Gearbox id and opinions

[wilkywoo]

Rubbish video but i think it's a marina box but which?https://youtu.be/rYXPJ6f8qIk?si=L2yP_EMTohN5naN3

[martinclan56]

You're right on one account - its a rubbish video LOL.

But seriously, it doesn't look anything like the gearbox I have on my 1.8TC based car. If you can bare the pain of scrolling through there are some pictures on my build thread. DRL152K. https://marlinownersclub.com/forum/node/9047

Is that an overdrive unit at the rear? Marinas never had an overdrive. Some people have squeezed in an overdrive MGB box but I believe it requires major modifications as it's wider. Other gearboxes that have been mentioned are the Triumph range which has the same internals as a Marina box (as I understand) and was available with overdrive.

Let us know what you discover!

[TVRFan]

(Many years ago) There used to be a sort of joke at meetings, that many of the Marina transmission parts were actually stamped 'STANPART' Then some Marlin builders would confirm this was indeed actually TRUE (as I remember). BL parts were apparently stamped MOWOG or MOWOC or similar. I don't know if this applied to all Marinas, but I think it WAS true for a while.

My understanding is that (at least for earlier Marinas) -
1800 Marinas used the Vittesse/GT6/Dolomite 'small' gearbox.
1300 Marinas used the Herald box.
Vittesse boxes were 'beefed up' Herald range with different ratios, but they don't look much different. The Vitesse boxes had an overdrive option, and so Marina 1800 boxes could be rebuilt to have an overdrive. No idea if this was a simple bellhousing change or a complete rebuild though.

The diffs apparently were also Triumph from Herald/GT6, or in other words - a Dolomite axle with different brackets welded on.

STANPART = standard triumph.
MOWOC amd MOWOG = Morris works Cowley, or MOrris/WOlesley/?

You could also use a Dolomite Sprint axle and weld Marina brackets on to it - Graham Hoyle did that for his Dolly Sprint based Marlin. (this axle has the 'big' diff, TR6/Stag/2000+2500 saloons)

maybe 'TC' Marinas had a MGB style box. Don't know.

later 'O' series engines had BL boxes (Rover?) again, not sure.

Hope this helps even if it's not definitive.

[wilkywoo]

I will try and get some numbers off it but im sure thats an overdrive but has never been connected up.
it's a bit of a mystery.
I'll also investigate the back axke/diff.

For the record it is 4 speed with lift reverse.

[lil_red_roadster]

Looks like a Spitfire/Dolomite overdrive 'box. All UK Marina manual 'boxes were basically variations on the small Triumph 4-speed box and OD was never a factory option. There are some slight differences in the input shaft spline length when compared to the Marina; but back in the day some owners swapped main shafts or just went with it "as-is" (IIRC it just had enough spline engagement to engage correctly). I believe later Marinas were supposed to get the 66mm box (a smaller version of the LT77 from TR7/8 and SD1) but that 'box never materialised due to cost-cutting.

[C_Bogue]

For what it's worth, I replaced the standard 4 speed box on my 1.8 TC Marina with an 1850 Triumph gearbox. It was a very simple swap and gave the advantage of overdrive. Unbolted the Marina bellhousing and bolted it straight onto the Triumph gearbox. No other modifications other than shortening the propshaft.