Engine Blue Part 2.qxd - Taylor Race Engineering

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SPECIAL REPORT TRANSMISSIONS
SHIFTING
TRENDS
For so long the part that existed between the engine and the rear wheels,
the transmission is finally getting its day in the sun, as William Kimberley
discovered when talking to specialist companies in the US and UK
EMCO’S EUROPEAN SUCCESS
EMCO’S ENGINEERING office and
manufacturing facility is located in Chicago
but showing its commitment to
motorsport, it also has facilities in
Mooresville, North Carolina and
Indianapolis where it has a transmission
dynamometer, that increasingly important
piece of kit that is being demanded by the
more discerning team.
Its transmissions can be found in many
types of racing cars, from single-seaters – it
has been involved in IRL since the first race
in 1996 – to sportscars, mainly in the US.
However, a recent phenomenon has been
strong growth in Europe as a result of the
dollar/euro situation.
“This has been something of a
turnaround for us,” says Dan Cota, Emco’s
manager of racing. “When we exhibited at
the Autosport International show in 2006
we met resistance to our products due to
the price. At the time we wrote the show
off and put it down to experience. Now,
though, with the sliding dollar and
stronger euro, we are receiving a number
of enquiries that we can trace back to
having first been made at that show.”
The transmission that is particularly
exciting its European customers is the
DV46 that has been specifically designed
for FIA GT3 cars.
“We work with ORECA in France which is
our European agent for this transmission,”
says Cota, “and they have been doing a
great job. We originally sent four
prototypes to them with some of our
engineers and underwent a week-long
evaluation test. Since that time, ORECA has
sold 26 to a number of European GT3
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July 08
teams who have been winning races in
many countries. We are now also selling
this transmission to GT3 teams in South
America while here in North America it has
been homologated for the Speed World
Challenge series.”
Another major coup for Emco was getting
Dodge to classify it as a preferred option
on the Viper Competition Coupe.
The DV46 is an evolution of the GA46,
one of the approved longitudinal 6-speed
transmissions currently being used in
Grand-Am Daytona Prototypes (DP) in
which Emco has been involved since the
ABOVE & BELOW Emco’s DV46, specially designed for FIA GT3 cars, has
propelled the US expert’s strong growth in the European market
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SPECIAL REPORT
RIGHT The Team RPM entry in the
British GT series is one of many
Viper Competition Coupes supplied
with the DV46 through ORECA,
Emco’s European agent for the unit
first race. It features many differences from
its principal competitor, including a smaller
shaft centre-to-centre distance for its firstto-sixth spur gears, a different kind of final
drive bevel gear and a lighter overall
weight. The axle-angle limit allows the
gearbox to be positioned as low as
physically possible in the car.
“Grand-Am weighed our gearbox and our
competitor’s when we first came out with
this unit and found that ours is over two
pounds lighter,” says Cota. “Our input to
output height is only 3.775” which is
about 7/8” lower than the competition’s.
That means our differential, the heaviest
component in the transmission which
accounts for the most rotational inertia, is
lower in the car. Our centre distance is less,
which means the gears generate less heat
because their pitch diameters are smaller.
Our gears are also smaller and have less
rotational inertia due to this smaller centre
distance. Since our parts are lower and
lighter, the car’s centre of gravity and polar
moment of inertia are lower which results
in an increase in handling performance.”
more efficient than a hypoid, but our
ground bevels are probably closer to 6%
more efficient.” That efficiency boost
translates to faster acceleration, higher top
speed and, thanks to a lower centre of
gravity, better cornering with less roll.
The Grand-Am GT cars run the GT46 – a
cloned version of the GA46 but turned
around so that it becomes a gears forward
transaxle for front-engined GT cars like the
Mazda RX8 where the engine is in the
front and the transaxle is at the rear.
No cars were running on Emco
transmissions at this year’s Le Mans 24
Hours but it is an area that Cota is very
keen for his company to have a presence
in. “We were involved with Courage in
2000 when they ran one of our
NASCAR Cup in particular, the cars are so
tightly regulated in terms of the body and
engine that the only area open to the
teams to play with is in the drivetrain and
providing the levels of efficiency they are
demanding is challenging.
