Author Topic: Sequential tranny  (Read 509 times)

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Offline Polopharm

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Sequential tranny
« on: Thursday,August 18, 2022, 09:05:06 AM »
Has anyone found a sequential gearbox that works for our apllication in the Europa? If so which one?

Offline BDA

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Re: Sequential tranny
« Reply #1 on: Thursday,August 18, 2022, 09:44:50 AM »
Did a quick search and was surprised to have found some. They ain't cheap and they're for A LOT more HP (and torque) than you'd find in any Europa. Some (all?) include oil pumps which is a complexity we wouldn't need. Some (all?) have straight cut gears and dog engagement making them a difficult choice for the street  but here's what I found:

https://www.fortinracing.com/product/frs5-sequential/
https://ranchotransaxles.com/albins-transaxles/
https://www.dana.com/products/light-vehicle/high-performance-vehicle/

If  you're really interested, each of those sites has other trannies listed on other pages so you should look around.

Enjoy!

Offline Polopharm

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Re: Sequential tranny
« Reply #2 on: Thursday,August 18, 2022, 10:58:38 AM »
As i am crazy still toying with idea of buying the 72 tc project
car, (its fully disassembled in boxes) to build as a race car. Depending on class you could reasonably argue for use of either a Toyota or ford engine and sequential tranny are allo
wed. Engine rule is swaps are allowed as long as it is the same brand that the manufacturer has used...so thus the engine choices. It would take a little time to get the first log book but i think doable. After racing with a sequential  i would dread going back to h pattern.
Theres a company in portugal that has hundreds of used sequential for sale all in the 3k range.
Interesting for the street the have a booster sequential with syncros not designed to withstand clutchless downshfting unless you add a autoblip, which requires a standalone ecu.

Weird side note- i recently saw a maual tranny set up for people with use of only 1 leg, much like an old vw sportomatic, it has a sensor on the shifterknob, when you press lightly on knob a motor operates the clutch.
At red lights you can put in nuetral or just depress shifter knob. It somehow sensed the timing of the clutch release and was quite smooth. Kit was made in india, was under a grand. The driver with the disability had it all done for free via a charity.

Offline BDA

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Re: Sequential tranny
« Reply #3 on: Thursday,August 18, 2022, 11:06:07 AM »
The rules might be a problem. Would they consider the Twin Cam to be a Lotus engine since Lotus designed the head or a Ford since that's where the block came from?

Assuming you can get the Ford engine designation, you have a lot of leeway. Sequential trannies seem to be an issue of money and fabrication (i.e. money + time). Hewland trannies also look WAY over engineered for any engine you'd likely put in a Europa but here they are (I'm not sure if any are sequential but I assume at least some are.):

https://www.hewland.com/wpccategories/mid-engine-rear-wheel-drive/

Offline SwiftDB4

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Re: Sequential tranny
« Reply #4 on: Thursday,August 18, 2022, 01:22:45 PM »
What racing organization are you thinking about? Don't think SCCA or vintage organizations will allow engine swaps to Toyota or Ford Zetec for a production class Europa. Not even sure about a sequential box from a different manufacturer.

Offline jbcollier

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Re: Sequential tranny
« Reply #5 on: Thursday,August 18, 2022, 03:10:09 PM »
Read the regs to avoid $$$ disappointment.

A few companies make transaxles for FF and some are also available as sequential, or even semi-auto.

Offline Polopharm

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Re: Sequential tranny
« Reply #6 on: Friday,August 19, 2022, 09:57:35 AM »
Yes i am very familiar with the class rules. If i wanted to do GTL, I can use the 2.0 duratek, and a sequential.
Would need to add balast so the extra weight of transaxle wouldnt be that significant if it could be cross balanced well.
The use of 13" wheels vs 15" allows for either less balast or smaller restrictor plate.

In production class the SCCA started allowing Mazda mx5 cup cars to compete. They all come with sequential boxes and so there is some uproar right now, and so likely will be able to run sequential in that group as well.

I would likely stick with the GTL class as it allows for much higher degree of modification.

My current race car is a 2.3l cosworth/esslinger duratec and a 6spd sequential.
 Without the restrictor plate it dyno'd at 320whp, 1900lb with driver , cool suit and 10g fuel.

I had to add 400lb and drop hp significantly.

Offline Polopharm

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Re: Sequential tranny
« Reply #7 on: Friday,August 19, 2022, 09:58:24 AM »
Sorry meant to ask , is the semiauto a modified vw transaxle?

Offline Polopharm

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Re: Sequential tranny
« Reply #8 on: Friday,August 19, 2022, 10:13:03 AM »
And again sorry for anotger follow up post. When i asked an scca scrutineer about the engine, he said it would likely never be an issue unless protested at a Majors, or the run offs.

Regardless I need to get the street car running first....

Offline jbcollier

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Re: Sequential tranny
« Reply #9 on: Friday,August 19, 2022, 10:19:33 AM »
They haven't been VW based for a long time:

https://www.hewland.com/wpcproduct/jfr-200/