Is anyone running a short driveshaft between the clutch and the gearbox? It was quite common practice in the '20's. This example is a Bugatti T13: Here's an American Rolls Royce: Here's a later example: Morgans had this set-up into the '50s. I don't know why, but I like the idea. I could say that it limits the part of the frame that sees multiplied engine torque to the rear half, thus reducing torsional strain, or that it allows you to introduce extra crossbracing between the engine and the gearbox, but the truth is just that I like it. But how would one go about it? Bearing on bellhousing? Any thoughts?
If my memory is right the Bugatti 8 &16 valve transmissions were held in with four bolts so it wasn't really strong enough to act as a crossmember. The later Type 35/37/51 GP cars has two bent tube crossmembers with the transmission attached to it that really stiffened the ch***is. Great Rolls ch***is photo, thank you for posting it.
There's an idea. If memory serves they had either the half-a-389 four or the Buick/Olds 215 (?). What bellhousings did they use? What bolts on?
A lot of those early cars had the shifter on the driver's side, just inboard of the door, with a linkage across to the 'box. Some early Bentleys even had the shifter between the driver's knees! Also common, incidentally, was to have the throttle pedal in the middle and the brake on the right. That'd take a bit of getting used to nowadays.
Some tractors also use this arrangement. Oliver was one that did and when you use these in tractor pulling its very easy to run any powerplant you want. Frank
Star also used this setup. When we lived in Baltimore, I was acquainted with a guy who had restored several 1920's Stars.
I built a Dirt Late Model back in the '80s that had a remote mounted transmission behind a backwards mounted BB Dodge. I made a really long input shaft and mounted the 3spd Saginaw to the ch***is in the middle of the car. No clutch, driven off of a hub that was triple key'd to the crank snout. It was made to beat an engine set-back rule, but as a bonus I got a reverse rotation drivetrain. It won a few main events with that set-up, but i eventually built a little sheetmetal gearbox w/ a motorcycle clutch in the countershaft pictured here that mounted to a small fabricated bellhousing that attached to the front (or rear?) of the engine... Later built a 4 rotor rotary powered late model that used the same little gearbox... http://members.tripod.com/~grannys/4rotor.html , all homemade in a little garage...what can i say? more time than money. Granny
1950s BMW had this setup, and they had a factory tool to align the box with the engine. They reckoned the gearbox would wear out quick if it were not properly aligned.
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