948 gearbox is it any good?

[learyd]

I was chatting to a guy who had owned some moggies in the past and was interested in my restoration of my 948 saloon (which is taking forever). But he said that the 948 had a ribbed gearbox compared to the 1098 which has a smoothed gearbox. He said the ribbed was rarer and sought after for spridget etc because it has added strength etc etc. So what advantages does the 948 gearbox have over a 1098 gearbox? I'm guessing if I did go larger engine in the future the 948 box has the wrong gear ratios, or does it?
cheers

[chrisryder]

your man has his wires crossed slightly.

948 minors had the smooth box.
1098 minors and 1098 & 1275 spridgets had ribbed boxes.

The smooth 948 box is accreditted as being weaker than the 1098, and the ribbed box is seemingly man enough for a 1275 so should be ok for a 1098. The boxes for 1275 applications had slightly different ratios to the 1098's.

948's may have had slightly different ratios to the 1098, but i can't imagine much. 4th gear is nearly always 1:1.

the difference in gearing between a 948 minor and a 1098 minor, and a 1275 spridget, is found in the back axle diff ratio. 948's had 4.55:1 diffs, 1098's had 4.22:1, and most 1275 spridgets as far as i'm aware had 3.9:1's.

the 948 box should be fine for your 948 car, but parts can be hard to get if it ever goes wrong. a ribbed box can be fitted but you would need to change your engine backplate and flywheel for ones off a 1098.

[chrisryder]

if you did go for a larger engine in the future, the geabox ratios wouldn't be a problem, but the strength of the box could be an issue.

the ratio of the back axle would definately want changing for something out of a later 1098 minor (4.2), or even a midget (3.9) or EVEN a Wolseley 1500/Riley 1.5 (3.7) all depending on what engine you go for, and what you want out of the car. you might like a 1275 engine with your 948 diff if you're never going near a motorway and just want a car that accelerates like a rocket for town driving.

[mike.perry]

See http://seriesmm.mmoc.org.uk/ vehicle ident/ gearbox and rear axle ratios.
First gear sounds like a bag of nails on all boxes when it wears.

[learyd]

Not trying to sound a bit thick, but what is ribbed i.e. what does it look like. Because i'm pretty sure my gearbox is ribbed which would therefore mean I've actually got a 1098 without knowing??
thanks again
Dunc

[chrisryder]

Ribbed:

http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/pop ... hp?pID=194

Smooth:

http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/pop ... hp?pID=193

[learyd]

definitely ribbed, that surely means I've got a 1098 score! extra power!
cheers guys

[dellerie]

wouldn't read too much into it all. i've never had a 'ribbed' box in my lifetime. doubt i'll ever need one either. i've driven these cars for over 20 years and have only ever used a 'smooth' box.

all depends on how you drive your car. i drive it with care and consideration and have never 'blown' or damaged a gearbox EVER. so all this 'this ones better than that one' is a load of b******

[bmcecosse]

Yes - driven carefully on a low power standard engine - and with care taken over oil level - the boxes ARE perfectly capable of many many years service. The 1098 box has better syncro - but good drivers don't rely on the syncro anyway!