Dolomite marinised gearbox

[watershed]

Hi all.

The new project boat has a Perkins 108 diesel coupled to a triumph dolomite marinised gearbox. As a newbie to inboard engines, does anyone have any knowledge of these gearboxes?

Is it a common installation,are they reliable and what is actually done to Marinise them?

[ChrisB]

The name sent me into a colds sweat. I had a new Dolomite Sprint in the 70s. It was one of the fastest thing about at the time. Unfortunately it worked about 2 days in 365

[watershed]

Could have been a good car if it had been built properly! The bad old days of British leyland

[watershed]

Be grateful it wasn't a marina,allegro or princess!

[watershed]

The dolly sprint at least looked even if it didn't work very often. Well,at least until the rust took hold!

[Viking23]

The car gear box would have four forward gears and one reverse, the reverse, first and second gears would be too highly geared for a boat I would have thought, so maybe marinising one might be limiting the gears to one forward and one reverse with a decent ratio.

Also you wouldn't need a clutch.

I remember the Triumph dolomite sprint, the problem was in order to get everything to fit, the engine and gearbox was fitted on a slope, however, due to the angle, the engine sufferered oil starvation, and this was it's downfall if I recall.

[Maxwellian]

The name sent me into a colds sweat. I had a new Dolomite Sprint in the 70s. It was one of the fastest thing about at the time. Unfortunately it worked about 2 days in 365

And it rusted all year round.

[Wildfuzz]

In my youth I used these for banger racing at Ipswich stadium............. Never finished a race. Seem to remember some had an overdrive button on top of the gear shifter. Ideal for Breydon water.

[BroadScot]

And it rusted all year round.

It rusted before it left the factory!

 

 

Iain

[alexandlorna]

The car gear box would have four forward gears and one reverse, the reverse, first and second gears would be too highly geared for a boat I would have thought, so maybe marinising one might be limiting the gears to one forward and one reverse with a decent ratio.

Also you wouldn't need a clutch.

I remember the Triumph dolomite sprint, the problem was in order to get everything to fit, the engine and gearbox was fitted on a slope, however, due to the angle, the engine sufferered oil starvation, and this was it's downfall if I recall.

I was actually wondering about this myself

So actually it's a bit of a joke in engineering terms, and should be deposited in the nearest skip and a proper marine box fitted

[ranworthbreeze]

It rusted before it left the factory!

 

 

Iain

Hi Iain,

 

Sound a bit like 1980's Vauxhall Astra's there was a problem in the prduction line on the acid dip it broke down with shells being dragged out of the acid.

 

I had a Astra estate, vertually every panel rotted even in the middle of the panels within a year.

 

Off course Vauxhall had rot issues on there 60's and 70's cars the Crestwood and Victor was especially  bad. Mind you so where many of the other makes at the time.

 

Regards

Alan

[BroadScot]

One model that was biscuit tin then was the Fiat 127, even the Japanese cars then were potential rust buckets from day one, but were mechanically very reliable. Now cars are lighter and prone to less rust. A mate of mine worked in a car accessory shop, in those days his biggest seller was Ku-rust 

 

 

Iain

 

p.s. For my sins I owned a FB Vauxhall Victor rust bucket but the cow hide leather seating was awfy cumfy lol

[Wehlau]

Sounds a bit home made to me,the only way you can use a car gear box in a boat is to change the gears about in the box as reverse is the lowest ratio in the box your prop will turn so slow it will have no effect.we have tried this in the past on a 4108 with a commercial van box,it was great in third for drive and used fourth gear in place of reverse,but be aware this is not a DIY job.you can buy a second hand velvet drive for a hundred pounds now so it's not worth all the effort

[LondonRascal]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyVAVdqyt-A

[Maxwellian]

Wasn't expecting that. Very funny

[Oddfellow]

I'd like to have a Velvet Drive for £100. Got one with a 2:1 reduction unit?

[BroadAmbition]

 

 

Griff

[Maxwellian]

Classic, enjoyed those so much.