Formula Ford Gear Box Question

Greetings all,

I had a retired Formula Ford racer tell me recently that the gears in my Lotus "should be exactly the same" as those run by everybody else in the class.

How accurate is this statement?!?

How critical is it that I run precisely the same gears as everybody else in the class?!? Will it make a big difference if I am off one tooth one way or the other?!? I.e if the gear suggested is a 21:30 and I have a 21:31 in the box right now....

Thank you in advance to those who provide input.

Sincerely,

Mark Patterson
Hesperia, Ca

[FONT=Verdana]Dunno ... but in the old Mk6 gearbox the first gear was not swappable ... In my old Merlyn at least ... I had Jerry Mong [Bobsy] fix the issue … I’m sure there are older people [I hope] here who will chime in ... :beer: ...[/FONT]

Mark,

You are permitted to use any combination of gearsets you wish. What matters is the gears are suitable for your car and style of driving.

If you are new at this, going a tooth higher on the second number will help you accelerate out of the corner a bit better, but you may shift up earlier, or run out of revs at the end of the straight.

When I first started out, Neil Porter put in a lower first gear to make it easier to get underway, then 2nd, 3rd, 4th were a bit lower as well.

As I improved, (still lots of room to improve) running out of revs on the straights, I went to taller ratios like the other guys.

Some drivers will move up or down a tooth depending on which corner or series of corners they want to have an advantage.

Regards,
Dan

Hewlands from the MK 3 on were available as 5 speeds, and the top 4 gears could be any ratio. The FFord box was basically the 5 speed without a first gear. I don't know if swappable gears were available for the Renault box that your Lotus 51 may have come with. There's never been a reason that you couldn't run any gear ratio's you desired. It's possible that some regional group decided to restrict the ratio's for cost reasons, but that's not part of any current set of widely used rules.

Brian

I wonder if he was referring to the fact that at most tracks everyone migrates toward the same gearing, and if you use that, your level of performance with respect to others should be relatively similar.

One more thing to keep in mind here is tire diameter. The standard vintage Dunlop has a larger diameter than a current FF slick. So running the same gear ratios only applies if you are running the same tires.

Paul

The same tire size and motor.
The (original) Kent motor would not pull the RPM's that the later (uprated) would.

If you are just starting out, gearing is not that big of a deal. You just need gears that keep the engine from bogging down badly in the slowest corners, and don't have you over revving down the straights. Where are you planning to run the car, and what gears do you have in it? I'm guessing that you have a 9/31 ring / pinion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Roland V. Johnson

Where are you planning to run the car, and what gears do you have in it? I'm guessing that you have a 9/31 ring / pinion.

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Roland,

I will initially be running the Lotus at Buttonwillow. Hopefully in mid-December to get some much needed seat time and definitely in mid-January at the VARA driver's school there.

The car is currently set-up with the following:

1st 20:32

2nd 21:31

3rd 22:28

4th 25:26.

One of the VARA instructors forwarded a gear selection chart he made for his Lola T-200 FF.

For Buttonwillow (cw 13) said chart indicates the following:

1st 19:32

2nd 21:30

3rd 23:28

4th 24:27.

With regards to the ring and pinion, I believe the Lotus has a 9:31 in it currently.

Hope this helps.

Mark Patterson
Hesperia, Ca

You're plenty close enough. Have fun and worry about other ratios much, much later.

Tim,

That's kind of what I was thinking too. :D

Mark

Mark,

First, Murray won't steer you wrong. He is really good about sharing info and help to bring folks up to speed.

I think you'll be fine for the school.

I don't know what type of collection of gears you have. If you don't have the ratios that Murray suggests don't worry for now. If you do, I'd certainly change them after the school before you run Buttonwillow long course in a race situation.

What's in your box now would probably be sufficient for Cal Speedway and Willow Springs.

You won't pull enough RPMS with that 4th at BW, and that first will likely really bog down out of the "Off-Ramp", especially with someone new to the car.

Have fun!!!