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MG MGF Technical - GETRAG gearbox in an MGF/TF

You know how it is. You're revising for exams, and you start thinking of other things whilst you read the same paragraph 12 times and still not actually read it...

But here's the thought.

The BMW Mini uses three gearboxes - a ZF CVT (the same one, I think, to that fitted to the MGF and TF120), a R65 (since replaced by a Getrag) and a Getrag 285 6-speed gearbox.

It's that 6-speeder I'm interested in.

That a R65 will mate to the Chrysler engine as well as a K-series is what makes me think... Could it be done? Could you fit, reasonably easily a Getrag 286 into an MGF?

More food for thought: the Rover 75 KV6 (and therefore ZT too) uses the Getrag 283 5-speeder - so there is a bell housing available to mount at least a Getrag 5-speeder to - potentially - a K4.

Six million dollar question: can you fit a Getrag 285 to a ZT bell housing to a 4-cylinder K-series and get everything to line up?

How could one go about finding out?

Getrag have a helpfulish web page: http://www.en.getrag.de/179/179 but nothing about dimensions etc.

So I've emailed Getrag directly... What chance an answer I wonder?

Can anyone suggest any other alternative avenues for investigation?
Rob Bell

I always found an amazing interest for tennis and snooker during my exams.

Not sure I'd want the MINI's six speed in my F. First of all the MINI's gearbox is a very stiff and mine has done over 40k and doesn't appear a great deal different from new. I would have thought this would result in significant strain in the cable selector on the F and feel very odd when selecting. I also find six forward gears a bit of a pain. 90 percent of my driving is on country roads and six is often too high and fifth is too busy and then when you need to overtake you need third and it's amazing how quickly you miss five well spaced gears with a flexible engine.

Neil
Neil Stothert

Rob, sorry, off topic, but does this explain why you were posting @ 2.32 this morning or was that miniRob playing up?
John Ponting

Neil,
Good point, a number of the WRC rally teams have reverted back to 5 speed for that reason.

Although the changing of the gear is totally different the principle is such as you have said.

Adrian
Adrian Clifford

At least this is a thought i had on my mind!!!a very nice idea. a getrag in our cars! who knows?
max

John, it was neither - that was work keeping me up... Olivia actually managed to sleep through uninterrupted that night - hurrah! :o)

Not tried the Getrag 6-speed, so bow to your experience there Neil. But there is an advantage in going for more gears. Remember that the gearbox is a torque multiplier. Shorter gearing means far greater acceleration - what ever amount of power/torque your engine is producing. This is why a close ratio car will perform better on track. Well, assuming that you can change gear cleanly and quickly that is.

The advantage as I would see it is that with a 6-speed, you'd get five closely stacked gears that you'd use most of the time, and an overdrive 6th to restore economy on the motorway. I often find myself looking for 6th gear as it is, and doubtless, my car would run a higher top gear than the current 5th. Thing is, there is a huge gaping chasm of a gap between 4th and 5th as it is (see Goodwood with its long straights, or even Bedford - you want to change up from 4th to 5th, but know if you do, you'll drop below the power... A better selection fo gears in a 6 speed box could help a lot).

I know that Quaife do a 6-speed sequential and a 6-speed conventional helical H-gate gear set - but at prices starting from over 2 grand, I wondered whether the Getrag (pre-owned ;o)) would offer a cheaper entrance to the 6-speed club...?
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed on 08/09/2005

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