How to mount a secondary transmission backwards for added gears?

[dtmerritt]

Please, I thought of this years ago, but could not figure out how to do it?

Dan Merritt

[Frank Lee]

More details please.

[elhigh]

If you mount it backwards, doesn't that mean you're stepping the speed back down?

[Frank Lee]

No, it would be a super-duper overdrive, depending on the transmission.

Perhaps it could function as a poor man's Gear Vendor's OD?

[sheepdog 44]

I knew i read that somewhere. Xpedro did that on the Aerosprite.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ent-28086.html
It wound up with a 1600cc pinto engine (& transmission) with the camshaft retarded 2 notches (poor man's Atkinson cycle)
Additional (2nd) Buick transmission, reversed, to gain up to a 2.5 overdrive

[dtmerritt]

I guess it would have been better to write it out than assume everyone would know what I was talking about.
It is the Aero Sprite by Tom Shrimplin, who modifies an Austin Healey Bugeye to get 65 mpg by modifying the body to very aerodynamic, installing a 1600 Pinto engine with a 4 speed PLUS A BUICK TRANS MOUNTED BACKWARDS GIVING THE CAR 12 FORWARD GEARS.
OK, now that is the background, now, how do you accomplish this feat, Tom, anyone?

[HydroJim]

I understand what you're asking, but if you sit down and really think about actually installing a 2nd transmission, it's a ridiculous concept. Wastes energy, extra weight, complexity, reliability issues.

Besides, the 65 mpg that the Aero Sprite achieved is not all that impressive these days.

[P-hack]

I thought that was interesting (with appropriate caveats) when I read about the aero-sprite too.

dtmerritt, your car might be suitable for a $20ish, 1 hour to install, 5th gear swap.

But otherwise I'm guessing the buick was a 3 speed, so you would have to look at the pinto 4 speed and the buick 3 speed from that era and figure out the nuts and bolts. If the pinto 4th gear and buick 3rd gear are direct drive, it might not have been too "lossy".

[MetroMPG]

The streamlined Ford Model T also used the "backwards 2nd transmission" trick: from a Chev, installed behind the Ford's:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...odel-t-92.html

[dtmerritt]

The vehicle I want economy from is a 1955 Pontiac Star Chief ( almost 4000 lbs and square as a brick. It has the very old dual range Hydro Matic without a park position. Economy is one factor, another is, who knows how to fix it id it breaks?

Van get a $800 adapter and put a GM overdrive trans behind the engine for about $2500 Total, will pay for it,self in 40,000 miles.At 69 and with various heath issues, driving 5,000 miles a year, that is a chancey bet.

I could put a Gear Venders OD behind the hydromatic for about $3,500, then I still have the worry of the original trans.