LT77 gearbox

[jgbff7]

I would be grateful for advice please.

I have a Scimitar SE 5A which has had a Rover V8 fitted and a 5 speed box. I assume the engine and box came from an SD1 and that the box is a LT77.

The box spoils driving the car. It is very heavy and notchy to shift and second is always an issue.

I would prefer an auto box, but a manual would be alright if it wanted to change gear.

I would be grateful for advice as to the best solution.

Thanks

John

[ChrisJC]

The R380 is the successor to the LT77, so would be the most logical choice. There are quite a few variants though. If your pocket is deep enough, you could order a 'new' one built to your spec from Ashcroft Transmissions. That would save a lot of searching around to get the right input shaft / gearstick location / ratios etc. etc.

An alternative would be the 4 speed ZF4HP22 automatic transmission, but the V8 bellhousing is very long, so the overall assembly is very long too. But it's a great box.

The SD1 auto transmissions are 3 speed, with top gear being 1:1. They had very tall back axles to compensate (2.8:1 I think) ?

Chris.

[jgbff7]

Thank you. I have been in contact with Ashcroft but they say they do not sell an R380 for two wheel drive.

[scudderfish]

Another thing to try is replace the bushes that hold the gearstick extension on. My gear-change got noticeably better after I spent a bit of time changing them and cleaning that area up.

Regards,
David

[Richard P6]

I would be grateful for advice please.

I have a Scimitar SE 5A which has had a Rover V8 fitted and a 5 speed box. I assume the engine and box came from an SD1 and that the box is a LT77.

The box spoils driving the car. It is very heavy and notchy to shift and second is always an issue.

I would prefer an auto box, but a manual would be alright if it wanted to change gear.

I would be grateful for advice as to the best solution.

Thanks

John

Sounds like you have the wrong oil in it. Drain it out and refill with a mixture of white spirit and Redline MTL, then run the engine for a minute or so (don't drive it, just run the engine). Drain again and let it drain overnight, then refill with neat Redline MTL. Mine was terrible when I first got it, (4L P6 with an LT77), and actually felt like I was stirring a pan of potatoes, but now it's a right slick shifter.

[GDCobra]

Another thing to try is replace the bushes that hold the gearstick extension on. My gear-change got noticeably better after I spent a bit of time changing them and cleaning that area up.

Regards,
David

I made up some Aluminium bushings for mine which did improve it, possibly increases NVH a bit but on my car that's hardly an issue!
Also used an oil combination recommended on Piston Heads I think which was a combination of engine oil and moly-slip IIRC, certainly improved it but I eventually changed for an R380, much better and hopefully more future-proof but still a bit slow on gearchanges compared to some modern 'boxes. The fact I'm using a short stick probably amplifies this