mk1-forum.net

Gents,

I have a little plan to put a slightly racey 998 cooper engine into my car. however for interior looks I want to keep the magic wand gearbox.

Is this just a terrible idea all round and I should change to a cooper gearbox too or would it be ok?

The other option is tuning an 850 and running that, however I can't find much info of where to start with that idea.

Look forward to hearing your opinions!

Lewis

The Coldwell twin-cam mini seems to survive with a mgic wand box.

More importantly, has you box got the gear ratios and diff that you want ?

Possibly not the diff ratio I would want no. I think the ratios will take some calculating etc to get what I'm after.

I know for driveability the remote type box would be better, but for fun and looks I prefer the magic wand!

keep your eye out for one of those four sync magic wand boxes as they will be better than a three sync.

richspec on here runs his 8 port with a magic wand.....................

Hi Lewis,

In my car, I have a stage 1 998 Cooper engine and matching Cooper gearbox but fitted with the magic wand selector - you can just change the housing at the end, I did it ages ago so I can't remember what was involved but it wasn't complicated - then you can have the best of both worlds, the Cooper gearbox/diff etc but the magic wand stick for the 'correct' look.

Cheers,

Chris

Brilliant idea.

I might go for that. I believe my cooper box might have some straight cut gears in it *best check the workshop*

Chris64 wrote: you can just change the housing at the end,

you shouldn't do this as they are a matched to the gearcase.

sometimes you 'may' be lucky, but you run the risk of oil leaks or nipping the bearings

its just not good engineering practice

rich@minispares.com wrote:keep your eye out for one of those four sync magic wand boxes as they will be better than a three sync.

richspec on here runs his 8 port with a magic wand.....................

ah but mines a guessworks special with the later A+ gearset in there, well it's supposed to be anyway...we'll not go down that road!

rich@minispares.com wrote:

Chris64 wrote: you can just change the housing at the end,

you shouldn't do this as they are a matched to the gearcase.

sometimes you 'may' be lucky, but you run the risk of oil leaks or nipping the bearings

its just not good engineering practice

If converting a 4 speed remote gearbox, you don't need to change the diff casing, its just a matter of removing the cast remote extension and fitting the alternative parts for the 'direct' gearchange.

In this diagram, remove the parts in the lower half and replace with the parts in the upper right corner.
https://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/eshop/i ... age&id=151. You also need a different shaft to transmit the movement to the gearbox, part 33 or 34 here.
http://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/eshop/in ... age&id=150


Tim

Tim wrote: If converting a 4 speed remote gearbox, you don't need to change the diff casing, its just a matter of removing the cast remote extension and fitting the alternative parts for the 'direct' gearchange.




Tim

that's the four sync van and pick up conversion that was only around for a couple of years in the early 1970's

it is pretty rare now


the first option I mentioned is easier to find as it was used on a lot of mk2's

i hope my experience will help you.
i like long distance driving with my familiy and going to mini meetings. five years ago before going to the IMM2009 i changed on my MK1 traveller std 850 engine for 1275 but keept orginal magic wand gearbox with some gearcase modification to accept 1275 block and 2,9 diff.
that combination worked well and i did not have any problem at all. i did not use for race, just for normal driving, travelling and occasionally quite fast driving too. with second hand magic wand gearbox i made more than 70.000km.
but i have to be honest, five days ago something went wrong. after 7.000km long journey from UK gearbox started to be noisy and last weekend on the way from croatina mini meeting i got strange melting noise and after 200km my mini stoped. i will check what is wrong next week and let you know.

The basic answer is. Why would the external gear change mechanism make any difference as the internals of the box are the same.

rich@minispares.com wrote:

Tim wrote: If converting a 4 speed remote gearbox, you don't need to change the diff casing, its just a matter of removing the cast remote extension and fitting the alternative parts for the 'direct' gearchange.
Tim

that's the four sync van and pick up conversion that was only around for a couple of years in the early 1970's

it is pretty rare now


the first option I mentioned is easier to find as it was used on a lot of mk2's

I guess so, but it probably depends on where you live. The 'direct' change gearbox was used in Mokes and vans here in the late '60s and early '70s so there's a few of them around still, I've not come across the 4 sync magic wand box though. I'm pretty sure all of ours standardised on remote boxes by the Mk2 period.

Tim

In reality, the biggest advantage of using a Cooper type remote is that the long aluminium extension makes a great lever to hold the engine in the engine bay. The thing you loose using a magic wand box is decent engine mountings.

If using a magic wand in a more powerful set up make sure you have as many engine stays as you can fit in.

As far as final drive is concerned. Most 850's used a 3.7, this would be PERFECT for a fast road 998.

Tim wrote: I guess so, but it probably depends on where you live. The 'direct' change gearbox was used in Mokes and vans here in the late '60s and early '70s so there's a few of them around still, I've not come across the 4 sync magic wand box though. I'm pretty sure all of ours standardised on remote boxes by the Mk2 period.

Tim

Yeah, they recon those gearbox have a shift pattern something like (from another forum);-



I've a growing pile of them here, everyone (out this way) wants Rod Shift it seems these days.

mk1 wrote:In reality, the biggest advantage of using a Cooper type remote is that the long aluminium extension makes a great lever to hold the engine in the engine bay. The thing you loose using a magic wand box is decent engine mountings.

If using a magic wand in a more powerful set up make sure you have as many engine stays as you can fit in.

As far as final drive is concerned. Most 850's used a 3.7, this would be PERFECT for a fast road 998.

It has been said that the Remote Shifter is a slower shift than the magic wand.

I'd agree with Mark here on the diff ratio, even a 3.9 (998's love revs )

Plans changing all the time, However I have been in contact with a friend who raced mini 7's during the 850 period.. So we may build an 850 'screamer'

An 850 screamer for the road is a VERY, VERY bad idea.

Its expensive to build, very highly stressed so is therefore potentially very unreliable & are horrible to drive on the road.

Interesting to revive a few old relics, may build it for a later track day project.

The 998 is almost ready to go in.. so either way I will be bolting it to the standard gearbox and see how it feels.

I know someone who had a 8 port 850 screamer (based on a 970)

it came on cam at about 6 grand (with nothing at all below that, just a world of bog, it wouldn't pull its self out of trouble if it dropped off cam, so you had to work the gear lever like a fatty on a slot machine), and would go right round to 12 plus.

he said when it came on cam it was like been hit round the head with a cricket bat!

if your wanting to build a 'screamer' for the road, do a sa1100 crank based jobby.

'fairly' cheap, reliable and will buzz to 7500 all day long

Rich
Was is exactly involved in using the SA crank in the 1275 block ?????? , About what amount is removed from the deck and what pistons do you use, Infact talk us through it

Goff