fiestaphilwxm

Afternoon all,

I bought a mk1 focus 1.8 tddi gearbox for use with my Blacktop zetec turbo. I was advised to buy the 66 kw variant for best ratios for my application.

The box is the same as this one:




I have now just looked at the gearbox and it won't fit. The starter and diff are in completely the wrong place.

Why is it people recommend these when they don't seem to fit or am I missing something.

What do you advise I use, I'm looking for a decent 0-100 mph time rather than top end and have specced for ~300bhp. It needs to be an MTX75 that has a hydraulic clutch and with cable driven gear selectors.

Thanks.

nevsrevs

What stopping it from fitting? The derv box is slightly longer than a petrol 1, we have swaped bell housing over with a petrol mtx to bring the size down before

fiestaphilwxm

The starter on the gearbox is at the front low down and on the engine the starte is at the back high up.

nevsrevs

Need the other bell housing mate, never seen a starter on the front? Unless I have never looked that hard.

fiestaphilwxm

What bellhousing do i meed? all 1.8tddi gearboxes have that starter configuration. Its not something you would miss, it stops the box from fitting.

AstoN_B

iTrader: (1)

Is this the box people use on escort turbos?

nevsrevs

Just looking at your photo,s and are you sure that came out of a focus? Because it should look like mine?

crazycage

the mondeo has the starter at the front . and it wont stop the engine bolting to the box .

nevsrevs

That explains that then, mondeo box it is, not focus.

crazycage

going by the top mount on the box it is some kind of focus box but you can fit a mondeo box that has the starter at the front so i cant see why it wont fit.

nevsrevs

yea should still fit the engine no matter wat, and as for the diff being in the wrong place?

fiestaphilwxm

my mistake about the diff sorry. thanks all for your help. what gearbox do I have? I need one with the following bellhousing type:

Thanks

crazycage

i fitted focus tdi's focus rs's and 2.0l petrols that all had that same bell housing.

fiestaphilwxm

All 1.8tddi boxes on ebay seem the same as mine (incorrect)? The gearbox I have is from a 54 plate, could it be that this was from a mk2 focus and I need one from a mk1 focus?

Thanks.

nevsrevs

poss mate but all mk1 focus boxes in 2.0 petrol or derv will be as shown above with starter on back. remember not to just search 1.8tdi boxes as you could end up with a escort box

Cossie Sean

1.8 diesel fiesta,focus and mondeo ALL have front mount starter and are perfect for silvertop application,

blacktop uses petrol (1.8 or 2.0 ONLY) bellhousing for rear mounted starter

You have the correct 1.8 TD focus gearbox, they are all the same externally

simply swop bell housings over, job done.

Sean.

Cossie Sean

are you sure the blacktop engine wont accept a front mounted starter??

forget about the shape of the bellhousing, i thaught they bolted together?

Cossie Sean

i know you can fit the TDi focus box to blacktop, bit of trimming on the sump and it all bolts together just fine with the right clutch

im sure we did this on a KA track car some years ago

fiestaphilwxm

How easy is it to swap the bellhousings over? I don't fancy cutting the sup of anything and I really need a rear starter because its for a zetec turbo and surely if it is at the front it will get in the way of the turbo?

Will any MTX75 rear mounted starter bolt up to this box.

Is this a good box to use? What do people usualy use with blacktops?

Thanks.

Cossie Sean

i think a bit more research might be needed on your behalf then.

if its a bolt up MTX75 you want to bolt into a focus shell then buy a 2.0 focus gearbox and save yourself all the hastle

Sean.

Cossie Sean

most zetec turbo silver tops run front mount starters in the same position, without fittment issues

you need to decide what you need from your conversion before buying such important parts, fittment, function and need of particular fittment

fiestaphilwxm

Yeh you might be right. The actual dimensions of the box don't really matter because its going into a fiesta with custom mounts anyway.

I thought I had done my research hence going for the 1.8tddi for best ratios but it turns out I'm wrong.

I might just buy the focus/mondeo mk2 2.0 petrol box, this should fit right?

Thanks.

fiestaphilwxm

Im in the final stages of the build, which has been well planned but when this box came up a stones throw from where I live I thought its worth a punt and won it for Ł22, ahh well.

Thanks.

Cossie Sean

your fitting it in a fiesta??

trim the fucking sump then LOL!!!

theres different years of mondeo zetec gearboxes,
silver top and early black top use manual speedo drive, later blacktop mk2 mondeo use the focus style gearbox (1.8 and 2.0 in mondeo are visualy and physicaly indetical) with rear mounted starter motor etc etc

the later ones can be identified by the very large rear diff housing and small 3 pin hall effect speed sensor above the o/s driveshaft

focus 2.0 gearbox has cracking ratios anyway, and the RS mk1 has an LSD

hopefully a bit of a better insight for you

fiestaphilwxm

Thank for your help? Go easy dude, Ive done my homework on the rest but got stuck on the box. Any documentation on trimming the sump? Pics etc?

Cossie Sean

im not having a go, just trying to help :P

it was a long time ago and ive do so much with zetecs and gearbox swops i cant remember each one,

what about the ST170/Mini Getrag 6 speed? perfect!

if your fabricating for a fiesta then its the same work, and its rear mounted starter, cablee change, LSD`s are widely available, can be bought cheap nowdays

if it was my cash id buy an ST170 box , saves chopping up the sump etc and you wont have clearance issues with starter motors and big turbo/manifold/downpipe issues firther down the line

** there seems to be plenty of boxes on ebay for Ł100-150 at the minute

maby worth a go?

im defo not bitching, just trying to save you heartache if whings dont turn out as expected, like this TD box did i guess

Sean.

nevsrevs

as said above buy a focus box, i swapped and changed the. bell housing over from mondeo to derv focus and used the mondy ratios, they are great,the derv 77kw ratios where to long for our car, as for the mtx75 boxes they are great, very strong and easy to get, i would not bother with the getrag not as strong or as cheap