Frequently Asked Questions

The ubiquitous Ford Type 9 gearbox as fitted to the Ford Sierras and Capris in all models from the Pinto 1.6 up to the early XR4 V6 2.8 uses the standard Ford 1″ (25.4mm) 23 spline input shaft. The best way to confirm this is to count the number of splines on the input shaft and then measure the diameter. Any conversion using the Type 9 will need either the standard Ford 8 1/2″ friction plate or a specially made plate to fit your car. In most instances the standard flywheel and clutch cover from your engine can be used together with the Ford clutch plate as most modern engines utilise a slightly larger diameter clutch plate as standard. The small amount of unswept area on the flywheel is of no consequence. These include the Vauxhall 2.0 XE engine using the Vauxhall 2.0XE Engine to Ford Gearbox Cable Clutch Bellhousing, the Toyota 4AGE engine using the Toyota 4AGE to Ford Gearbox Bellhousing, the Zetec SE engine using the Zetec SE to Ford Gearbox Bellhousing and the Sunbeam 1.6 engine using the Sunbeam or Avenger to Ford Bellhousing. The Duratec engine utilises a dual mass flywheel which needs to be replaced with the Ford Duratec lightweight Steel Flywheel. This flywheel allows you to use a complete 8 1/2″ Clutch Cover and Friction Disc kit, which makes it easier to upgrade to a competition clutch at a later date. We also carry a range of lightweight steel flywheels that are machined to accept the 8 1/2″ clutch cover. All Ford Pinto engines accept the standard 8 1/2″ clutch.

The Borg Warner T5 gearbox as fitted to the Sierra / Sapphire Cosworth 2wd uses the same Ford 1″ (25.4mm) 23 spline input shaft as the Type 9 gearbox. Please see FAQ 1 for more information on this. The T5 gearbox as fitted to the Ford Mustang commonly uses a 10 spline 1 1/6″ input shaft. We produce a 8 1/2″ (215mm) heavy duty disc with this centre spline.

The Type 9 gearbox as fitted to the 2.8 litre V6 Capri and Sierras utilised an input shaft that was between 20mm – 32mm longer than the input shafts fitted to gearboxes fitted to lesser capacity cars. The measurement from bellhousing gearbox face to the end of a standard input shaft is 7″ or 178mm.. You can determine which gearbox you have by checking whether the input shaft protrudes from the face of the gearbox. If the shaft protrudes about 1″ (25.4mm) then it is likely that you have a 2.8 gearbox. For Vauxhall bellhousings the face to face measurement is 23mm shorter to a standard input shaft will protrude around 23mm. The longer input shaft is not compatible with standard bellhousings. Some manufacturers produce a bellhousing with a bigger face to face dimension but then you can only use the 2.8 Type 9 gearbox and shaft! Some converters machine down the input shaft but then you also need to machine down the spline face, which requires removing the input shaft (necessitating a ‘box strip down). It is possible to change the input shaft but since the 2.8 utilised different ratios you will also need to change the layshaft! The cheaper and easier solution is to use our Adaptor Plate for RS2000 Type Bellhousing to 2.8 Gearbox, which is a spacer plate that simply fits between the gearbox and bellhousing using longer bolts. The thickness of the adaptor plate is 20mm meaning it can accommodate the 32mm longer input shaft and also the intermediate length input shaft found in some models, which is 14.7mm longer. Please check whether your gearbox is the later type with a protruding boss where a stronger layshaft bearing has been fitted. You will need to specify the additional machining on the adaptor plate if this is the case.

Due to the compact design of transverse FWD gearboxes their input shaft is much shorter than RWD gearboxes, which are optimised for the gear lever position. Therefore the FWD engines do not utilise a spigot bearing to support the input shaft. The longer shaft of the Type 9 and Borg Warner T5 is designed to be supported at the crankshaft end by a needle roller bearing. Happily most manufacturers have retained a legacy spigot bearing hole in the end of the crankshaft, meaning that you are able to use a standard spigot bearing in most instances. Please note that the Puma 1.7VVT uses a smaller spigot bearing as explained here. The Honda K Series engine does not have a deep spigot bearing recess and so we produce 2 x ball bearings that are fixed into the end of the crankshaft using Loctite. You will need to either remove 6mm from the eno of the spigot bearing or machine the crankshaft recess deeper for the Honda installation.

The standard Duratec flywheel is a “Dual Mass” item, which is comprised of 2 separate flywheels connected by a damping mechanism, which smooths out the torque pulses from the engine, ensuring smoother running and gearchanges. This mechanism has a tendency to separate even in road cars and even more so when subjected to the higher RPM of a competition or trackday engine. To overcome this weak point we supply a lightweight steel flywheel, which is not only more reliable but is also less than half the weight of the standard flywheel. Additionally this flywheel is machined to accept the Ford Pinto 8 1/2″ clutch in either standard or competition form, simplifying the build process. Note: Some of customers have used the standard solid flywheel from a Fiesta ST. We cannot guarantee perfect clutch release with this flywheel as the flywheel is slightly thinner.

