18 replies to this topic

[fikasteve]

Would close ratio gears, like the mini spares clubman straight cut ones, with a 3.44 final drive be a pain if used for normal road use? It wouldn't be a lairy 1275 engine at all. Just think pulling away in traffic could become hard?

why would a 3.44 dif be hard pulling away from lights, mines fine

Its not the fact its a 3.44 dif, its the close ratio gears that would be the problem. They are bunched up closer towards 1:1 so 1st gear is closer to what would be second gear on normal gearboxes. Hill starts in a traffic jam in the rush hour could become tedious i reckon. I think cooperman is right that over all capability would be lost. I've just never had any experiance actually driving with them unfortuneatly.

Was that so long as a hot cam is NOT fitted cooperman? Such as a mg metro cam?

[Cooperman]

I think it's a question of what use the car is for. For competition when you'll have a 'hot' engine with a narrow power band the SCCR gears are essential, but then such an engine will probably rev to over 7000 so a low final drive will be fine. For a road engine the SCCR gears won't match the engine characteristics of good broad torque and power spread so they will be a mis-match.
The idea is to create a matching package of components. Anything else is not the ideral. So with anything less than around a 276 or 286 cam, the SCCR gear ratios simply don't match. First gear is so high that with a standard diff acceleration will be lost as a standard-geared car will be 'off down the road' whilst the car with SCCR gears will still be slipping the clutch to get away cleanly.
Personally I can't think why anyone using their Mini as a road car would want the disadvantages of the SCCR gears for everyday driving, especially when the cost is considered. Now, the original Cooper 'S'/Clubman GT gear ratios are a different matter and they are superb for road use.
The SCCR gears are really no stronger than helical ones either.

[fikasteve]

Oh, it was the mini spares clubman gear ratio's i was looking at but i dont think these are the same as the original ones you are talking about. Thank for your advice cooperman, invaluable as always :)

[Cooperman]

You could PM 'Guess-Works' on here and ask him if he knows where you could get a set of original 'S' ratio gears to suit your gearbox.