“Areas like the drivetrain wheel bearing
package, the transmission bearing
packages and bearings have all come
under their scrutiny. To make something
very sophisticated and low drag out of
something that has not been a very
sophisticated component for years is
demanding. This means we have to look at
everything in the closest detail; nothing
can escape scrutiny.
“There has been some quiet development
in transmissions for quite some time but
GROUND BEVEL BENEFITS
All of Emco’s gears are made from specially
selected aerospace steels which are heattreated, ground, shot-peened and superfinished in a tailored process. “Our gears
are ground to accuracies of AGMA 11-13
which allow them to run cooler and more
efficiently,” says Cota. “Additionally, our
ground spiral bevel final drive gears have
an inherent advantage over the offset
bevel sets like hypoids that our
competitors are employing. Spiral bevels
spend more time rolling through mesh
than sliding – that’s the opposite of a
hypoid set which sees more sliding and
therefore more frictional losses.
“Typically, a spiral bevel gear set is 3-5%
Subscribe +44 (0) 208 446 2100
‘
Where transmissions tended to be overlooked
in terms of efficiency and innovation, now
customers are far more demanding
’
transmissions in their C60 cars and we are
keen to make a return to the race with one
of the teams,” he says.
Emco is also a supplier to NASCAR teams
in the Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman
series. “What we are now finding is that
while the transmission tended to be
overlooked in terms of efficiency and
innovation in the past, our customers are
becoming far more demanding. In
now that the series has grown and
assumed such a high profile, with teams
having more and more engineers on staff,
those things are being developed a lot. In
fact, it is difficult for a vendor to keep up
because they don’t necessarily have the
same resources as a major team which is
spending someone else’s money on
development and have engineers available
to work on the problems.”
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SPECIAL REPORT TRANSMISSIONS
C&R’S POSITIVE THINKING
Last December Race Tech reported how
NASCAR had decreed that for the 2008
season transmissions could weigh no less
than 80 lb (36 kg) for safety reasons and
how this new rule was affecting companies
like C&R Racing and its partner Xtrac
which had pared the weight of the CR2
transmission, its upper and premium
transmission, down to 63 lb (28 kg).
“At the time it was quite a blow for us,”
says Chris Paulsen, president of C&R
Racing, “but it’s one we have managed to
turn into a real positive. This has been
achieved by revising the cluster plate and
gearbox casing, making it very rigid and
stiff. If needed, the mid plate could literally
be eliminated on the engine mount
although there are some issues with the
bellhousing strength which are being
addressed. However, by making the
transmission casing so strong, it could be
an integral part of the mounting of the
engine and the whole drivetrain.
“It also takes out any flex or perceived
flex while strengthening the billet cluster
plate. This means that we’ve been able to
retain the very light rotating unit weight
which is a full 12 lb lighter than anything
else on the market in NASCAR. Lighter
internals means less mass and inertia,
making the whole gearbox more efficient.”
While NASCAR accounts for around 95
per cent of C&R’s transmission business, it
is not just in supplying product to the
wealthy Cup teams. “Basically we are
trying to offer something at every level.
Looking at NASCAR racing, there is a large
variety of racing from the entry level
Craftsman trucks to the top series where
they have a good budget and appreciate a
better quality drive.
“We have three levels of transmission, the
CR2 being the premier, top of the line
level, with all the bells and whistles, so to
speak,” says Paulsen. “Our least expensive
unit is the top-shifting CR1 transmission
which is right on the edge of the minimum
weight rule. While it’s low cost in
comparison with the Xtrac, it’s still a good
unit and used by a number of teams,
including some Cup.”
EASY UPGRADE
The transmissions that sit between these
two are the CR1V2 and V3 that both
feature updated centre shifting as
mandated for the Car of Tomorrow. The
design is such that teams running with the
CR1 can easily upgrade to them as the
same gear package is retained. The CR1V3
also includes the new gear design and new
top cover/shifter without the need to
purchase a complete new gearbox.
Concurring with Dan Cota, manager of
racing at Emco, Paulsen says that
transmissions are undergoing intensive
research by the top teams as it is still one
of the areas not strangled by the
regulations. ARC’s timing in introducing its
drivetrain dynamometer could not have
been better as teams are using it to check
the efficiency from the gears in the
transmission all the way to the rear wheels
and it is accurate to “within half of a
horse” says Paulsen.
