Okay, after getting the 3.9 ratio gears and 50 Nm centre diff in the transfer box working right, I fitted the 3.9 front diff and 3.9 rear diff. And after driving it, it feels a bit funny, like the front end really grabs and doesen't seem to coast very good, like there is resistance.

I bought the centre gear kit and rear diff from one guy, and the front diff from another shop - both are marked 3.9 - but I can't tell the difference between the std 3.6 and 3.9.

I am thinking somethings not right, so tonight I put the car on jack stands and when I turn the rear one one revolution, the front turns like one and a half revolutions . . . is this because of the centre gears or is one of the diffs not the right ratio???
If one of the diffs are wrong which one the front or rear?

 

It sounds like you deffinately have a mismatch in ratios.....

I would advise that you don't use it until it's sorted out.

Bernie (Gearboxman) would know more about this...

If he doesn't respond to this then you can get him on...

info@gearboxman.com or you can send him a private message....

 

right here is where youve gone wrong m8

what you do is fit a 3.9 in the back , ok ,
you then buy 3.9 step off chains to go in the transfer ok ?
what you DONT do is fit a 3.9 to the front , as this is what teh step off chains are for , they convert the ratio of the front to rear , so that the drive to the front is to match the rear diff, so in effect what youve done is over geared the front now , hence the grabbing at the front , DONT use the car till youve either re-fitted the std step offs , or changed the front diff back to a 3.62

hth


mark

 

That kinda makes sense - so basically refit the 3.6 front diff and it should be the correct setup.
Sound right?

Why do they make 3.9 front diffs then?

 

thats it m8 ,

the 3.9 diffs were found in the xr4x4 but the 2.0 DOHC version, prob didnt have the power to pull 3.6's

hope this has helped ya m8

 

Thanks for the help, I'll refit the 3.6 front diff tonight!

I actually bought the 3.9 front diff from a rally shop in Canada - he was running the 4.4 ratio with a 9" rear diff. Maybe it was a spare for that.

 

Well done Markk!!
Just hope the Centre VC hasn't been fried
How many miles have you done with the 3.9s in?

 

i do know a bit here and there about transmission
but im sorry bernie im too far away from you for a job

 

I think I drove it a 2 or 3 miles - not real far. Hopefully the centre diffs not hurt too bad . . .

 

That ought to be OK.
By the way......
......forgot to tell you about machining the case to clear the chain
........sorry.........

 

No problem - got it worked out with a bit help from a friend.

Thanks for all the other help! I am at a loss when it comes to ratios, chains, gears!

I am a golf pro first, rally mechanic distant second!

 

do you really have an escort cosworth in america? did you have to import it from europe? are there any more over there?? just like grand theft auto 1 in vice city

 

Well, fitted the 3.6 front diff back in and works great now!

Now just need an aligment (put my gravel suspension back on) and off rollin'!

Thanks to all for the help

 

Glad its sorted m8
i know nothing about gear ratios so i left it to the experts

 

There acctually was one for sale in USA some time ago- small turbo model.

 

Yes he has an escos in the US. there's abou 25 or so of them here.
The real RARE ones are the 3drs

 

I thing 25 is an accurate number if you count the rally cars *and* the street cars

 

I think most of them are on the Westcoast - VT Sportcar is selling Carl Merrolls Group A car

http://www.rallyclassified.com/photo.php?cat=18&de=1737

very cool . . .

 

How many then ?? did you ever get to sell your Escort?

 

Merrill's car is still GROSSLY overpriced considering I could buy a brand new Evo RS full GpN spec from Cascade Autosport for $65k and it would be WAY faster than the Escort with the same 34mm restrictor. They list the car for sale with a 40mm restrictor at 420 hp, but if you want to rally it over here, the first thing you'll have to do is put a 34mm restrictor in it and completely remap the thing.

I'd give them $40k for Merrill's car, nothing more.

I know a guy that has 3 of them, he lives about 45 min north of me. He has the one that Richter did up for a show car (but its GOLD) and we talked about him selling me one, but the numbers were too big. I'd give somewhere in the low $20k range for one, but beyond that, keep it. They are 10 year old cars now and technology has left them behind. No active diffs, archaic ECUs, parts have to be sourced from UK and Europe....seems a bit of a pain in the ass just to have something relatively unique.

The last count I saw from the guy who keeps track of this stuff (Tom Meacham, I think is his name) was something like 18 street cars in the USA.

 

I take it you know John Vanlandingham?

 

Unfortunately, yes I do.....

 

??

 

PM me if you want details

 

I know John also from my Merkur list. He likes to talk a little to much, makes himself sound like he's the only one who can source Cossie parts.
He kept bragging about how plentyful Cossie parts are in Seattle, I then happend to jump in and tell him there just as plentyfull in the NYC area.
Matt so what's the story with this dude, he said He had about 25 diffs or so and blah,blah..I emailed him for prices but has yet to reply.

 

E,

Check your PM

 

Thanks dude,
Just what I thought