Bradford Gearbox - ugh!

[Rogerlearmonth]

Hi,

Although I’m a moderately long term Bradford owner, I’m new to this forum.

A while ago I had some work done on the engine and while she was in the shop I decided to fit a reconditioned gearbox and enjoy the benefits of synchromesh. We were accepted on the London to Brighton Commercial run and it all went swimmingly well and we left Crystal Palace in high spirits. The box was a revelation – wonderful, a complete joy. Well, it lasted just five miles before a baulk ring went bang – scratch one gearbox.

A while earlier I had obtained a scrap box to exchange as the core for the reconditioned unit. It looked a real scraper that had been cut out with a blowtorch. I hadn’t got around to giving it in when I was advised by an expert, who took off the top and looked inside, that it was a good one.

Getting out the broken box was a doddle. Getting in the new one a nightmare but I finally succeeded. All bolted up and on its first road test, I discovered the horrid truth – no synchro, none at all and it jumped out of second - damn and blast. The old Braddie sat around for a few months before I found heart to do anything about it. I sent off all the boxes to a transmission specialist with a plea to try and make up one out of three. I hoped to be back on the road in the spring, four boxes later – wrong! In the three boxes were enough parts to make up one except that there was only one serviceable baulk ring. There seemed to be nothing available, I considered having parts made to produce new rings and even considered a transplant of an alien engine and box. Fortunately good old Bill Lock came to the rescue and found me a box that seemed to have useable baulk rings. The specialist has now made one up out of four. I plan to fit it next week – watch this space.

[Keith Andrews]

Strangley, over the last 40 yrs of messing with cars, other than a Chev turbo 350 auto rebuild (and still have no idea how it works) never did a gearbox
Mine worked but was loose, no syncro and the engine was been done anyway.
I had a pile of old junk boxes ans started dismantling...(had to tool up a couple special tools to get at stuff)
I had enough good bearings/ syncros and needle bearing to make 1 good 'rebuild' spare
The best of the best parts, I built a good box...new needle and main bearigs and the best syncros (which in both cases showed nil wear at all)
As I have never driven a Braddy with syncro, 1st it was hard to get out of the habit of double D, and a great suprise to change gear no double D.

I am very suprised one of the clubs has not got into making new syncros by now...
Im also suprised (due to huge shortage of van roof side, back and rear cnr panels) somewhere fiberglass moulds have not been made up. (which is normal practice for many vintage and hot rodder people around the world)
Or even better still a full fiberglass 1 peice roof with the canvas textures and seams built in.....
Even the roof framing built in and it becomes a main structual feature of the van.
Once painted one would never tell the difference....And maybe if these where avalible less vans would be cut down to trucks.