engine/gearbox conversion adapter Urgently Required

Whats wrong with the old adapter? It should bolt straight on to the replacement engine.

I'm very suspicious of the story you have been given but I'm a synical git. Hope you get it sorted ok.

Lee D

Hang on. They've just taken out a broken 2.5TDi engine and now they're saying the new 2.5TDi wont fit?

Have they found the right engine?

Have they left the adaptor bits on the old engine and not realised?

Does your posting name mean you're female[1]? If so, take a bloke along next time. A *big* bloke who hasn't washed in a day or two. Let the garage blokes talk to him. It's amazing the number of garages that'll treat someone like they're an idiot just because they're female.

Something stinks here and it's not me.

[1] You never know these days. It's dangerous to assume *anything*. ;-)

The old adapter is broken.... .........which may explain load rattling sound from under the engine.

Well, I do understand your concern, and perhaps normally I'd be suspicious, but I do know a little bit about cars and I've been using this particular garage for years. I've always found thier work to be reasonable and their prices fair so I am happy that they are being honest with me. Also, the new engine fitting was my suggestion anyway - not theirs.

Strangely enough, it was the garages research that alerted me to the fact that my car had been converted in the first place. I then checked the VIN number on the internet and found to my suprprize, that my car had originally left sollihull as a five speed manual!

Any way, the progress on my car has come to a stop until I can get this part. Which means a £2k cheque the garage don't get until the work is completed. I don't think it's in their interest to pussy-foot around really, do you!? Also, would they really have faced the embarrasment of admitting to me that they didn't know where to get the spare part? I would be more inclined to believe that they would be more likely to to fit a new-easily-obtainable, hassle-free part if they were going to stich me up.

best wishes Gail

In article , Lee_D writes

Sounds like a good idea, and it shouldn't be a patent issue anyway*.

But back to practicalities, even castings can be welded. It's not aesthetically pleasing, but usually strong if it's done right.

Is a repair wholly impossible?

Regards,

Simonm.

*I doubt anything about a standard engine -> standad gearbox adapter is patentable these days. It would have to be an original ("novel") idea, which is unlikely, and in any case patent law, IIRC, allows anyone to make a copy of a patented idea for experimental purposes (it's one of the reasons for the existence of the patents system).

It could be a copyrighted design, but even then I doubt a replacement would be sufficiently identical to be worth bothering about - shaft alignment or gasket shape, for example, wouldn't be enough on their own to be an infringement.

In view of the above... take the old adapter to any half decent engineering workshop they should be able to knock up a new one from the one you have as a pattern. Not a Patent issue if the origional company is defunct. If they can't they should be able to suggest somewhere that will.

Lee D

On or around Sun, 11 Jul 2004 08:32:02 GMT, "G-AIL" enlightened us thusly:

the adapter should be available, even so, as a new part, I'd have thought, provided you can work out who's selling it. From my recollection, there's a small circular bit which bolts onto the crank, then a set of parts which bolt to that with 4 longish 10mm bolts, first there's a plate with the ring gear for the starter bolted to it, then a spacer and then the flexplate to which the torque converter bolts. That was on a straight V8 version. The only bits I'd expect to be different for a TDi are the bit that bolts to the crank, probably the ring gear and possibly the spacer. But I'd also expect standard TDi-auto parts to fit it, since they made TDi-autos using the same gearbox.

Gail,

Try M+D Engineering (Known these days for importing the 2.8 TDi from Brazil) who pioneered the conversion you have. Last time I spoke to them though, they no longer made the adaptor as it is better and easier to fit the matching TDi autobox which comes with the correct bellhousing - and the appropriate gear ratios too! If M+D can't help, I'd get in touch with Ashcrofts who will exchange your gearbox with the proper one. Sorry, I have no contact details for either with me! Good luck,

Giles