We do not manufacture a bellhousing specifically to fit the Zetec E Engine however the bellhousing pattern is the same as the venerable Pinto bellhousing and so the RS2000 bellhousing, the Sierra direct replacement bellhousing or the Pinto or Cosworth to Borg Warner T5 bellhousing will fit with a couple of provisos. The bellhousing patterns are the same with the exceptions of the starter motor location. The Zetec E has the starter mounted high up for the FWD application whereas our starter mounts low for RWD. That leaves a spare bellhousing bolt where the Zetec starter used to mount, which requires a small blanking plate. Additionally we are told that you may need to remove a couple of redundant reinforcing ribs from the lower part of the engine.

The decision that you make regarding clutch choice should be based on a combination of the engine power and torque and also the driving conditions that the converted car will be subject to. We generally recommend that the standard 8 1/2″ Clutch Cover and Friction Disc is good up to 150bhp however if the application is fast road with sympathetic gear changes then we have many clients who have used engines with power outputs up to 200bhp with this setup. For competition or regular trackday use the combination of the AP Racing Heavy Duty Clutch Plate CP5351-1 and AP Racing clutch cover CP2511-1 can handle power and torque levels up to 320Nm/236lbft. You will notice a slightly heavier clutch pedal and a slightly sharper clutch take-up. For power and torque figures above these levels we recommend the Twin plate 7 1/4″ paddle clutch though please note that this is strictly for competition use as the clutch take-up is very sharp.

Yes we ship our parts all over the world from Guadeloupe, Boston, Cyprus, through to Hong Kong, Perth Australia and Wellington New Zealand! Please see the next FAQ for information on shipping.

Once you have added items to your basket click on the basket in the top menu to the right. Under Shipping click on “Calculate Shipping” where you can enter your address to see shipping options.

All goods (and carriage charges) sent to addresses within the United Kingdom are subject to VAT at 20%. All other destinations are free of VAT.

Since we do not charge VAT or tax on orders If your delivery address is outside of the UK, you may have to pay import duties and taxes, which are levied once a shipment reaches your country. You are responsible for paying any additional charges for customs clearance. Please note customs policies vary widely from country to country. We recommend you contact your local customs office for further information. It may be more cost effective to split your orders so that the total cost is below the import duty threshold for your country.

It used to be that when reference was made to “Pinto” or “x-flow” engines this would guarantee the discussion was around a specific construction of engine. However that all changed with the later engines, when the nomenclature was used for marketing purposes with engine names being applied to any engine family regardless of the base construction! We will attempt to demystify the issue here.

Zetec E

These were available in 1.8 and 2.0 litre versions and were knows as the “Zetec E”. Based on the CVH engine they were fitted to Ford Mondeos and Focuses. The engines were available first in “Silvertop” and then “Blacktop”. They share the same bellhousing pattern as the Pinto / x-flow range of engines with the provisos discussed in FAQ 6 and hence can utilise the Pinto-based bellhousings. A brief resume of the differences is show below:

The Silvertop engines can be identified by a three digit code on the block near the engine number. The Blacktop engine may have a 4 digit code stamped onto the block, but also has a label on the front of the cam belt cover. This will start with a 4 digit code which is the variant identifier.

Zetec SE / S

The Zetec SE engine is a completely different design, being a joint collaboration between Ford and Yamaha, Utilising an all alloy block and cylinder head it is some 40Kg lighter than the Zetec E, which employs a cast iron block. The Zetec SE comes in 1.25, 1.4, 1.6 and 1.7 litre versions and is fitted to Ford Fiestas, Focuses and Pumas. A 1.6 Zetec E engine was fitted to late Escorts and Orions. The bellhousing pattern is completely different to the Zetec E, with the starter motor high and to the left looking forward sat in the car.

Duratec

The Duratec badge is assigned to anything from the 1.3 litre Kent engine to the 3.7 V6! We are interested only in what is known as the “Ford global straight-4” engine. This ranges comprises the 1.8, 2.0 and 2.3 litre 4 cylinder units, which are all alloy and weigh around 90Kg – 30Kg less than the Zetec E. Note that the 2.0RS Duratec is actually a Zetec E engine. The Duratec can produce good power with a relatively small amount of modification.

When using the Pinto or Cosworth to Borg Warner T5 Bellhousing the smaller 9 bolt flywheel needs to be used as the larger diameter flywheel will foul the inside of the bellhousing.

The quick release / quick fit option is available on the following bellhousings: RS2000 Type Bellhousing (cable clutch), Duratec Engine to Ford Gearbox Hydraulic Clutch Bellhousing, Duratec Engine to Ford Gearbox Cable Clutch Bellhousing, Toyota 4AGE to Ford Gearbox Bellhousing Honda K20 and K24 to Ford Type 9 Bellhousing and Vauxhall 2.0XE Engine to Ford Gearbox Cable Clutch Bellhousing. A quick release bellhousing differs from the standard fitment bellhousing in that the bellhousing itself is tapped with 10mm standard threads instead of the usual blind 12mm hole. This allows the bolts to be reversed so that, rather than passing through the bellhousing, from the inside of the bellhousing into the 12mm fine holes in the gearbox, the bolts can be fitted from the outside of the gearbox, screwing into the 10mm threaded holes in the bellhousing. Standard 10mm cap head bolts will just pass through the threads in the gearbox flange. It may be necessary to file the holes down slightly. Obviously this will compromise the ability for the gearbox to be fitted in the normal way in future! The advantage of a quick release bellhousing is that the bellhousing can be fitted to the engine first followed by fitting the gearbox to the bellhousing, This is useful if you have a restricted transmission tunnel clearance or you need to change the gearbox in a hurry such as in a competition situation.