hurth gearbox-can it be fitted to a car engin??

[trouville]

I have a spare gear box as i had to change it years ago. Now i would like to fit an engin in a boat for the French canals(reater than use my sailboat) I found volvo MD32 at a scrap yard but the parts to get it back in service are very costly.

I also have the Hurth fron a 20hp diesel in working order, Can i fit a car engin to this are the splines on the shaft standard size?? Is it possiable in theory to fit any gearbox to any engin??? In Pisa Italy there is workshop that reconditions engins(for a big price) and also advertisers car engins for boat instalation.

Any Knolageable mechanics visiting this forum or has anyone tried to do this???

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[Talbot]

I suspect that the biggest problem you will have will be getting a bell housing to fit your gearbox onto an engine. It may well be possible to knock up an adapter plate to use an existing bellhousing, but the lining-up will have to be done very accurately (but not impossible for a decent workshop)

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[trouville]

Re: hurth gearbox-can it be fitted to a car engin?

i wont have a problem making a replacement bel housing. but i never tried ofering the gearbox up to the engine fly wheel, and of course ill have to see weather id be better off with an engin from an automatic ; front wheel drive with clutch or classic rear wheel drive engin,

So you are saying the gearbox shaft will fit the engin clutch flywheel assembly?

The cannals have a problem with theift when the boats left alone, so id like to fit out a suitable boat just for the cannals. I suppose i could use my old Stuart Turner?? Umm but then on the cannals i will need an engin that starts when i want not when it wants!!

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[Talbot]

Re: hurth gearbox-can it be fitted to a car engin?

Best people to get advice would be the marinising specialists like <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.lancingmarine.com/>Lancings</A> They would be able to answer immediately. Presume you are looking at one of the small diesels like the ford or vaux GM engine (pre-turbo)

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[trouville]

Re: hurth gearbox-can it be fitted to a car engin?

Ok ill email them at once.

Thanks

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[Peterduck]

Re: hurth gearbox-can it be fitted to a car engin?

When I had to re-engine my old ketch I bought a Kubota industrial diesel. This I marinised myself. The custom bell housing was straightforward,but the water-jacketed manifold was tricky. You will need to get a drive plate which is similar to the clutch plate in a car without the linings. I cannot imagine that all manufacturers could agree on a standard gearbox drive shaft and splines,so you'll have to be sure that what you get fits a Hurth. Drilling the plate to fit the bolt holes in the flywheel is not difficult, it just has to be carefully measured before drilling 'Measure twice, cut once!'.
Peter.

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[trouville]

Re: hurth gearbox-can it be fitted to a car engin?

Umm that sounds rather a difficult task?And on the engin? could i not just instal an engin from an automatic?They dont have flywheels just a disc.But then a heavy flywheels should be somewhere umm im going to look again at the very heavy bits
By the way ive been waiting since last march for summer--have you seen it? lets hope it arrives now that i can prepare my cannal boat.

Have you changed the gearbox or used the original as for theexhaust thats no problem ive had to modify those that they cool enough--

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[Peterduck]

Re: hurth gearbox-can it be fitted to a car engin?

You have to have a flywheel, if only to have somewhere to put the starter ring gear! It doesn't have to be a great big lump of cast iron! I'm sorry if it sounds difficult, but in actual fact it was probably the easiest part of the whole installation. The gearbox was a Borg-Warner Velvet Drive which I had used with the earlier BMC Commander which had gone to God. The box was still fine. As for where summer is, I think that I can help you there too. The day before yesterday was 33 deg. C in Melbourne, 21 deg overnight and they are having bushfires just south of Sydney, which had 38 deg. Does that give you a clue?
Peter.


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