Transmission Handcuff / Brace

**shwine617** · 4-30-12, 21:22

I was wondering if they make a transmission handcuff for the H-type mazda trans. The brace that goes in place of 5th gear to reduce shaft flex. This might be my best route for me, as I have broke 3rd gear way too many times.
thanks!

By shwine617 at 2012-04-30

MFactory shaft brace

**jesiotrot** · 4-30-12, 22:02

Nobody has made one. they are not hard to make, they dont have to be as complicated lookin as that.

search "ulc-11z" on fordlaser.com, he made one for the g-series box. you could have a look at his design and do a similar thing.

the first step though is a billet 3rd gear from PAR engineering in Australia. i have fitted one to my friends box, he makes 260wkw from an f2t with an insane amount of torque and the gear holds fine. though he did strip 4th, but it lasted 2 years, countless track days and he lost count of the amount of 1/4 mile runs it did.

next step again is toyota box

**shwine617** · 5-1-12, 8:06

wow, I never knew someone made a billet 3rd gear for the H-type transmission!
great info, I sent them an email, hopefully they get back to me.

I couldn't find the handcuff on fordlaser.com, but I sent a few emails to companies who make them for honda's to see if they custom make them.

thanks Jesiotrot I appreciate it

**shwine617** · 5-1-12, 8:17

PAR said they can make the handcuff for $950 AUD... ouch, honda is only $200 or less lol

They also replied with:

We can make a complete 1st~4th synchromesh gearset if required. The price would be $3,200 AUD plus shipping.

The 3rd gearset is $720 AUD shipped by DHL to the USA.

Turn around time would be 8 weeks for design and production of gearset and cuff.
Our other synchromesh engagement transmissions of similar size are capable of nearly 600hp and 700hp in some models.

PopsicleAsian · 5-1-12, 12:51

does anyone know if the PAR gears come with the shims to get proper fitment? i remember when i did my LSD i had to make custom shims to get it sitting right and there were no shims available for replacing synchros. eventually i will need something more for my transmission to handle the power i will be putting through it. so someday, if PAR actually offers this gear set after the first one is made, i will buy them, i want a 5th gear though.

is it even worthwhile to just replace the 3rd gear? it is sounding like our other gears strip pretty easily too. gotta love these weak mazda transmissions.

**lundgren420** · 5-1-12, 13:07

So theoretically, if you couple the handcuff and the Mfactory LSD then the restraints of the H-Type would be eliminated and the FE-DOHC could be pushed to 5-700hp. I am interested in this as well. However I am not bankrolled this well. The inital cost of R&D is going to hurt you Schwine but the effect on the community would necessitate some props/homage. I am taking it easy on my stroker turbo just because i cant afford another transmission.

**chief tool** · 5-1-12, 16:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by shwine617

I couldn't find the handcuff on fordlaser.com

Thats probably due to it being called a bearing plate mod rather than a handcuff.
The end of the casing was machined and a steel plate bolted into it to support the shaft bearings.

**jesiotrot** · 5-1-12, 18:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by shwine617

wow, I never knew someone made a billet 3rd gear for the H-type transmission!
great info, I sent them an email, hopefully they get back to me.

I couldn't find the handcuff on fordlaser.com, but I sent a few emails to companies who make them for honda's to see if they custom make them.

thanks Jesiotrot I appreciate it

Flickr: bobsrv's Photostream

Link to the guys flicker account with pics of the bearing plate.

I'd say to build a bulletproof H-type you would need the bearing plate mod, MFactory LSD, and a PAR 3rd AND 4th gear.

You do not need to reshim the box if you are just swapping in the 3rd gear on its own, providing PAR have machine it correctly (which I know they havent on at least 3 of the h-types 3rds they have made).

So word of warning if you do buy a PAR 3rd. MEASURE it against you stock gear before you install it on the shaft. I've seen one that was too thick and the gear seized when I pressed the bearing on, and one box that PAR built for my friend, they machined the gear too thin and the hub and synchro had too much play so it smashed the hub.

PAR make some good [shizzle], but sometimes they fail epically.

**lundgren420** · 5-1-12, 20:16

Why couldnt we be blessed with a destruction resistant box like the Toyota and Honda crowd.

**shwine617** · 5-2-12, 8:05

Thanks for all the replies and great info.
I am thinking about doing a handcuff/bearing plate, 3rd gear, and I already have the guru in there.

Does anyone know how I can get a hold of the guy who has that bearing plate?
Maybe he can get another made, and I can ask how it has worked for him.

Also if anyone remember the orange fe3 powered protege drag car? he had a handcuff in that transmission, so maybe I can find out where he got it made if I can contact him as well.

thanks again guys

**mazdarati3030** · 5-2-12, 8:13

I am in the same boat and have been for a long time. for some reason my G-series box is holding up - 239kw and 434Nm of torque - all the gears seems fine after countless times of hard hammering. and this was a 2nd hand box i swopped with a friend, my original box has new bearings and that chowed 2 teeth on 3rd gear after 1 pull with the above mentioned power.

well, we were given a bullet proof motor - so we kinda got the better end of the stick compared to honda and toyota - their motors arent as strong.

I mean we have these guys here who spend lotsa money on B20 honda motor and still they cannot compare to a stock turbo charged FE3 with less than half the money spent.

I`m more for wanting the G-series to work than the H-box - in a small way i`m kinda afraid of the whole adapter plate, machining drive shafts, lining up starter and ring gears, etc - but i guess it just HAS to be done hey.

**shwine617** · 5-2-12, 16:42

I hear ya man.
Par makes this for the G-type

Par-Engineering - Gearsets (Ford/Mazda)

**jesiotrot** · 5-2-12, 17:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by shwine617

Thanks for all the replies and great info.
I am thinking about doing a handcuff/bearing plate, 3rd gear, and I already have the guru in there.

Does anyone know how I can get a hold of the guy who has that bearing plate?
Maybe he can get another made, and I can ask how it has worked for him.

Also if anyone remember the orange fe3 powered protege drag car? he had a handcuff in that transmission, so maybe I can find out where he got it made if I can contact him as well.

thanks again guys

I can get in contact with him but that plate is for a g-series gearbox. I was just mentioning it so you could get an idea of what needs to be done. It would not work in a h-type. You would have to work from scratch, but you can see from that design its not that complicated. A decent machinist with the abililty to draw it up in autocad shouldnt have too much trouble making it, but if you dont have a friend in that field, who knows what they would charge.

If you are talking about boosted.rafi's 323 i'm fairly certain he also ran a g-series box. And the other american protege one with the motor leaning right forward, i dont even think that ran a mazda gearbox, it had some sort of auto drag box in it.

I think honda's dont break gearboxes because their engines make no torque lol, try strapping a B18 box to a boosted FE3 and see how long it lasts........

**jesiotrot** · 5-3-12, 1:10

Ok i've completely missed this one until now -

GB: 5th gear plate mod

Guy on clubprotege is making plates for g-series boxes. Might be worth messaging him to see if he wants to do a run of H-type ones.

**chief tool** · 5-3-12, 6:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesiotrot

boosted.rafi's 323 i'm fairly certain he also ran a g-series box.

Yes it was an early GC 626 box. I was suprised when I found out thats what was used and it held up, but the low chassis weight may have helped there.

I dont know how many runs were done and whether its still going mind you.