“What this means is that there is a whole
new raft of data being produced which is
leading to a deep analysis of gear design,
lubricants, bearings and many other
things,” he says. “There is a great deal of
engineering now in NASCAR that wasn’t
there even five or six years ago and in the
drivetrain market there are still many areas
that can be improved upon. This is why we
originally decided to develop the CR1
transmission with Xtrac.
“Working with them has allowed C&R to
bring a new level of engineering into
NASCAR drivetrain components that didn’t
exist previously,” says Paulsen. “They are
the best in the world. The initial perception
is that Xtrac components are expensive but
we are proving every day that there is
tremendous value in Xtrac’s high quality.
Mileage, performance, and reliability have
increased, making the Xtrac product very
cost-effective.”
ABOVE With a revised cluster plate and gearbox
casing, the top of the line CR2 transmission has
turned NASCAR’s weight decree from a negative
into a positive
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SPECIAL REPORT TRANSMISSIONS
BELOW Quaife offers a complete
package for the QBE61G
QUAIFE INTRODUCES QBE61G
RT Quaife Engineering has introduced an
all-new 6-speed sequential transaxle
gearbox designed to target the popular
Porsche 996/997 motorsport sector, but it
claims at a much more affordable price than
competitor products.
Called the QBE61G, the new unit has been
specifically designed with all major external
dimensions as per the original Porsche box,
enabling a simple, easy installation. For
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LATEST THINKING
Internally, the QBE61G gearbox runs on
larger 85 mm shaft centres and is
Differential location designed to replicate
that of the original Porsche transmission
example, the QBE61G’s differential location
has been designed to replicate that of the
original Porsche transmission, allowing the
use of stock driveshafts in the correct
position, while in 997 Cup cars the unit is
compatible with the factory sequential gear
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lever and flatshift mechanism.
Extensive circuit testing has been
conducted in both the UK and Spain on the
unit in the rear of Quaife’s own 997, with
the QBE61G gearbox completing over 30
hours of problem-free running with a
variety of different drivers behind the wheel.
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July 08
managed via an internal oil pump, while
the crown wheel and pinion is a highstrength, robust hypoid design.
The ‘box features two gear ratio options: a
road-orientated helical set, plus a
motorsport straight cut gear design and a
choice of two final drives.
Customers can also specify Quaife’s own
popular and well-proven automatic
torque biasing (ATB) helical gear limited
slip differential, or alternatively, a 996style clutch plate limited slip unit is
available at extra cost.
INSTALLATION PACKAGE
’
designed to cater for applications up to
and in excess of 450 lb/ft and 500 bhp,
with a wholly mechanical sequential shift
mechanism that employs the latest
thinking in four dog engagement
selection. Lubrication requirements are
As part of the product launch, Quaife has
also announced the availability of a
bespoke Porsche 996/997 QBE61G
installation package. It includes the
complete QBE61G gearbox with Quaife
ATB helical gear lsd, Porsche 996/997 bell
housing, gear linkage, gearbox mounts,
flywheel, triple plate Superclutch, clutch
release mechanism and securing bolts.
RACING BRAKE PADS
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BT Brake Technology
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SPECIAL REPORT TRANSMISSIONS
TAYLOR RACE ENGINEERING
SPRINGS SPRITE SURPRISE
It may not be quite so high on the radar
as some other transmission companies but
Taylor Race Engineering of Plano,
Texas has carved out for itself a very
special niche.
It considers itself as a pure racing
driveline specialist that produces
everything from the crankshaft to the
wheel for a variety of racecars. While it
acts as a stockist for Tilton, is a Hewland
distributor and the motorsport importer
for Quaife, the company also produces a
number of its own bespoke gearboxes.
It builds small inline gearboxes, based
on the Staffs Formula Atlantic
transmission, for production racing and is
very heavily involved in the chain drive
market which is experiencing tremendous
growth in the United States. It also
produces a complete driveline system for
the popular motorcycle-powered Formula
1000 and D Sports Racer cars, provides
blueprint services for numerous
transmissions and has become a favourite
supplier of Formula SAE and Formula
Student programmes around the world.
The company also provides custom
design solutions and can source
manufacturers for many applications.
