Technical Quick Change- who really swaps gears?

I see a lot of QC being used, listed and discussed. However, I've never seen someone actually change the gearing. So, just HOW quickly can you change the gears in a QC for a banjo? Do you have to carry a drain pan?

I ask because in building the next hot rod, I'm seriously considering a QC. Not for looks or bragging rights, to actually use. I like my 4.11 in my little roadster but as much as I liked it, I hated floating the valves when you get out on the four lane just to run to the store.

Will I actually use it?

 

It takes all of about 15 minutes to change gears, and yes you need a drain pan. We changed them in the pits at roundy round races.

 

I put the tall gears in it for the trips to the HAMB Drags, then run the regular gears the rest of the year. Takes about ten minutes in the hotel parking lot. I drain the oil into a small sealed container and dump it in the oil recycle tank at the O'Riley's down the street.



It is not something you will be doing all the time, but it is nice when you need it.

-Abone.

 

Yeah I normally see it at racing events where people are driving the car and not trailering them. Depending on the car it could take as little as ten minutes.

Took me a minute at the hotrod hill climb to figure out how those Flathead cars where just tearing up the mountain haha, great use of a quick change

 

If I can ever keep one for myself , I’d be able to give you a better insight. On the Cyclone 32 #64b & 64d, we ran in #16 of our initial run of current generation of Cyclone QC’s but that said on our 27 T-Ster and our 32’s we’d run a very tall gear to save the engines from being wound out. We have 3.78:1 ring & pinions in both and run set #14 six spline gears.
That calc’s out to 2.41:1 on the low side, 5.94 on the high side. Makes it just a little too zippy on high side .
That’s the kool thing about having a QC of any companies manufacture. Gear choices are numerous and one can tailor their needs with a 15 min gear change for whatever their speed needs require.

 

Yep, unfortunately, it takes about 20+ minutes to swap gears in my 54 Conestoga because of the gas tank is wrapped so closely around the back of the center of the axle, but I've changed gears a few times looking for a good gear for the street.
In the future, when I get my hot rod engine done, I'll be going back and forth between a track gear and a street gear. And finding the best for each application.



I currently have 5 gear sets on the shelf, beside the set in the car now.

Mike

 

My preferred gearing for many years for driving on highways was around 3:30. Last summer I realized that at age 75 I'm not wanting to be on a fast road with this car. I love driving on beautiful back country roads here in New England so I swapped the gears to be back to 3:78 and am really enjoying it the way it is now. It took about 15 minutes to make the change. And I love the look and the sound of the quickchange.

 

QC....Kool looking for sure....BUT...
1) STD straight cut broached gears....noisy as all get out..... primarily for racing where noise doesn't matter. 100 miles and you'll be deaf...or getting a divorce.
2) helical cut gears... available...typically not in all gear ratio choices but in enough to cover most road driving applications are 90% less noisy because they are very precision cut, and rack shaved...very precise. Caution...these are helical cut thus the gears mesh on an angle...thus pushing against the rear cover. High horsepower burnouts can push hard against the rear cover with potential catastrophic ending.
3) yes, easy to change gears....but not in your tuxedo...let alone the stink.
But they are kool [emoji106][emoji41]

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I’ve been thinking about the noise lately. I see lots of cars with quick changes and some are virtually silent while others sound like the 1990’s batmobile rocketing away.

It makes me wonder if it’s 100% gear cut or if there is a flaw in how some are set up that they are that much louder

 

I have two different sets of gear for mine. One set is tooooo noisy and the other set is a lot better but you still hear them. I run the quieter ones 90% of the time.

 

Straight cut gears loud.
Helical cut gears, quieter.
Ultimatly, gear mesh for either style gear, yes, can make a difference with a center to center dimension and sound. A coupla thousandths on the plus side or the minus side will change the sound level. Also the diameter of the gears...plus and minus make a difference. Along with the cut of the actual tooth shape.

Mine in my wagon is loud, but not too objectionable. The new engine's exhaust note will probably drown it out, or at least equal the Quick Change sound..!

Hey...it's better than the guys putting gear drives in for their cam drives to make it sound like blower whine...

