No Cobra for nearly 2 weeks

[Aussie Mike]

Looks like I'm off to Singapore for work for the next couple of weeks. I'll be away from my wife and my 3 year old daughter for probably the longest time since she was born.

I also won't be able to work on the Cobra for a while

I picked up a 3.9:1 ratio Hydratrack diff from a HSV GTS300. I'm going to adapt it up to the AU Ford IRS. I've been doing a fair bit of research into this and I'm pretty sure I can do it with a minimum of fuss. The Hydratrack LSD center is a bit more progressive than most LSDs it uses a viscous coupling to link the two axles. This makes it speed sensitive rather than torque sensitive. As one wheel slips the vanes in one half of the unit turn in relation to the other. This builds up hydraulic pressure much like a torque converter and forces the other half to catch up. It doesn't give the sudden engagement that lockers and regular clutch or cone LSDs do so hopefully won't be so quick to enduce power oversteer out of the corners. They are used by TVR in their cars and AC used to use them in their Lotus V8 powered Cobra.

Cheers

[boxhead]

I have been thinking along these lines aswell Mike.

I think the diff houseings are the same internaly, but you will need to use the ford houseing to bolt into your chassis (Different mounting points)

My only thougth that would make it difficult (for mear mortals like myself) not you and your machinery skills, would be the adaption of the ford driveshaft, for all I know they may be the same splines and fit straight in. Ford uses a slip joint built onto the cv with round clip that locates inside. While the Holden drive shaft has a flange that locks into the centre and the cv bolts to this flange.

[ledge]

I just put a photo in my gallery of my daily driver and trust me you can still get good power oversteer , The diff is much better than the AU Ford unit .

[Aussie Mike]

Nice R8 Ledge. The Vette looks good too.

It's always good to see another LS1 making it's way into a Cobra. Welcome to the Dark Side: The Dark Side
Let me know If you want your T56 shifter modified to fit the Cobra.

I was under the car with a tape measure the other night and I've been looking at this diff conversion carefully for a while. The axles between the Ford and Holden units have the same spline and they are just held in with a spring C clip on the shaft. you can pup them out with a little leverage from 2 big screw drivers. I'll run the Ford Axles (complete with CVs) in the Holden housing. The mounts aren't to much of a problem either. The Ford mounts off the back cover and the bolt pattern on both covers is tha same so I'll run the ford cover on the holden housing and that wil take care of the back mounts. The front mount next to the pinion will entail cutting the original mount off the chassis and fabricating a new one and welding it on (all in a days work in the Murphy workshop ). There are a couple of hurdles that I can see. The fill plug on the Ford diff is on the housing and it's on the back cover on the Holden. I'll probably have to machine up a fill plug and weld it in to the Ford back cover. The Holden diff is from a VX which uses a rubber coupling on the pinion flange. The flange pinion has a spiggot that centers the rubber. I'll buy an earlier VT flange which is designed for a uni and change it over. The spiggot will feel the wrath of the 9" angle grinder.

I'll keep you posted with some progress pics of the conversion.

Cheers

[ledge]

Mike ,

I have tried all the SA gearbox joints and none of them can do what you have done to your shifter . Yes i do want it moved to the front hole let me know if you are interested in doing it for some cash .

[justbetter]

Ledge, you cant go wrong with mikes conversion, apart from cutting his teath on his own first, then mine and i can tell you it works a treat. Thanks Again Mike

Gee mike with the orders coming in you might have to start accepting VISA

Ledge you even get a free gear stick knob with mikes conversion, its amazing how he matches the wheel spinner inserts and the steering wheel insert. The fabrication looks good mike, want me to take them for a test run like the knob, oH mighty one...

[Rebel1]

Hey Mike " power oversteer out of the corners".....with an LS1? HOHOHOHEhehehehehe

Even with your engineering genius......NEVER!

[Aussie Mike]

OK Garrett, How much commission do you want? Don't forget we still have to fit a nifty horn button to your beast.

Les, you'll be getting plenty of first hand examples of LS1 power oversteer at this years nationals. Most of them will be as the LS1 Cobras hose past you out of the corners and down the straights

Ledge, Give me a call on my mobile 0438 414 707. I'm in Singapore at the moment but it's still just the cost of a normal call to a mobile.

I've been here only 2 hours and you guys are making me miss tinkering in the shed already.

Cheers

[ledge]

Mike , My motor and box is in QLD at the moment being fitted to my car so i will give you a call when i have it back if thats ok , Thanks for the reply

[BMK]

Hey there Mike



Hope you have a picture of the family with you there and not the Cobra.

Boy I do I miss..



Cheers

Bernie