Vixen Cross Member

[davidstacey42]

Can anyone advise please? My 2500 is missing the gearbox cross member. I've got a pair of brackets welded on the chassis, bolt holes are 45.4mm apart fore and aft and 225mm apart across the width. I haven't got a TR6 one to measure but from looking at photos, the hole positions don't look right, i.e. They aren't parallel. The box is J-Type O/D btw. Any suggestions? I suspect I'll end up modifying the TR version but if there's a ready-made part I'd try and source it.

Thanks.

[simonpa]

Hi David - are you saying the mounts on the chassis don't line up across the parallel rails?

If you can put up a picture (or mail me for my email address), I can compare with mine.
I'm sure the chassis mounting brackets are parallel, though.

I'm picking my recoated chassis tonight, so can hopefully put a pic up later as well.

The bracket looks like it could be a Capri one, but I am not sure.

I have a thick flat plate, drilled to fit the existing mounts and to take a standard Cortina/Capri?/4-speed gearbox mount.
However, I will be installing a 5-speed type-9 as part of the restoration and will be making up an extended plate to support the gearbox mount, as I don't want to 'adjust' the chassis.

[davidstacey42]

Thanks Simon, the holes in my brackets are in line front to back and side to side, it's the TR6 version that has a trapezoid pattern, the front holes are further apart than the rear ones (as far as I can see from pictures). I would have thought TVR would have used a readily available part for this application but maybe they were fabricated by the factory according to the gearbox option and used a common bolt hole position on the chassis brackets.

[Adrian@]

From what I have seen a 6mm flat plate and a standard Cortina Mk1 mount is OE for the Ford 1600 gearboxes ...The 2500 runs the TR6 unit bush mounted to a flat plate.
Adrian@

Edited by Adrian@ on Monday 16th February 13:15

[simonpa]

If you don't have the original plate with your car, you can probably have mine.
It's just a rectangular plate of steel, with holes drilled in it, as Adrian@ says

The TR6 mount, just using 2 bolts doesn't sound very sturdy, but I haven't heard of it failing.

\cheers - Simon

[davidstacey42]

Thanks Adrian, I'll invest in the TR6 plate and modifiy if necessary to pick up the bolt pattern.

[Adrian@]

Take the plate you need it...LOL...this is the mounting




Adrian@

Edited by Adrian@ on Monday 16th February 13:19

[davidstacey42]

Thanks Adrian, I'll invest in the TR6 plate and modifiy if necessary to pick up the bolt pattern.

[davidstacey42]

I've got a different gearbox mount, the one with the two rubber bobbins set at an angle. The plate I need to match the mounting on the gearbox is this one:

http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-218275

but I can see the bolt holes from plate to chassis aren't going to line up.so I'll probably sit the TR6 plate on top of a homemade one. They're just so darned expensive! Simon, if your plate looks anything like the one at the link, you have a buyer!

[Adrian@]

Or something like a TVR part perhaps, as fitted to my T5 conversions, at sensible money.
Adrian@

BUT you would need a 6mm plate to mount it on!

Edited by Adrian@ on Monday 16th February 15:45

[davidstacey42]

That's the job Adrian, I'll drop you a line.

[simonpa]

Sounds like a plan!

Here is my chassis, back from painting:



The bit of plate laid in place:


Then the gearbox mount from the current 4-speed (Crossflow-engined car):




As I said, I will be converting to 5-speed, which is about the same length physically, but the gearbox mount is a few inches further back (towards the diff).
I aim to fabricate a plate that utilises the existing chassis mounts, but is also supported further back, probably using poly bushes around the chassis rails - allowing it to be put back to 'original' in future, if wanted.

You are welcome to the existing plate - send me your address and I'll post it to you.
Adrian@'s mount adapter should just bolt straight on.

Cheers - Simon

Edited by simonpa on Monday 16th February 20:24

[davidstacey42]

That's great Simon, I'll drop you a line.