Mike

 

I don't know how long it takes to change gears in my Cyclone. I generally do it at home between Bonneville and El Mirage races but it seems I always have time for a "Quickie".
Hi Kevin.
Wayno

 

What gearboxes do you use with the QC? I'm thinking the need for a QC would be way smaller if you have a more modern gear box with many gears, so you can have a good highway cruising top gear and still well usable low gears at low speed, than with, say, a three speed wide ratio gearbox that will always force you to compromise.

 

I know this is a bit ot but do any m of you guys have a speedo? If so which kind cable or gps?

 

Takes me less than 10 minuets from start to finish including adding the gear lube back in.

 

If I had one I would be changing gears all the time.. Wow would that be fun! You could change gears along with distributor timing and try different combinations. Then there's carburation and camshaft swapping, I need one of those! lol

 

I change mine a fair bit. I have an old army bag that carries three sets of gears in plastic sealed tubs. I put the spare gears on the lid, drain the oil into the tub. Change the gears. I can either put the drained oil back in or put in fresh. With the dregs of oil in the tub keeping the spare gears oiled. Also in the bag is a small bottle of oil, the tools to do the job, a couple of rags and a small digital torque wrench.

 

I’m planning on gps.

 

Well, isn't this nice. 18 posts and not one to call "Bull Shit" on.

You have all made some good points. I'd like to add some additional information.
Several customers have told me that they have decreased the noise by switching to synthetic gear lube.
You can keep the total noise down by setting the R&P up on the tight side.
Good gears are quieter than not so good ones.
Helical are quieter than even the best straight cuts (but not by much)
Narrow gears are quieter than wider, but weaker and you need to use a spacer.
You will probably not 'feel' a ratio change of less than .25.
But, you should try to idealize the ratio to around + or - 100 rpm.
Ideally, you would like to be able to have usable ratios with the change gears in both combinations. (Big Gear on top or bottom)
There is no need for a #1 gear set. Think about it

I have always wanted to do an experiment comparing gears from several manufacturers for noise. And, to see how tooth count and/or profile effects noise. Maybe next summer

 

I was just thinking if anyone who know if any particular brand has better/quieter gears it would be you. Thanks for your input!

 

I rode with a friend to several NSRA Nats back in the 70's. He, and in some cases I, were very actively doing the various driving events they had back in the day. Lots of fun, by the way. Sorry they quit doing them.....but I digress. We were running the various slalom course events in his Desoto powered '27 roadster and lost 1st gear in the old Ford top shift transmission. Well, we changed gears in the quick change and ran the rest of the events in 2nd. As a side note it started jumping out of 2nd too, but a bungee chord holding pressure on the shifter was used to complete the events. In the end he ended up winning the "Chrysler Nats" and the reward was a new, in-the-crate 340 engine with a 727 transmission. Thanks goodness for the quickchange!

Lynn

 

VanHalen in the buds will surely reduce the QC noise.....

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If you get a chance to see a set of broached straight cut gears (most common) next to a set of helical cut gears you'll see a world of difference in how they are made.
No question the helical cut are substantially quieter.
Process of making the gears, broached vs helical are like neanderthal vs space age and priced accordingly.
But for the typical roundy car straight cut is fine. For the hot rod cruiser, doin lots of driving, especially long trips the helical are sweethearts.

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On straight cut gears each tooth comes in contact with the tooth on the other gear suddenly, contacting each other the entire width of the tooth at once.
Helical cut teeth get and release contact gradually, first touching each other lightly at one end, the contact area increases and slides towards the middle, and then towards the other end gradually releasing as the next tooth takes over.

Straight cut teeth slam into each other suddenly, so no wonder they make more noise.

 

When I got the rearend I bought two sets... one gave me 3.11 and the other 3.90. I even installed a hatch cover for a boat in the floor of the trunk for easy access.
The 3.11s stay in the car. I just smile now and then when I look at the 3.90s on the shelf. The big block Chevy with the tunnel ram and 750 Edelbrock take care of the rest!

 

Lynn, you might want to look up the video in the '77 Nats thread. It shows your buddy's '27 roadster in the joust. Maybe that's you riding or driving?

 

Broached vs helical.....

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I have never had a speedo in my entire life, but I am approaching that age so who knows maybe in the next your or two.



OK still reading? Most speedometers are driven off the tail shaft of the transmission and I have found that stock or stock style cables work well enough. My speedometer seldom work if I even have one. I do normally have a working tach and after a bit you learn the RPM range of a given speed.

 

Jayzus!! That pic needs a warning placard.