9/44 CWPs anyone?

[Sam Christie]

I failed to say that my CW&P from Roger Furneaux is 8/39 and is thus a very similar (almost the same) ratio to 9/44.
The teeth are helical.
Roger's set is entirely interchangeable with the original.
The 8/39 looks to me like not only a thoroughly good replacement but it is stronger.

Though perhaps a matter of individual preference I have concluded that given the chance to swap my new 8/39 for a new 9/44 I would keep the 8/39.

[Ken Martin]

Ian - Jack Prior was a long term RAF man and a friend of mine. He wrote the article you mentioned for me and I passed it onto Harry and the Morris Register who published it as a pull-out supplement to The Journal. He was an excellent technical writer. His article for The [MR] Journal on white metal bearings was a master work. He died a few years ago.

There is also a useful and perhaps more accessible and practical article on diff rebuilds written by by Mike Allison for 'MG Road Cars Vol One Four cylinder OHC 1929-1936' by Malcolm Green.

Sam - the 8/39 would be a very good repalcement for a 9/44 - same ratio give or take a tiny bit. I wonder whether Mike Dowley has ever had any of these made? I have an 8/39 MG diff, but it has the larger gears - see above.

Ken

[Ian Grace]

A reply received from Roger Furneaux this morning:

"Hi Ian - there is probably little demand for the 9/44 gears because 8/39 is more common *ratio 4.889 vs. 4.875*

I have some 8/39 gears in stock at £295 a set (and NO VAT!) We could certainly commission a batch of 9/44, with a minimum of 10 sets, but preferably more. The way it works is that I shell out the money, then have gears in stock as required (as happened last Saturday when one of our T-type owners found his pinion had lost two teeth!), but if you had Register members ordering in advance, we could maybe go for a batch of 20 and minimise the price.

Sports & Vintage in their 2005 price list have 9/44 at £430 PLUS VAT!!!

Regards

Roger

PS I also have all other back axle parts, and am just about to get some new billet steel diff. centre housings made. These will of course be 4-star, but should work in place of your 2-star units."

So, are these 8/39's the correct short or the later MG long type?

[Sam Christie]

The observations by Chris and Ken have been entirely confirmed by my friend who has literally just assembled and fitted one of Roger's 8/39 sets for me. My friend has remarked on the outstanding quality. With luck the car should be on the move in the next 48 hours .....

[Ken Martin]

Very interesting, but in spite of this encouraging note from Sam I am still unclear whether the 8/39 sets are like the 1933-36 MG 8/39 sets - ie the big gears, or a direct replacement for the M Type 9/44. I have tried to contact Roger for clarification but so far have not got through to him. I will keep trying and if he confirms that his 8/39 will fit a Minor then I will buy a set if he still has some in stock.
Ken

[Ken Martin]

I have not been able to contact Roger of Mad Metrics today, but thanks to Sam providing a his friend's contact telephone number, I can now confirm that the 8/39 ratio cw/p gear sets as used by Sam and others and as provided by Mad Metrics, are the large types. These can be used in the MM axle but some minor filing or grinding of notches are required to provide localised clearance to the cw for entry through the final drive assembly aperture in the axle casing. [As noted by Chris above].
There remains the problem of the extra length of the nosing due to the larger gears. It appears that the extra 0.25 ins can be accommodated by the flexible couplings. Otherwise the prop shaft can be shortened or the spiders skimmed 0.125 each to suit. The latter method would presumably be more mechanically satisfactory, especially if a spare set are avaiable so as to retain the originals.
I have a good 8/39 MG final drive assembly. The question I have to answer is - do I use it or continue with the 7/37 currently fitted to my car in the hope that some 9/44 gears can be obtained in the near future at a sensible price?
Ken

[Ian Grace]

Ken, I wouldn't look forward to fitting a prop shaft which was 0.25" too long. New, stiff couplings are sods to get in on the best of days!

[Ken Martin]

Ian - Yes I agree - hence my suggestion to skim 0.125 ins off each of the couplings - hopefully spares. I think there is enough to do this safely and it would be easier than shortening the prop shaft.
The person I spoke to resorted to undoing the spring U bolts and then fitting fitting the couplings. One side U bolts was then refitted and the other side levered into place with the help of a tube inserted in the half shaft run of the axle. Using this considerable leverage the U bolts evidently went together OK. My worry would be the additional thrust on the final drive caused by the additional 0.25 ins.
Where do we go from here?
Ken

[Ian Grace]

Ken, I presume you mean skimming the splined hub of the spiders - not the three coupling attachment arm faces? I don't think we are going to get a better deal that the 8/39s. This seems to be the way to go as the ratio is almost perfect and the mod. is simple.

I have found that the best way to get the prop shaft in with new couplings is to raise the back of the car so the prop shaft is at its greatest angle and then slip it in by lowering the front from the top and raising the back from below and a bit of judicious levering with a stout screwdriver. A cold beer helps too, I find.

I won't be buying one just now - there's a little old lady of 87 who is living in Cornwall right now. She was born in Birmingham on the 14th April 1921 and but spent her younger years roving all over Cornwall and the west. She has been poorly and housebound for the last forty years or so and her skirts are in tatters. She is in need of a good home and a lot of TLC...

[Tony Gamble]

Ian

Interesting ! Carry on......

Tony G

[chris lambert]

Tony - Well if Ian isn't going to tell you, there is this little old 1921 Rover that needs rescuing from somewhere down in the West Country..............

[Flemming]

I need a 8/43 CW&P for a 1934 SV Minor - anyone has a spare in good condition to sell?
Morris Eigth also uses 8/43, but in Harry Edwards Information Manaul they have a different part no. for Eigth and Minor, so I suppose they are not 100% identical - anyone knows if they are interchangable?
If others are interrested we could maybe have a batch of 8/43 done?

Flemming.

[Tony Gamble]

Flemming

A colleague of mine has three sets of new 8/43 crown wheel & pinions.

Please contact me and I will put you in touch with him.

anthony.gamble@btconnect.com

Tony G

[Flemming]

Thanks Tony,

I've sent you a mail.

Flemming.