Hardy Spicer prop shaft question

[Ian Grace]

As mentioned elsewhere, I am planning to obtain Hardy Spicer prop shaft for the McEvoy from Clive Hamilton-Gould, who is having these made at present.

I know that the prop shaft on a 3-speed Minor/M Type is 34.5" long, but I have the 4-speed crash box fitted. Can someone with a SWB car with this gearbox let me know the overall length of their prop shaft? I think it should be slightly shorter than 34.5". I am assuming that the Hardy Spicer set-up will have a bit of adjustment in the splines so if I'm half an inch out, I shouldn't have a problem?

[Frank van Voorst]

I believe this is a crashbox although fitted with a handbrake lever from a later car. Correct me if wrong. My proshaft is 86,5 cm measured over the longest possible lenth i.e. from disc to disc, inside to inside.

[Ian Grace]

Thanks, Frank.

Yes it is, and that converts almost exactly to 34" which is exactly 0.5" inches shorter than the 3-speeds box, which is what I suspected. I think I have my answer. Anyone like to confirm?

[Sam Christie]

I have just measured one I have which was once used in conjunction with the same type of gearbox and it is the same length. 86.5cms or a fraction over 34".

[Ian Grace]

Wonderful - thanks, Sam. For a change - no new mystery!

[Simon]

Should't you be keeping your McEvoy as original as possible . Have you considered that a rigid steel propshaft will put more shock loading on the crownwheel & pinion as there are no shockabsorbing springs in the clutch plate .

[Ian Grace]

Simon, as I mentioned on another thread, I discovered from notes given to Bev Hicks by McEvoy at his home in Iver in 1962 that McEvoy recommended HS shafts as an option on their cars when new because the regular couplings cause severe vibration above 64 mph, and the Model 70 is good for 70. So I don't consider this making the car unoriginal. And in any case, its a very reversible mod. I have heard from several people that these shafts transform the car for the better, so I'm intrigued to see for myself. The Willats fabric saloon will remain on fabric couplings.

As for the additional load on the CWP, I had assumed that the new shafts would have a sliding spline at one end, which is why I wasn't too concerned about finding the precise length of the shaft needed for a 4-speed box. But perhaps these shafts do not have this feature. I must ask Clive. If there is no sliding section, perhaps I should consider fitting a steel diff. housing rather than the ali one?

I'd also be interested to hear from anyone who has fitted one of these shafts and see if they have experienced any unexpected side issues with them.

[Ronald]

Ian, surely the answer is simply to get a shaft made with a sliding section, it'd make perfect sense, in my eyes anyway, and as you say, its a reversible mod, easier to swap a propshaft back than a diff casing.....!

[halbe]

Ian,

I'm very sure they are all made with the sliding section, I'll fit one to VG to get rid of a lot of vibration
Just ask Roger Luck or Chris what a difference the new propshaft makes!

Regards,
Halbe

[Ian Grace]

Thanks guys. Halbe, I e-mailed Clive Hamilton-Gould this morning to confirm - but I think you are right. The two options seem to be to either retain the original spiders on the diff. and gearbox and fit an adaptor plate or replace the coupling halves on the box and diff. I'm going for the former so I don't have to mess about with the box and diff.

[Trevor Wilkinson]

I believe Simon was referring to torsional shocks and not end loading, hence the mention of lack of springs in the clutch plate. That assumes that the flexible couplings absorb some torsional shocks.

[Ian Grace]

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks Trevor. I don't have an answer for that - other that other peoples' experiences. Has anyone ever heard of HS shafts causing such an issue?

[chris lambert]

Why not ask the A7 community - Bailey Morris have made many (scores) of them for this model. Which component is likely to cause more damage to diffs or gearboxes, an oscillating semi rigid shaft or a machine balanced and properly 'dampened' unit with universal joints at either end?

[Sam Christie]

I hope to use a Hardy Spicer on my 'special', whatever it turns out to be, because (in my ignorance) it looks like better engineering and safer but Simon has made a very interesting point.

This would merit a new thread but I confess there is a growing list of non-original features which I find impossible to resist, such as ....brake lights and indicators; a horn which modern motorists can hear and understand; a modern oil seal on the vertical drive and anywhere else applicable;an improved camshaft; a modern crankshaft; best available new rocker fingers;an improved oil pump; a modern oil filter;...... and now a 'modern' prop shaft joins the list. This in no way diminshes my admiration for the purists who aspire to preserve absolute originality - in fact when I consider the safety convenience reliability and durability which I believe the list of 'improvements' can offer I am all the more impressed by the dedication of those to whom 'originality' is the first priority.

[Ian Grace]

Chris, good point. Thanks.

Interesting perspective Sam, and I must say I agree. I am in the happy position right now of having a time capsule fabric saloon which I will preserve in as original a state as practical, and a sports model that I will probably end up putting a lot of relatively fast miles on - so it makes more sense to apply subtle but practical mods to that - and the prop shaft falls into that category - although, as I said, this was a mod. recommended by McEvoy when the car was new anyway. The car currently has hydraulic brakes and I'm agonizing over whether to keep them or revert to cables. I wonder what the stopping distance would be on cable brakes from 70 mph - half a county or so?

In any case, I'd far prefer to see a Minor with a few practical mods out and about than an original sat in a garage because the owner is afraid to use it. And as for the McEvoy, it STILL isn't VSCC eligible, so there is no incentive to keep it 'standard'.