Help identifying coupe

[ColinB]

New head gaskets in modern composite material arrived from EAS yesterday. They look very good and are reasonable at about £30 each including VAT and postage. EAS have the CAD file so its easy to order more if required. As my overheating problem was a little more bizarre than a leaking gasket I don't need to fit one of these but they will be great as spares.

[ColinB]

We have had several short trips in ELA and she is running well. Just one issue - she won't stay in second gear unless I hold it in. The gear works fine as does the synchromesh changing down and it isn't a big problem to hold it in, but I would like to fix it if possible. I'm not familiar with the remote change arrangement but I wonder if it can be adjusted, or is the problem within the gearbox itself?

Edited to note that have seen Peter's and Phillip's posts on the topic in 2017. I will have a good look at these.

[Peter McKercher]

I think I referenced the gearbox being stuck in second. This happens if the locking pin is missing.

Ian Blackburn noted that 1st gear will jump out when pulling and third will slip out on over run and "that is just the way these gearboxes are". Not sure whether the same applies to second.

[ColinB]

Thanks Peter. Fortunately first and third seem to be rock solid as is reverse.

[ColinB]

I had another run out today and tested the second gear issue more thoroughly. She only jumps out when I first change up or down, but if I hold her in second until it is taking load she stays in gear with no problem.

[Phillip]

For future reference, here are a couple of photos of the gearbox selector pin that can be left out if not careful, as well as the balls that sit in between:

34 Sports Gearbox_Pin_WEB.jpg (342.06 KiB) Viewed 22776 times

34 Sports Gearbox_Pin and Selectors_WEB.jpg (323.23 KiB) Viewed 22776 times

BTW, I believe the Coupe had a remote control extension made up to fit the three speed Bantam box, so would not be the same design as the four speed unit used in the Nine LM and Sports.

[jeans_old_man]

Hi Colin,

What oil are you using in the gearbox? Castrol XL engine oil is recommended for the '35 cars and it works well for me. Contrary to popular belief, thick oil doesn't speed up gear changes since it is spread all round the gearbox casing whereas the thin stuff provides more 'churn' . Avoid using EP as I have read that it destroys the bronze bush.

Yours gearbox has synchromesh on 2nd and it sounds like it takes a few seconds for the oil to get squeezed out of the mechanism when selected. Thin oil might speed this up. Just a theory - but worth a try!

Brian

[telco.2]

Might as well chuck in my comments on gear oil. I'd always used engine oil as per the instruction book, but after a few years changed to sae 90 with the 2 litre. Much quieter and didn't seem to make that much difference to the change as it was a 'fast' box anyway. It always jumped out of 3rd coming down very steep hills and out of 2nd if climbing hard as on Alpine passes...never did solve that even after 40 years ownership and 14 trips to the Alps / Dolomites in Northern Italy!
I put sae 90 in the present 4 seater 9 with 1.5 box to start with but have changed to sae 140. It has made it much quieter and taken away the harshness especially in 1st. I'm still running in so haven't really pushed it in the gears ...watch this space
I wonder if on the helical gears they are not going fully into mesh and will therefore undergo 'screw' forces?? Just a thought...
Bill

[ColinB]

Good thought Brian. I have Penrite SAE90 in the gearbox which was I think recommended in the Blackburn book but I plan to change engine and gearbox oil after about 100 miles so I'm up for an experiment! I also have a large can of SAE140 Bill so I can give that a try too.

[ColinB]

My speedo cable has sheared in the middle although the speedo itself is not seized, so I presume it suffered during its 25 years off the road. Does anyone know where I can get another, or does someone have a spare? I understand from Arthur Michell that cables from all 972cc Nines will fit. I am in touch with Speedograph who have quoted for a complete replacement of inner and outer but have so far failed to confirm that the gearbox and instrument connections will be the same.

Arthur thinks Hardwicks have them but they are not going to be available for the foreseeable future so far as I can see.

Just an edit following a look at the Hardwick catalogue - it seems that my speedo has a non-original connection to the instrument so Dave's advice is to contact Speedograph.......

[ColinB]

I have bitten the bullet and ordered one from Speedograph. It should be here in a few days.

[ColinB]

New speedo cable fitted and working so apart from the useful asset of being legal I can monitor the running in speeds and distance covered. I have only done about 60 miles so far but I plan to change the oil to fresh running-in oil at 100 miles and a multigrade classic oil at 500 miles when I will consider her to be run in. I am taking her around the village whenever the weather is dry such as it is today, so I hope to have her run in by next spring.

[cdk84]

Well, Colin, either you've made a lot of progress on this lovely project or I've been away for a bit. Why not both?

SO happy to see things moving apace.

Early on in this thread you wrote, "The papers with the car also include the Singer Owner from 1972 with an article on the Nine Coupes and a contemporary review from September 1936."

Any chance you could either post those articles or send on a copy to me at Babadawv at gmail (.) com? I simply haven't come across much information about the coupes and am hungry for it.

As always, whether chiming in or no, it's delicious to see what you're up to and the progress you continually make.

Carry on, Sir!

Cheers,

David

[cdk84]

Do today's presently available motor oils in the UK l still contain ZDDP, or a similar zinc additive? Or does one have to seek out a specific motor oil as we must in the States when breaking in a new engine or changing cams?

Just curious...

[ColinB]

Great to hear from you David! I believe Millers and Penrite do multigrade oils with a benign formula so I'll look into the options but I note that Ian Blackburn says to use any quality multigrade in the Nine engine. I will however stick to Millers or Penrite. I have a Penrite conservation oil in my Junior which is designed for cars that don't go out that often but I don't think that will be the case with ELA!

My Nine is the less desirable version David compared to your lovely Le Mans Coupe. Its basically the same engine but with a single 26mm carburettor and only three speeds. They were produced between 1936 and 1937 only, and although some people call them a Bantam Coupe as they share some body components, they were marketed by Singer as the Nine Coupe not the Bantam Coupe (nor a Le Mans I'm afraid). So the reviews I have don't cover your car but I can send you a scan if you like. I hope you and your wife are enjoying life!