> Steve,
>
> I'd have to agree with Fred that your new gearbox almost certainly has
> the same top gear ratio as the old gearbox. Most gearboxes without an
> added fifth (overdrive) gear are 1:1 ratio in high gear, i.e. the output
> shaft is turning at engine speed.
>
> It sounds like 1st, 2nd and 3rd are higher than in the old box (i.e. a
> "close-ratio" box) since you say that it is now harder to start off in
> 2nd.
>
> If you are able to go 5-10 mph faster, the engine must be going at
> higher rpms too.
>
> I'd vote for the gearbox rebuild (once its out of the car) as being
> easier than rebuilding a rear axle (or changing its ratio). I rebuilt
> the Moss box for my +4 (using Fred Sisson's book -- thanks Fred -- and
> a Jaguar manual), but got help from a machine shop in setting up the new
> rear axle gearset. I used a Studebaker/Dana23 3.54 ratio instead of the
> original 3.73, so the engine rpms will be about 5 percent lower for a
> given road speed. I intend to write up an article on this project
> sometime.
>
> --Steve
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