However, one of the surprising mainstays
in its product range is the Series 26 Sprite
gearbox – and the Sprite in this case
refers to the 2-seater Austin Healey Sprite
of BMC days for which there is a thriving
market for transmissions.
“When we set out on this project, I
imagined that we would be selling only a
few to existing customers,” says Craig
Taylor, founder with Marcie of the
company. “However, I have been
astounded at the uptake – this year alone
we have sold more than half what we
thought our total market would be over
several years. Now, racers and shops are
calling us for completely new Series 26
Sprite gearboxes.”
The gearbox that Taylor Race
Engineering developed traces its roots
back to the original. Over the years it has
become highly modified to meet track
demands – and Taylor is quick to
acknowledge the pioneers in the US who
originally started the project.
“In the late 1980s there were a number
of attempts at creating a dog gearbox
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July 08
using the basic Hewland Mark 9 gears to
overcome the problems of the stock Sprite
gearbox,” says Taylor. “Typically they
would take hubs from a Mark 9 gearbox
and weld them onto the stock output
shaft and weld the input drop gear onto
the input shaft. They were better but still
not very good.”
BESPOKE PARTS
It was in 1990 that Joe Huffaker of
Huffaker Engineering and Lace “Jack” May
of Richmond Instruments, which
specialised in making sailboat fittings out
‘
contacted Lace and asked whether we
could go ahead and do the whole thing.
There were no rights to it but I just
wanted to do it fairly.”
Taylor Race Engineering then took the
design to a new level by ironing out a few
deficiencies. “For example, we make our
own shift rails because the stroke for a
dog engagement gearbox shifting is much
shorter than that of a synchro-box and we
cut the detent notches the way we
wanted them rather than fudging what
was factory.
“Another deficiency of the ‘box was
that the shift fork position was not
The shift fork position was not adjustable, in
rotation or axially, so we made it adjustable
of stainless steel, got together to create a
new gearbox. It used many bespoke parts,
dispensing with welded shafts, everything
being purpose-built.
“It was a good little ‘box,” says Taylor,
“which we started maintaining in the mid1990s, but by the latter part of that
decade parts were beginning to dry up as
Lace May, the builder, wanted to retire. So
we started to make some parts for the
gearbox to the point where we were
building most of them. At this point I
’
adjustable, in rotation or axially, so we
make them adjustable so we can get the
forks aligned exactly where we want
them. We are also making them out of
steel rather than bronze.
“We also make an input shaft which on
an inline gearbox typically contains the
driver of the drop pair of input gears and
on this gearbox the dog lugs for the
fourth gear. We separate the input shaft
from the drop pair of gears so that when
it wears out the dogs, the gears just need
ABOVE Trade in the Series 26 Sprite gearbox has been a
revelation, quickly becoming a mainstay of the business
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SPECIAL REPORT TRANSMISSIONS
replacing and when it’s the clutch splines, it’s just the shaft, all of
which cut the maintenance costs significantly. The irony is that
the assembly of all the parts we put in to replace the one input
shaft is less expensive than the original input shaft.”
Taylor Race Engineering also makes its own solid billet front cover
which better locates the front main and the front layshaft bearing.
One other thing that is important is the reversing system, says
Taylor. The common method was to use the MK 9 reverse driver
gear mated only to the stock sliding reverse gear. “We developed
a complete reversing gears system. The four gears in the system
are designed to work together, allowing the driver to actually
reverse up a hill if need be. With rolling starts in America, the
typical first gear will be between 1.6 and 1.833, with which it is
almost impossible to trundle around a hilly paddock, so they can
now reverse around the place if necessary.” Gearboxes for
European standing starts are usually fitted with 2.50 first gears,
which Taylor Race Engineering makes.
“Most of the Taylor Race Engineering Sprite gearboxes have
gone into SCCA and Vintage Sprites racing in the United States
but a few have gone to Europe. We recently sold three Sprite
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The Series 26 gearbox with the cover
removed (left), the bellhousing end (above) and seeing action in
a Rae Davis Racing A35 (below, courtesy of Rae Davis Racing)
transmissions to Rae Davis Racing, and one was for Peter
Hodgman who manages the Vehicle Technology Lab at McLaren
Racing. It just shows that you don’t have to be in Formula One
to attract the interest of senior engineers who are having great
fun racing vintage Austin A35 Saloons.” RT
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