making an FC turbo II trans adapter or bell housing.
 

a little about my project: im starting with a presmog triumph spitfire chassis shooting for 500whp BP in a weekend warrior using mostly miata parts for suspension with an RX7 5 speed and an RX7 lsd rear end.

just picked up my turboII trans today. i have a 1.8 5 speed trans to cannibalize the front portion of the bell housing off of if i go that route. i was thinking about cutting bell housings in half and welding the BP front to the FC rear.
For those who have done this do you know how strong a welded joint mid bell housing would be?
From what ive read it should hold but ive mainly found welded bell housings on auto trannies.

would the adapter plate be a better stronger option?

would anyone happen to have an old worn out RX7 clutch and alignment tool i could buy off them?

Read this thread:
http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=9930

Get that weak as ---- out of here. Why the ---- would you link to crubroadster when he maintains a build thread on mt.net?

https://www.miataturbo.net/showthread.php?t=19010&highlight=mighty+mouse

Edit: I haven't had any coffee yet today. I'll let you let me sodomize your mouth later to make up for me being rude.

MT fanboi are we?? lol Only reason I linked that one is because i'm sub'd to it at CR and it's easier for me to find. :giggle:

ive read through that build several times. i wanted to make a bell housing instead of an adapter plate cause i was thinking about having a mold made and have it casted as one piece. i know this would be expensive but to a few it may be worth it. I need to make at least 2 one for me and one for a friend. at the very least ill make jig. i am also planning on bending 1/4" rod and welding it to make ribbing for strength.

im not on clubroadster.net so its not getting posted there.

Check out projectzerog.com. Even though its a 4g63 centric site, its all about putting them in RWD vehicles, so there have been quite a few custom bellhousings made over the years. Bill Hincher now sells a line of them, but he also has some build threads about how he came up with the designs that might be helpful for what you're trying to do.

There's a 3 rotor FC in the shop where my car is and it's running a Jerico tranny. They did exactly what you'd like to do by using a stock bell housing and pressing the bolt pattern from the tranny to the stock housing. Looks like a stock piece at a glace because it basically is but I know it took them a little while to get it right. The adapter plate is a simple solution, not sure why you just dont roll with it but it's up to you.

im not understanding what youre describing...

here are the pics i have so far.
the 2 trannies side by side and you can see the engine block i have standing on the crank nose in the back ground ath im gonna be using as my jig for now.

Attachment 186012
Attachment 186013

I'll try to take a pic next time I'm up there. I'll probably stop by today sometime.

Why don't you consider this route.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Quick-Time-Bel...ductId=1293712

Here's a pic if the bell housing that I was referring to above. the tranny side was pressed on somehow to the stock bellhousing. you could posibily do this with the miata engine side?
https://mail-attachment.googleuserco...ww-dU&sadssc=1

There was a guy on miata.net that had an FD trans with a welded up hellhousing. I think his name was "big turbo" or something like that, he was from Greece.

I haven't had any issues with my adapter plate, and it's a hell of a lot easier than welding aluminum. If you do get it welded, and it's welded up properly, I don't see why you would have any issues. Just have to make sure it doesn't warp while you weld it, and that it's perfectly straight otherwise you'll never get it bolted up.

600 for an adapter is too much for me. the plate of aluminum is only $60 and i have plenty of time.

the more i go over your build the more im wanting to make the adapter plate instead of the bell housing.

did you have to space the flywheel out to compensate for the plate?
are you running the RX7 slave cylinder with the miata clutch master?

No, the flywheel bolts up like normal. What I did was to mod the clutch fork to make up the 1/2" difference of the adapter plate (there are pics somewhere in my build). I've seen it done where the TOB was modified to work, but I didn't want to modify a wearable part.

As for the clutch master/slave, I'm using the miata stuff- the slave bolted right up to the RX7 bellhousing.

The actual clutch itself is a miata clutch with an RX7 splined center. Clutchnet was the only place I could find that would build one for me. It's held up fine to my power levels.

Which one of those transmissions is cheap??? If I spend money on an adapter plate, it's going to adapt a trans that is easily, and cheaply picked up at the salvage lot.

It would be nice to have a trans that you know you could beat the crap out of it all down long and not worry. I still baby my six speed.

What is the cost to mill something like this? I'm surprised that with all of the talent on this site (design, fabrication, etc) no one can get a reasonably priced adapter plate to the market. Especially when the material cost is $60.

im gonna talk to some local cnc shops to get a price for machining. but most likely im gonna do my own drilling/tapping like mighty mouse did.

That was why I swapped in a TII trans. They can be had for ~200 bucks, was OEM equipment in a heavier turbo car, and there are plenty of high HP guys drifting on them all day long. I have no worries about beating on mine whatsoever- The weakest part of my drivetrain is me.

I cut mine out with a jig saw like a boss. It did take about 3 hours and a lot of beer though.

I put out a feeler a few years back to see if anyone wanted a plate built, but at the time no one wanted one. Remember the plate is only a part of what needs to be done to get the tranny in (and working), which I guess scares some people off.

I like the gearing with this tranny too; downshifting into first is a pretty cool feeling. The revs are a bit high on the highway, but what are you gonna do?

I think for the right price, quite a few people would buy one just to have around.

As "the friend", this is relevant to my interests:D

I've actually been kicking this around over the past few days... If somebody could get me a really good dimensioned drawing, I could get a few adapters done pretty cheap.


Material is going to be more than $60 unless some turns up at a scrap yard, though, and CNC time isn't free...

Nobody has a drawing (I remember asking the same thing way back when), and I never bothered to create one from my plate, so unless you draw one up yourself I wouldn't waste your time trying to track one down.

How about you take one for the team and pull yours out and send it to me to measure?

