Mark,
You'll get no argument from me on that. But, as I said, the straight-cut
gears transmit power more efficiently/with less power absorbed. The
difference may be pretty small, but there is still a difference.
I remember discussing gearboxes with Joe Huffaker, about 40 years ago (I was
building my E production MGB), who told me he much prefers the earlier MGB
gearbox, due to it's lighter gears & quicker shifting. He said the lighter
gears the box just a little more efficient, but probably not enough to be
significant, given the weight of a production car. And, no, I'm not saying
the gears in the early MGB box were straight-cut (well, first gear is).
I vaguely remember my late racing partner telling me all about the "Webster"
gearboxes being used in the fastest SCCA Spridgets. Sounded pretty exotic &
kind of made my eyes glaze over ;) I've always felt that most of the mods
allowed by SCCA tended to take competition out of the hands of the drivers
and put it under the control of the driver's financial resources.
Unfortunately, that practice appears to be alive & well in vintage racing.
Bud Osbourne
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Haynes [mailto:haynes386@netzero.net]
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 10:22 AM
To: abcoz@hky.com
Cc: dwoerpel@wi.net; kevinv1275@gmail.com; spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: [Spridgets] Illumination needed-Straight cut vs. Helical Gears
Yes Bud,
but only if you are putting the gears into a specially designed case, such
as one for ALMS or such. The minor reduction in power output (Helical gears
ARE 95% efficient) doesn't necessarily outweigh the potential life issues
(you can't win if you don't finish). Most Spridget racers (SCCA and Vintage)
are restricted to using the factory tranny case, so the weight issue is NA.
In reply to Bob Walker's statement about more favorable ratios- If you're
that serious, gears can be hobbed to any ratio, I've done it-how much money
do you have, how fast do you want to go? that's no reason in and of itself.
Putting my fire suit on!
Mark Haynes
It only goes one way-Pay it Forward
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