Needing some help, iv got a 1995 MK 6 escort fitted with a 130 bhp zetec silvertop engine, the car was fitted with a standard ib5 gearbox with a final drive of 3.82. Iv been using the car for sprints and have found that my acceleration wasn’t grate out of the corners, someone suggested to me that fitting a box with a higher final drive ratio of 4.375. I was sprinting today with the new box and iv found that 1st and 2nd gear are very long, doing but 30mph in 1st over 60mph in 2nd which is not really any use for me seen as I can only do about 80 mph on my local track. I thought about putting a box out of a smaller engine car such as a 1.3 cvh or similar so I can get faster acceleration and have closer gears, top end speed is not important. Anybody have any ideas what box I could use or what box I could use to make one up that would solve my problem any help appreciated.

 

what box have you got with 4.375 final drive ? i thought series 1 turbo was highest final drive at 4.2 something ?
i had series 1 box in my fiesta track car with 4.7 motorsport final drive which exploded at kames last month and looking for something same as yourself , been told fiesta rs1800 has closest ratios for a standard ford box or ford ka with front mount starter
let me know if you find anything as would be intrested

john

 

Think the final drive was from a van not sure! Iv also got a bit mixed up its the iB5 box iv got in my car. I'm not liking the box iv got in the now, 1st and 2nd r far too long, wish it would blow up and Kames would be a good excuse to fork out and get a proper one made, still time though, British championship round in a few weeks, might drain some oil out of it (Joking of course). I was talking to the guy form Alpine Transmissions in Blantyre he said he could possibly build me a suitable box and his prices seemed fairly reasonable unfortunately I went to see one with the box one Saturday and the place was shut not had time to back, still going to visit him when I get a chance. Al keep you posted if I get any info.

 

is it another ib5 box your after, just looked through the good old haynes for ratios of the boxes and the ratios go upto 4.27 witch is close the next is 4.06, not 100% on witch ratio is the 4 speed for the base 1.3 or the 5 speed for the 1.4, they are front mount starters, but different driveshafts as they are 23 spline instead of 25 for the higher ratio boxes, not sure on shaft thicknesses though, i'm breaking my 5 speed 1.4 by the way

 

make your own close ratio box from a 1600 xr2i box and a 1800 rs zetec box
step one use the gear set from the rs 1800 onto the xr2i shaft fit the xr2i 4.06 crown wheel onto a quaife atb diff then fit the 5th gear from the xr2i to top it off this gives you a very tight close ratio 1st 2nd 3 rd 4th and a 5th that will take you past 134 on 13 inc wheels they used lower gears in the rs box to get it to go as quick as the cvh use the rs 1800 box as it has the better bearings (eg bigger)

 

/\ /\ /\ as that man says.
I have the Fiesta RS1800 gearset with the XR2i 4.06 final drive, excellent for track.
Or as your sprinting use the RS1800 gearset with the 4.29 final drive from the later XR3i