If there's enough interest I'll create one myself, and cut out the middleman :rofl:. I have Pro/E too.

Hardest part will be sourcing the aluminum plate.

I want to do it so mine can be free, though :(

12"x14" 6061 1/2" aluminum plate $65.19 locally... just saying... ill pick it up tomorrow on my day off.

Man, I have to think that you'll need at least a 16x16 piece to work from. And sheets larger than 12x12 go up in price exponentially.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-al...sheets/=gjv4ob

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-al...sheets/=gjv4kl

from his build thread

what its gonna go in...1972 triumph spitfire mark IV

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1331112502
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1331112502
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1331112502

I like where this is going, my garage contains something similar:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w...0/IMG_1133.JPG
Build thread is at NCR

In for allll kinds up updates and pics :)

so i kind of f'd up by being lazy and not measuring for myself... i need a 14x15 piece of plate... bad thing is that i already called about the 12x14 and they said they can cut the new piece but they are gonna charge me for both since they already cut the one. i tried to explain that i have no use for a piece thats too small and but the sales woman was pretty rude and said tough crap and that i had to buy both...i told her ill take neither and im now looking for another source for the plate... on the plus side i picked up my 1.8 miata torsion lsd complete rear end
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1331191106

i pulled the rear end out of the spitfire for a little comparison... the stock spitfire rear end assembly weighs at least 2/3 if not 3/4 of what the whole miata drop out weighs. damn cast iron. with it out i can lift the rear of the frame off the ground with one hand.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1331616069
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1331616069
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1331616069

I was there and he made me lift it:giggle:

This really should get moved to the BUILD Threads section though.
To document the awesomeness

agreed


more updates... pick n pull now puts all BP miatas in their premier yard... and charges alot more for the parts... either way i got a complete 94 front subframe. the sway bar to a hit but i was planning on upgrading it any ways so im not too concerned about it. everything else looks perfect.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1332476123

i love my 12sec micro van

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1332476123

everything stacked neatly waiting on the tubing to build my new frame

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1332476123

aww yeah

so do you still need the floor?

yea. if it has the trans tunnel and junk on it still

sure does.

as soon as I have time I'll strip the interior out and bust out the saw

Awesome project.

I have the FD transmission & the 370hp miata, need to put them together :), so I'm definitely in for a copy of that plate pattern, or a pre-fabbed plate, if you are building one. Quite willing to split design costs.

-- Glenn

Yeah me as well. I have and FD trans I'd love to use. How would PPF mounting work? I know RX7 transmissions have PPF mount areas but I imagine you would just need a rear diff brace and ditch the ppf?

This project looks like it will be fun to watch. Can I assume this has become a sort of build thread?

I've seen the ppf kept in a variety of trans/diff installs- it's all about using existing bosses on the trans diff to build a structure, then doing the same on the ppf, getting everything in position and tacking the two adjacent structures together. Couple of examples attached.

The FD PPF is entirely different from the Miata PPF. You would have to build your own. The FD PPF is also on the left side of the car, where the Miata PPF is on the right side, so you would never be able to fit an exhaust between the FD PPF and the floor on a Miata.

my point being it does not matter what is what- it can be adapted as needed

Not shooting you down, just clarifying.

finally more updates. ive chosen and purchased my engine. i went with a 2002 kia sportage FE3N. i scored it off craigslist for $100 for the engine, head, covers, intake and exhaust manifolds, and clutch with flywheel. unknown mileage and the guy said it had no compression. first thing was to do a leakage test. all the valves do not seat due to deposits but over all the head looked clean inside. i got the motor pulled apart and the bearings, crank, rods, cams, lifters look almost brand new less some "score like" discoloration in cyl 3 that is so light that you cant feel it with a razor blade and some very light scuffing on the piston skirts.

everything gets transported in the racecar
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1346378347

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1346378347
so shiny
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1346378347

also getting this:
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...ingaholset.jpg

So is this getting any internal work? Any head work?
Also, you better get new rings before slapping it back together, I'll kill you if you re-use these.

im having everything gone through. new timing belt/water pump, bearings, rings, gasket match the head ports, probably cc and polish the combustion chambers and unshroud the valves. no one makes forged pistons so i think im just gonna try to get these coated.

Cool beans.
I don't see the need to coat these if you'll be running on e85 though.
Unless you plan to stay on 91 piss.

KIA POWER!
seriously, soon your front subframe will drive off on its own.

This is going in his Spitfire

This thread is relevant to my interests. I have a 1973 triumph gt6 and will be following your build.

Cant wait to see how you tackle the frame work, take a ton of pics so I can copy you please.

He's having some pro build him a custom frame. He wants to do wheel stands on the street.

This thing will be nuts:D

Holy Crap! Sub'd!


FWIW, if the TKO500/600 fits that adapter the Tremec 3550 or standard T5 should also. Where you'll run into an issue is the input shafts, but trans are readily available, can be super cheap, take more abuse than a BP could issue (even with me driving it) and have 3 different ratios. I've got 5 of them in my shed and have been lusting for someone to make an adapter plate.........

Hello, brother.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1346450207

he has too much going on to help me... been looking for a decent tube bender

fail

aids

just do a miata

There's no doubt it would be easier to do a miata, and it would probably handle the power better, corner better, brake better, etc. But think about the steeze of this badass triumph. In for triumph success.

how so? im using miata front and rear subframes and suspension. im taking inspiration from corycords build.

also if i made a miata id have to smog it

took advantage of the 1/2 price at pick n pull. picked up an N/A RX7 lsd. from what im reading it should be a clutch type with 4.30 gearing

since im going to have to custom make a drive shaft anyways is there any advantage to swapping out the pinion housings for the miata one?

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1346568954
the pinion housing sticks out a little bit...
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1346568954