few things before committing and then finding out that I've done something wrong, the main unchecked item was the starter motor. When working on the 1.5mm template I managed to align the starter motor and crank the engine. The starter motor had been checked on the bench but not in the Cortina and I had concerns over clearance.
Before all that though whilst going through my spare parts in the cellar I stumbled upon a bike carb manifold I made years ago but never properly tested it so figured why not throw it on and see if I was motivated to give it another go.
The carbs are from a fazer 600, they're mikunis with a 32mm choke which is ideal for the 1500. The jetting etc is yet to be modified but I have information on these from a chap who ran them on a 1600 crossflow
As I'll be cranking and hopefully running the Cortina again with the MX5 box I figured I'd also test the new sump and main seal to see if it holds its oil.
Having the engine suspended and moving around whilst trying to fit a sump was a challenge I wasn't prepared for but it's all bolted up with no issues!
With that all done the engine was dropped back into the shell with the gearbox, the starter motor fits in between the gearbox and the engine crossmember and can be removed after a bit of wiggling. The exhaust clears which is good to know as I didn't consider that!
What has thrown me off is that the starter motor pinion throws out correctly with no issues but doesn't release which means I've done something wrong but I haven't worked out what it is.
I'll go back to basics and figure out if it was the 1.5mm plate flexing that allowed the starter pinion to release or if I got something out of alignment when transferring the hole centres when going from the 1.5mm to 6mm - annoyingly I can't progress on this till I have worked it out as I don't want to write off hours of work and material making a new plate in 8mm
I have however been playing with the 3D scan I made of the cylinder head to make prototype inlet and exhaust flanges which I will get laser cut. I then had the idea of printing cylinder head blanks as using tape leaves residue and these can be reusable and can just block off the inlet or exhaust with no problems
Knowing that the adaptor plate will be remade in 8mm I wanted to confirm a few things before committing and then finding out that I've done something wrong, the main unchecked item was the starter motor. When working on the 1.5mm template I managed to align the starter motor and crank the engine. The starter motor had been checked on the bench but not in the Cortina and I had concerns over clearance.
Before all that though whilst going through my spare parts in the cellar I stumbled upon a bike carb manifold I made years ago but never properly tested it so figured why not throw it on and see if I was motivated to give it another go.
The carbs are from a fazer 600, they're mikunis with a 32mm choke which is ideal for the 1500. The jetting etc is yet to be modified but I have information on these from a chap who ran them on a 1600 crossflow
As I'll be cranking and hopefully running the Cortina again with the MX5 box I figured I'd also test the new sump and main seal to see if it holds its oil.
Having the engine suspended and moving around whilst trying to fit a sump was a challenge I wasn't prepared for but it's all bolted up with no issues!
With that all done the engine was dropped back into the shell with the gearbox, the starter motor fits in between the gearbox and the engine crossmember and can be removed after a bit of wiggling. The exhaust clears which is good to know as I didn't consider that!
What has thrown me off is that the starter motor pinion throws out correctly with no issues but doesn't release which means I've done something wrong but I haven't worked out what it is.
I'll go back to basics and figure out if it was the 1.5mm plate flexing that allowed the starter pinion to release or if I got something out of alignment when transferring the hole centres when going from the 1.5mm to 6mm - annoyingly I can't progress on this till I have worked it out as I don't want to write off hours of work and material making a new plate in 8mm
I have however been playing with the 3D scan I made of the cylinder head to make prototype inlet and exhaust flanges which I will get laser cut. I then had the idea of printing cylinder head blanks as using tape leaves residue and these can be reusable and can just block off the inlet or exhaust with no problems
Just an idea for the starter motor. Use a pair of mounting bolts that have had the diameter reduced leaving enough thread on the end to secure in place. That should give some clearance to adjust the starter motor fitment. Once happy with fitment you need to dowel in place. Once doweled you can then open up the bolt clearance holes to suit a proper unmolested bolt.
RobXjcoupe said:
Just an idea for the starter motor. Use a pair of mounting bolts that have had the diameter reduced leaving enough thread on the end to secure in place. That should give some clearance to adjust the starter motor fitment. Once happy with fitment you need to dowel in place. Once doweled you can then open up the bolt clearance holes to suit a proper unmolested bolt.
That's a good idea Rob, I should have tried that rather than going into a panic on it! I spent a while trying to work out where I had gone wrong so that I could correct and then make new mistakes.With stunt block on the bench and the 1.5mm template I originally made back with the starter I had no problems getting the pinion to fire and release.
Comparing the 1.5mm template and the 6mm looks as though I have managed to misalign a few holes but as a compound failure it's thrown the starter position off. Whilst I was finishing the welding a few weeks ago I did scan the 6mm plate (before I found out it was duff).
I am confident in the hole positions on the Ford side as they came from a dimensioned drawing from Ford for the BDA (Similar block and same hole centres for the engine to gearbox). I took measurements from the flywheel and the starter motor along with the scanned data. After a few hours I had a new plate drawn up on Inventor but before committing I thought I'd run off a print just of the starter position that would mount to the block using 2 of the Ford mounts (the one thing I know is correct). The print did flex despite using an 80% infill but it would be made to a much tighter tolerance than my specsavers calibrated glasses!
Sure enough it worked first time and gave me enough confidence to confirm dimensions on the Mazda box and get in touch with some laser cutting companies to price up a new plate in 8mm.
Whilst waiting for the new plate another job I have wanted to do for a while is related to the throttle pedal. it's a mechanical linkage from pedal to butterfly but the main part of the linkage is the pedal. It runs across the bulkhead inside the cabin to the left hand side before exiting into the engine bay, it's inaccessible usually because of the heater etc.
The reason I'm messing around with it is because I think it's the reason why I get a high pitched resonating god awful droning sound when using light throttle between 50 and 70mph, I replaced one of the bushes on the carb side of the linkage and it's died down slightly but the pedal linkage is both a good and bad design.
It's good that it doesn't need adjusting and doesn't wear like a cable would, the bad being it doesn't have any bushes or bearings so it has a loose fit.
The loose fit means it flexes and I believe vibrate when there isn't enough load on it.
Using some scrap I had lying around I made a jig so I can take it apart and hopefully weld it up so it's all in line again.
[Imgur](https://imgur.com/40CohTe)
The intention is to bore out the mountings and insert some self lubricating bushes, the main shaft will have to be cut and then sleeved/ welded rather than removing either end which could have a greater risk of failing when on the road.
I digress...
After waiting a week or what felt like longer my plate was ready to collect, I must admit I'm pleased with how it looks and having the plate countersunk on both sides along with tapped holes has removed a few headaches I would have had doing that work myself at home!
The first test fit on the engine showed I had got my dimensions correct and the countersunk holes at the top are perfectly flush, this will help fitting the gearbox in the future.
The starter test was also a success! Now I just need to cobble the lot up under the Cortina and get the clutch working and measure up for a new prop!
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