Coops Posted March 29 Report Share Posted March 29 I would like to fit a steel gearbox cover to my 6 as part of my resto. Would one from an earlier model fit? I’m intending modifying to make it two piece. Has anyone got one for sale? Also I need a right hand drive dashboard backing plate. I,ll be at Donington Park race track Sunday. Regards Alan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nigel Triumph Posted March 29 Report Share Posted March 29 Not sure why you would want a steel cover. The Racestorations two piece glass fibre is excellent... Strong, fits well and gives easy access, including holes for topping up the gearbox oil and the speedo cable/angle drive. It comes as a complete kit with fasteners, seals etc. Not cheap, but well worth the money in my opinion. Nigel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PodOne Posted March 29 Report Share Posted March 29 Agree with Nigel after trying to fit a white fibreglass offering which was no where near a fit. The Racestorations was a perfect fit only one mod you may want to consider is to cut a hole to allow easy access to the starter motor top bolt which is otherwise very difficult to access from under the car. Metal will rust and transfer lots of heat into the cabin fine in winter but in summer perhaps not. Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted March 29 Report Share Posted March 29 (edited) Hi Alan, Pete used one from a TR3 for his TR4A and I remember he is pleased about the stiffness. I made one new from sheet metal for my TR4A, did not make much miles since, but can’t imagine heat problems. I used self gluing aluminum-butyl mats on the gb side. Ciao, Marco Edited March 31 by Z320 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted March 30 Report Share Posted March 30 (edited) Here Pete finished here, started at page 41 and was responsible for what I did. Thank you Pete, Ciao, Marco Edited March 30 by Z320 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bfg Posted March 30 Report Share Posted March 30 (edited) Thank you Marco. ..and I like your gearbox modification On 3/29/2024 at 9:39 PM, PodOne said: Metal will rust and transfer lots of heat into the cabin fine in winter but in summer perhaps not. In my personal experience - This is inaccurate. "Metal will rust" ..but the one I reused was already 65 years old and it'll most likely last another 65+ years before it'll need restoring. Conversely, polyester resin (fibreglass) will break down when exposed to stress & heat over that many years. Epoxy resins ought to fare better, but judging by its modest price and the accompanying website photographs - the brand recommended is of polyester. The gearbox cover is not like the floors of the car where rain water might sit, nor is it exposed to the harsh environment under the wheel-arches or along the line of tyre splash, nor like the bulkhead which is prone to battery or brake fluid spills. Arguably the gearbox propshaft tunnel is the less vulnerable to rust than almost any other part of the car. Note : the one I reused had been butchered, and that added to the amount of work I had to reshape it, but it was not compromised by rust. - - - "Transfer lots of heat into the cabin" might only be based upon a false presumption that heat energy transfer is one dimensional. In practice, metals transfer heat very well in three dimensions ..Without that being so most engine designs would have struggled. Localised heat is conducted to the surrounding metal.. ie. to a very much larger surface area, whereby that heat energy is dissipated into the moving air stream. I used black rubber (ribbed) on the underside of my gearbox cover for noise absorption, so unlike Marco, who also changed from a cardboard or GRP to his home-fabricated steel gearbox cover, I did not benefit from a shiny reflective surface to reflect heat away from the steel. Even so, having personally changed from a fibreglass gearbox cover, on my TR4A, to an all steel one I have not noted excess heat through it. Overall, I would not claim it to be any better an insulator from engine bay and gearbox generated heat, but I would say that perhaps because mine is very much better fitting - it is quieter inside the car than with the old fibreglass cover. Again, I presume for the same reason, of tight fit, there are no engine fumes either. The motive behind my changing to a steel gearbox cover was led by presumption that a steel tunnel, securely fastened to the bulkhead and as a backbone to the body shell, would be stiffer. This being both longitudinally and across the bulkhead (from one side of the car to the other). As I drive my car without a dashboard brace (the H-frame) - this was desirable and imo worth my time and effort of altering one. I did shape the gearbox cover to fit under the standard H-frame, just in case it should be needed, but as far as I am concerned it is not. The car doesn't have issues with scuttle shake. - - - These covers are not available in steel, but are not really that difficult to alter < here > from a TR3 ..the pictorial running through to its fitting < here >. Mine was more awkward because it had been butchered ..so I had to extensively rebuild it around the gear-change-lever hole, and equally because I'm 6'-5" and have big broad feet ..and so strove to reshape the cover for as much space inside the car as I could muster. Again adding to the task, I also made it in two parts for easier access to this car's overdrive, should that ever be needed. I'm pleased with how it turned out. Pete Edited March 31 by Bfg ..quantifying prior expression of disagreement Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted March 31 Report Share Posted March 31 In my opinion a steel cover is a desirable idea. Alan, you get my GO Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted March 31 Report Share Posted March 31 Btw I don’t see a benefit of a two pieces cover, specially on TRs with h-console Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted March 31 Report Share Posted March 31 Hi Marco, on the TR4A/5 & 6 the handbrake lever always gets in the way when removing the tunnel. With it shortened by 6" or so it becomes an easy task. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Harbottle Posted March 31 Report Share Posted March 31 Hi Marco, Having the h frame is exactly the reason for a 2 piece cover. As Roger said its much easier working on the handbrake end of the tunnel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Coops Posted March 31 Author Report Share Posted March 31 ‘Thanks so much for your input guys! As pointed out- I’m doing it to add strength to the body. I’m most impressed with Marco’s creation, I do feel that it would help me a lot if I could buy a cover and also a dashboard backing plate as I find it difficult to find the time to get to work on the car anyway. I’m not getting any younger and the years are flying by….. Regards Alan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted March 31 Report Share Posted March 31 Alan, pretty sure you are impressed about Pete‘s creation! ciao, Marco Quote Link to post Share on other sites
had17462 Posted March 31 Report Share Posted March 31 Pete very tidy Nick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PodOne Posted April 1 Report Share Posted April 1 On 3/30/2024 at 12:10 PM, Bfg said: Thank you Marco. ..and I like your gearbox modification In my personal experience - This is inaccurate. "Metal will rust" ..but the one I reused was already 65 years old and it'll most likely last another 65+ years before it'll need restoring. Conversely, polyester resin (fibreglass) will break down when exposed to stress & heat over that many years. Epoxy resins ought to fare better, but judging by its modest price and the accompanying website photographs - the brand recommended is of polyester. The gearbox cover is not like the floors of the car where rain water might sit, nor is it exposed to the harsh environment under the wheel-arches or along the line of tyre splash, nor like the bulkhead which is prone to battery or brake fluid spills. Arguably the gearbox propshaft tunnel is the less vulnerable to rust than almost any other part of the car. Note : the one I reused had been butchered, and that added to the amount of work I had to reshape it, but it was not compromised by rust. - - - "Transfer lots of heat into the cabin" might only be based upon a false presumption that heat energy transfer is one dimensional. In practice, metals transfer heat very well in three dimensions ..Without that being so most engine designs would have struggled. Localised heat is conducted to the surrounding metal.. ie. to a very much larger surface area, whereby that heat energy is dissipated into the moving air stream. I used black rubber (ribbed) on the underside of my gearbox cover for noise absorption, so unlike Marco, who also changed from a cardboard or GRP to his home-fabricated steel gearbox cover, I did not benefit from a shiny reflective surface to reflect heat away from the steel. Even so, having personally changed from a fibreglass gearbox cover, on my TR4A, to an all steel one I have not noted excess heat through it. Overall, I would not claim it to be any better an insulator from engine bay and gearbox generated heat, but I would say that perhaps because mine is very much better fitting - it is quieter inside the car than with the old fibreglass cover. Again, I presume for the same reason, of tight fit, there are no engine fumes either. The motive behind my changing to a steel gearbox cover was led by presumption that a steel tunnel, securely fastened to the bulkhead and as a backbone to the body shell, would be stiffer. This being both longitudinally and across the bulkhead (from one side of the car to the other). As I drive my car without a dashboard brace (the H-frame) - this was desirable and imo worth my time and effort of altering one. I did shape the gearbox cover to fit under the standard H-frame, just in case it should be needed, but as far as I am concerned it is not. The car doesn't have issues with scuttle shake. - - - These covers are not available in steel, but are not really that difficult to alter < here > from a TR3 ..the pictorial running through to its fitting < here >. Mine was more awkward because it had been butchered ..so I had to extensively rebuild it around the gear-change-lever hole, and equally because I'm 6'-5" and have big broad feet ..and so strove to reshape the cover for as much space inside the car as I could muster. Again adding to the task, I also made it in two parts for easier access to this car's overdrive, should that ever be needed. I'm pleased with how it turned out. Pete Thanks Pete for a more in depth insight as to why a steel offering would be a better option. I'd forgot the inbuilt rust inhibitor system from the usual oil leaks most cars develop which may have more of a detrimental effect on fibre glass. Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Coops Posted April 1 Author Report Share Posted April 1 I’ve only just found petes cover story, fabulous! Thanks again! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted April 1 Report Share Posted April 1 Alan, please see here. You better buy one from a TR3 and repair it. I wanted to do this completely from sheet metal for practicing. In this case a wooden model is a good idea. Ciao, Marco Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Coops Posted April 1 Author Report Share Posted April 1 I’ve only just found petes cover story, fabulous! Thanks again! Beautiful work from you too Marco! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rcreweread Posted April 17 Report Share Posted April 17 Alan - have you seen this on ebay? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226094750013?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11304.m43.l1120&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=e6bb05ea87894312959cae3a45249ca5&bu=43498925878& cheers Rich Crewe-Read Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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