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MG TD TF 1500 - Crown wheel and pinion

I just bought a 4.55:1 crown wheel & pinion plus the complete fixing kit from ebay uk - supplier Moss. It arrived yesterday and is complete.
The same kit is on the US ebay site - supplier Moss.
Here is the hit - UK price is £199, US price $669. Just in case someone is interested.
Dave H
Dave Hill

This brings up a question: You can get your axle rebuilt with an MGA differential for $1200-$1500. This kit gives you about 90% of the power and RPM for half the price. Can anyone who has done this tell me which would be the better option, in their opinion?
Maybe I should buy the British set and have you mail it to me Dave :)
Geoffrey M Baker

Just out of curiosity, I could not find that part on the Moss UK site, what was your part number? Thanks!
Geoffrey M Baker

I've got 9 part numbers on the invoice, one for each part, but it was sold as a complete kit from ebay UK.
Dave H
Dave Hill

I considered the MGA axle option, but as I already have a Ford Type 9 5-speed box, I thought the MGA ratio too low. My existing differential is 5.125:1.
Dave H
Dave Hill

I have just looked and can't find the kit price on the Moss UK website either, however all the individual parts are there and by rough calculation come to the same sort of money. The crown wheel and pinion is just £110, for example. Much lower cost than anywhere else.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Geoffrey,
Just have Dave Clark do the conversion for you. It saves you a lot of grief and if you screw it up and don't get it just right, you have to pay the
pieper. I had Dave do a 4.30 ratio for my '53 TD. Plenty of power for the mountains in VA. You pretty much live in the flatlands so you'd have no problems. It's nice to be able to use first gear too. Mark
Mark Strang

A description of Dave's work:

http://www.ttalk.info/ClarkConversion.html

I may take him up on it next winter. Gotta run it this summer and decide.
MAndrus

Dave, I just had my axle converted by hardy engineering (Leatherhead). They do the whole job including sourcing the parts and the cost is reasonable.
I had all new parts already, but they don't like the way new gears are cut, apparently, that changed from the old days and are a bitch to adjust. Hence they prefer used gears. I returned all my new stuff as a consequence. Total cost of components incl bearings and shims etc was around 450 GBP (there are a few pricey items other than the cwp on the list).

I have not picked up the axle yet, so I cannot comment on the result. But they asked all the right questions prior to starting the job. Will know more in April, by then it should be back in the car. Took me long to find someone who I was confident with and I hope the choice was right.

I would go for 4.3, no issues with power in 1st mentioned by anyone here or elsewhere. And the ford t9 has ~the same ratios in 1-4 + 20% extra in 5 which is great for cruising in flat areas.

Rgds
Mike
Mike Fritsch

Thanks. That seems a reasonable price considering, though I prefer to do the job myself. I will try to find a spare rear axle to work on so that I can make a swop when the time comes. My T9 box has the optional 1st gear revised ratio. Are you running a std XPAG or did you uprate tio Stage 1 or 2?
Dave H
Dave Hill

I am running a standard XPAG, the only tuning are 1 1/2" carbs, which I don´t think makes a substantial difference.

There´s a complete axle on ebay UK at the moment
#111591488410

Where in Cambridgeshire do you live ? We currently have a second home in Little Dunmow while our daughter finishes school and I´m there over the weekend quite often.

Rdgs, Mike
Mike Fritsch

Mike. Yes thanks I saw that, but its more than I want to pay. I'm near St Neits. You're welcome any time.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Geoffrey,
The 4.3 is really the best ratio in most circumstances. The 4.55 is a good ratio for a lot of hilly driving, not much freeway and a stock xpag. The cost of the 4.55 from England is very reasonable but by the time you get it here it will about the same as an excellent used 4.3 and I'm really pickey about the gears I use.

For those thinking about one of my conversions this spring we'll be leaving for our summer home in Washington toward the end of April. After that I have no way of shipping until we get back around Labor Day

Dave
Dave Clark Arizona

Dave Does that comment in favour of 4.3:1 still hold good with a 5 speed conversion? Overall final drive ratio in top = top ratio x axle ratio. In my case current overall final drive ratio = 5.125 x 0.8 = 4.1 or 4.1:1. If I change to an axle ratio of 4.55:1 I get an overall ratio of 4.55 x 0.8 = 3.64 or 3.64:1. Lower than this seems too much. Just checking.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Dave, a club mate of mine has exactly that combination (4.3 + 5-speed) on his more or less stock TD and he´s absolutely happy. And we do have a few hills around here.

Rgds, Mike
Mike Fritsch

Dave,

I have a Skyhook 5 speed with a 4.3 rear and oh yeah, a Tom Lange blower. Even before the blower it was a fantastic setup, 5th gear really acts as an overdrive. We have plenty of hills here in Westchester County New York and I have no problem with them.

Regards,
Jim
James Neel

Ok thanks, i just had to ask. I've got the 4.55:1 crown wheel and pinion to fit now and it still makes a worthwhile change from what is on the car at present. I did a number of things to increase power over the std XPAG set-up and should be 65 - 70 bhp. Still running a std crank and conrods so didn't want to go too far.
Dave H
Dave Hill

This thread was discussed between 04/02/2015 and 10/02/2015

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