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Re: A bit more pep whilst retaining a 22fz and low comp head?

I had the Andes ratio 3 speed box on my 1931 RL saloon with standard 4.9 rear axle ratio. I found the gap between 1st and 2nd too great for the power of the engine and the weight of the car, especially two up. The clincher to revert to a standard box was on one of my Pennine Runs when I spent almost a whole day in 1st gear grinding up the steep hills of northern Derbyshire and West Yorkshire. The factory knew what they were doing! Jim's car is lighter than a steel saloon so the Andes box is better suited. If ever I put a 5.25 ratio in the saloon I may well have another go with the Andes box.

Re: A bit more pep whilst retaining a 22fz and low comp head?

Timothy,

Ian's and R's advice is sound. I would suggest you consult the oracle on this subject - Jack French's 'In sheeps clothing'. This is in the green book, the Companion, and was originally published in a A7CA magazine (I think, or was it 750MC Bulletin?). It expands more on this topic and includes R's sound advice about gearing.

I suspect every one of us has a slightly different view on what works and what's worth the effort in doing, so you'll get a compendium from the Forum! My latest fad on this is getting the cam timing right, those gears and keyways aren't as consistant as I'd assumed! (Assume = make an ASS of U and ME).

It's fun trying to get the best out of your A7; as our American cousins (irritatingly) say - enjoy!

Dave

Re: A bit more pep whilst retaining a 22fz and low comp head?

Thank you both, definitely food for thought, it sounds like both boxes can work well depending on how steep the hills you regularly climb are, and how heavy the car is. For the moment at least getting the engine back together is priority number one, and I'm sure once it's back together it will be a while before dad wants to have the car off the road again (Though with building the gears into another box a swap could be effected reasonably swiftly).

Location: New Forest

Re: A bit more pep whilst retaining a 22fz and low comp head?

I now have special thinner head gaskets which are the right shape for low compression (and Ricardo) heads, but are the same thickness as the ones for the high compression head. See BC29r here. This should give a slight increase in power (every little helps, as they say).

David

Re: A bit more pep whilst retaining a 22fz and low comp head?

A couple of points - Re Jim's boring the vertical part of the inlet manifold, I thought it was of not much use if the horizontal pipes are still restricted, so more recently I cut away the rear of the top bit and ground out to the same ID as the upright. After doing the same to the cut-away piece, I then welded it all together again - mods unseen. Re Bob's comment in October re the small diameter shaft not standing up to too much compression etc - when I raced an Ulster special for an Adelaide friend, his engine was just that, with an Ulster head. He was a brilliant engineer and I don't know what else he modified, but we never broke the light crank. I think I've boasted here before that in one race I beat all the blown Sevens, so please don't think it was slow. I think it silly to make such comments as Bob's, when they don't have the experience. The factory mods done when still using light shafts are legion. UK people would have seen this car first hand when in the hands of Bob Duguid it won a race at Castle Combe during the famous Aussie Raid and I doubt it was altered after I drove it. Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia

Re: A bit more pep whilst retaining a 22fz and low comp head?

Bill Sheehan
A couple of points - Re Jim's boring the vertical part of the inlet manifold, I thought it was of not much use if the horizontal pipes are still restricted, so more recently I cut away the rear of the top bit and ground out to the same ID as the upright. After doing the same to the cut-away piece, I then welded it all together again - mods unseen. Re Bob's comment in October re the small diameter shaft not standing up to too much compression etc - when I raced an Ulster special for an Adelaide friend, his engine was just that, with an Ulster head. He was a brilliant engineer and I don't know what else he modified, but we never broke the light crank. I think I've boasted here before that in one race I beat all the blown Sevens, so please don't think it was slow. I think it silly to make such comments as Bob's, when they don't have the experience. The factory mods done when still using light shafts are legion. UK people would have seen this car first hand when in the hands of Bob Duguid it won a race at Castle Combe during the famous Aussie Raid and I doubt it was altered after I drove it. Cheers, Bill


I raced moderns at Castle Combe for 8 years in the 90's, in their modified saloon car championship. The circuit was very much a power track until about 1998 when they installed two chicanes to make it somewhat safer (and spoilt the circuit in my opinion). My 1400 Nova used to hit 135mph twice a lap and average just over 90mph on a quick lap, before they ruined the track!

Anyway, my point is, that the Austin 7 mentioned above must have been very powerful to beat the blown cars.

Stuart.

Location: Teignmouth

Re: A bit more pep whilst retaining a 22fz and low comp head?

The blown cars Bill mentioned were at Castle Coombe Stuart, also remember that with more open regulations the Aussies were well ahead of the Brits when extracting that last bit of speed during the 80's and early 90's.

Location: NZ

Re: A bit more pep whilst retaining a 22fz and low comp head?

Just one point Ian, although I may be corrected. From memory, Max Foster in a blown Oz Seven and Bob D in the unblown car were the only two Raid cars to compete at Castle Combe and I know Max had trouble all day with his. Maybe Tony Johns (s/c) was also there and likewise had trouble. (Haven't had time to check, not at home). Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia