MGB Gearbox

[peter boyes]

Need some help / advice.
we are trying to find a Sherpa van 4 speed gearbox, which we understand will fit into our MGB.
reason being we want a stronger original design gearbox and believe the sherpa box would be stronger as it was built for commercial purposes.
does anyone know about this and if our assumptions are correct?

[John Watson]

Hi Peter I believe Steve Illing at Abingdon Car Restorations 01235 833970 may have one, but not certain if it is for sale.
He would also know the answer about being stronger.

[paul de-Ville]

Unless you are planning to put 400 lb/ft through your MGB or, perhaps tow away Dover Castle, then the standard box in good condition will be very durable.

[ROGER COOPER]

Hi Peter,

Further to what has already been said you should think about the implications of fitting an overdrive to a Sherpa gearbox - it might be impossible

Roger
1974 BGT

[Peter Cresswell]

BMC/BL were very good at using the same casing for all sorts of applications, but they were also very good at putting different ratios inside, usually by fitting different input shafts and lay gear clusters. The Sherpa and preceding J series will probably have a low first gear ratio. Also you need a short tail output shaft to fit an overdrive, which I don't think a Sherpa or the preceeding models would have. You are then into partially dismantling two gearboxes - your original one and the Sherpa to fit the correct output shaft. I don't think it is a stronger box, just another version of the same box. An additional consideration is that maybe a Sherpa one is quite rare (mostly scrapped when they wore out), and if you do find one it is likely to have done intergalactic mileage.
Not worth it! Either get your box reconditioned or exchanged.

[Ian Dixon]

I am using and have done so for the past 14 months a standard but re built MGB 4 syncro box with overdrive active in all 4 forward gears, this is used for historic rallying and to date done in excess of 5000 miles including The Tulip rally this year and so far no problems apart from the tail shaft seal leaking on the tulip, we topped up the box twice daily and it got us home. The car puts out 120 plus BHP so I think if the box was weak at all we would have known by now.