Restoration-Mini

General Discussion => The Lounge => Topic started by: MiniDave on September 25, 2026, 08:40:09 AM

Title: Final Drive Gears
Post by: MiniDave on September 25, 2026, 08:40:09 AM
Local guy Zac has torn down his gearbox again....he rebuilt it about a year ago but the 3 to 2 shift was almost impossible, and it had a horrible final drive gear whine......sounded like a supercharger winding up. I don't know how he could stand it!

So, while he's in there he's decided to put in a set of straight cut gears (cause it wasn't noisy enough already?  I dunno) and we figured out why the final drive was noisy....someone stuck in a couple of gears that don't match. It's not that they're wrong for the car just that they're wrong for each other!

OK, what I mean is the crownwheel is a 58 tooth, the pinion is a 19. a 19 pinion should be coupled with a 59 tooth crownwheel, not 58. The 58 is only used with a 21 tooth pinion, giving the 2.76 ratio that I run in my car. 19/59 gives the 3.1 ratio.

I'm not sure where he's going to wind up, he's actually looking at a 3.44 Huddersfield has - $220 plus shipping and tariffs.
Title: Re: Final Drive Gears
Post by: 94touring on September 25, 2026, 08:44:52 AM
I'm surprised it even drove like that. How badly were the teeth worn down after a year?
Title: Re: Final Drive Gears
Post by: MiniDave on September 25, 2026, 09:34:58 AM
I haven't seen the gears, but I knew it had to be something like this for it to be that noisy. And yes, I'll bet there's a strange wear pattern on them!
Title: Re: Final Drive Gears
Post by: MPlayle on September 25, 2026, 10:26:19 AM
I have a good used 3.44 gear set available.  It is helical rather than straight cut, but would be a lot less $$ than ordering from the UK.

Title: Re: Final Drive Gears
Post by: MiniDave on September 25, 2026, 02:53:36 PM
I'll let him know, Michael, I don't know what he wants to do at this point