33 replies to this topic

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Between 50 and 60 you hit 6k revs.

I know it's an old car but it just feels like everything will be a lot easier with another gear.

I'm not going to spend silly money on it. I've got a Sprite with a standard final drive. I can live with it. I don't expect to be doing motorway cruising, I was just interested in the options should I consider it eventually.

Blarst that's low geared!  My 998 will theoretically do 88 at 6000 and I thought that was little low geared. 

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Have you mistaken third gear for fourth gear?

[hazpalmer14]

Have you mistaken third gear for fourth gear?

We had an old engineer at work and can't remember what car he bought but it took him about 6 months to realise it had 5 gears. He hadnt realised

[Spider]

Between 50 and 60 you hit 6k revs.
 

 

It sounds like there's an instrumentation error here, either the speedo or tacho (or both) are in error.

 

At 60 you would normally be doing somewhere around the 4k mark, give or take a few hundred revs.

[Algordo1100]

Tried an MPI?

It all depends what you want from your mini. More gear ratios isn't necessarily the answer.

There's lots of final drive ratios to choose from to get what you want from your 4 speed and that's got to be cheaper than a 5 ratio box?

[rodandtom]

I’m guessing you’re on 10” wheels as well?
Mine feels or felt very similar. Quite a bit better now I’ve switched to 12” wheels.
Another option may be to fit the MED straight cut drop gears to bring the gearing down a touch.

I am on 10s for the look. I was on 12s to start.

[rodandtom]

Have you mistaken third gear for fourth gear?

Funny guy!

[nicklouse]

I’m guessing you’re on 10” wheels as well?
Mine feels or felt very similar. Quite a bit better now I’ve switched to 12” wheels.
Another option may be to fit the MED straight cut drop gears to bring the gearing down a touch.

I am on 10s for the look. I was on 12s to start.

Makes just about no difference as the overall diameter is about the same.

[MiniMadRacer]

I don't think you would want a "dog box" for the road. The dog box is pretty much a crash gear set and works well when gorrilla'd on a track but is notchy noisey and expensive in a road car with no advantage whatsoever (in my opinion). The Dog engagement merely gives faster (but crashingly expensive)  gear changes, which is needed on an out and out race motor chasing 10ths of a second, but isn't nice on a road vehicle.

 

Remember race engines are stripped yearly as a minimum and often more than that so wear is assessed and kept an eye on, a road car isn't,  so I personally would always stick with syncros on a road motor.. (just make sure you dont use "cheap syncros)

 

Off topic I know, but those 5 speeders are dear enough without buying the "wrong" one. (I have never used a 5 speeder)

[DeadSquare]

I know that this isn't what you want to hear, but if you want a 5 speed box, buy a car that is made with one.

 

A Mini is a Mini, and a Mini has four synchromesh foreword gears.

[rodandtom]

I know that this isn't what you want to hear, but if you want a 5 speed box, buy a car that is made with one.

 

A Mini is a Mini, and a Mini has four synchromesh foreword gears.

Its not about what I want to hear. I was just interested in what people are doing. There's no way on gods green earth I am spending all that money on a 5 speed box. It's 99.9% certain I won't even change the final drive ratio either. Just interesting to get people's views.

 

I actually agree with what you said. It is what it is.

 

Rod

[rodandtom]

 

Between 50 and 60 you hit 6k revs.
 

 

It sounds like there's an instrumentation error here, either the speedo or tacho (or both) are in error.

 

At 60 you would normally be doing somewhere around the 4k mark, give or take a few hundred revs.

 

I'm coming to that conclusion as well. I took a 3 clock set that was from a cooper ( I think ) and fitted it to mine. I know there will be inaccuracies but I hadn't expected it to be this much if this is what it is.

 

Rod

[nicklouse]

What year Cooper? Try another rev counter and check the speed vs sat nav.

[Ethel]

The rev counter would have to be faulty, if it at least is intended for 4 cylinders. There are plenty of ways to mismatch a Speedo: final drives, just off regular production models range from 2.7 to 3.7. Speedo's themselves differ in TPM, turns per mile.TPM values are often on the dial, but might be hidden by the bezel.

[Bobbins]

The rev counter would have to be faulty, if it at least is intended for 4 cylinders. There are plenty of ways to mismatch a Speedo: final drives, just off regular production models range from 2.7 to 3.7. Speedo's themselves differ in TPM, turns per mile.TPM values are often on the dial, but might be hidden by the bezel.

 

I sourced a s/h set of the 3 clocks for my '98 JDM Cooper to swap from a kph speedo to mph, I found that although the rev counter works fine it under-reads by 50% ... there's definitely different versions out there!

 

With regard to the 5 speed box, anyone have a rough ball park figure for a full rebuild of a 4 speed, probably including the driveshaft output bushes? My second gear synchro's shot (probably due to the previous owner fitting a sump guard when it really needed new suspension cones) and having done plenty of miles if I'm having it rebuilt I want it doing properly, the alternative of course being to fit a Minispares 5 speed with all the work already done.