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RE: close ratio gearbox

To: "Spridgets" <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Subject: RE: close ratio gearbox
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 07:55:16 -0700 o m>
Toby,

I hope someone more knowledge and experience than me will answer...  That
being said...

1. A close ratio gearbox will allow you to better get the performance out of
the engine- what happens is that the maximum torque/horsepower of the engine
can be taken advantage of by "better spaced" gearing. Provided the overall
gearing (transmission + axle) is high enough for the road (i.e. the engine
does not rev too high), a close ratio gearbox is good news for the street
too. The problem is that there may be no helical-cut gears available for the
Spridget. The only Spridgets close ratio gears I have seen for sale have
been straight-cut.

2. Straight-cut gears are desirable for racing (transmission is much
stronger than standard), but not for the street (way too noisy). Racers may
also use rear axles with low gearing (high numerical ratio) for maximum
acceleration,  and the engine is at maximum revs in the long straights-
typically, racing engines will rev higher than what you will find in a
street car. That set up would be bad for the street as the engine would rev
too high for comfort on the highway.

I believe your comments about "fixed set of speed" and not being able "to
get me off a stoplight" in first gear apply to other forms of racing (not
road racing) and cars very different from our LBC... The highest
(numerically low) gear ratio I have seen for Spridgets is 2.5 (standard is
3.2 or above), and I don't think you would have a problem going in first
with that. Some of the five speed gearbox conversions start at 2.73 for
first gear... Did you think of a five speed conversion?... Now, that's an
altogether different topic!

Jacques Le Clainche
SCCA 1985 Mazda Spec RX-7 #44, San Diego region
VARA 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite #4, F Production


-----Original Message-----
From owner-spridgets at autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-spridgets@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Toby Atwater
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2001 3:27 AM
To: Spridgets
Subject: close ratio gearbox


What are the advantages to fitting a close ratio gearbox to ones Spridget?
Is it only for racing where you have a fixed set of speeds you need to run
at? or can it be used on the street as well. Is first gear still going to
get me off a stoplight etc...?

Thanks

Toby



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