CVT / Manual final drive swap.

[Paul Andrews]

This may sound like a daft question.

Those who read my posts over the last couple of years about the rally car project may remember that we changed from a manual to a CVT car because the gearing of the manual was far too tall for the tight and twisty rally stages we use.

Looking at the specs recently I realised that if we could fit the final drive from a CVT to a manual it would give almost perfect ratio spread for what we need and circa 100mph at 6000rpm in 5th. Does anyone know whether the final drive gears are interchangable?

I might be the best qualified person to answer my own question as I have both manual and CVT cars but it would require taking both transmissions apart to have a look at the oily bits. If anyone has looked inside both transmission types or has photos of the final drive gears of a CVT it would be very helpful.

Meanwhile the car won its class (A)again on round 1 of the 2007 F1000 championship and is now nearly on the pace of the fastest classB cars on a smooth circuit. A Google search of Oaktec Hybrid Rally car will give lots more info.

Latest mods are a rear anti-roll bar (sway bar) which allows us to revert to softer rear springs to give the dampers a chance, and PIMA which is great for the job.

[Insightful Trekker]

Given that the final drive ratio is "set" by the difference between the ring and pinion gears, and that the pinion gear in an MT (most Hondas, Insight included) is a machined part of the countershaft, I don't see how such a "swap" is possible.

HTH!