Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,440
My VIN: 11408
Club(s): (DMWC) (TXDMC) (DCUK) (DOI)
Supercharged 5.3L LS4 + Porsche 6spd
[email protected]
lsdelorean.com
I am not affiliated with Delorean Midwest in anyway.
Location: McCleary WA
Posts: 125
Club(s): (PNDC)
As the original designer of Toby's "Bulletproof Coupler" in 2000, necessitated when my supercharged Chevy-powered BLWNAWY tore the splines out of its coupler "accelerating briskly" in 3rd gear, I may be to blame for starting that "fuse" line. I attributed the fact that the stock coupler splines do not go all the way around to being an intended "weak link", which would hopefully prevent damage to more expensive parts as it did in my case. (In my defense I'm an Environmental Engineer, not a Mechanical one.) I don't even know if Toby still sells his couplers, but when I did the cost was minimal, somewhere around $450. I greatly applaud your efforts to come up with a one-piece shaft. I did not have the financial or mechanical resources to try that, although I certainly considered it. At your projected $2,000-$2500 cost I would not hesitate to use your one piece shaft if I were going the high HP route today. Bravo.
1981 DeLorean w/supercharged Chevy V6 - purchased 1990; built '90-'95; sold 2005; re-purchased 2016; sold again 2017
1957 Dodge D500 Hemi convertible - restoration completed 7/2015; sold 12/2019
1957 Dodge 2-door station wagon, 2019 Chrysler drivetrain
2000 Corvette convertible
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,440
My VIN: 11408
Club(s): (DMWC) (TXDMC) (DCUK) (DOI)
Supercharged 5.3L LS4 + Porsche 6spd
[email protected]
lsdelorean.com
I am not affiliated with Delorean Midwest in anyway.
Location: Orlando, Florida
Posts: 2,734
My VIN: 01643
Club(s): (DCF) (DCO) (DCUK)
No it is not.
Outside of use in my own vehicle, it's unlikely I'll be selling any of these. Liability is too high, production cost is too high, and the market is too low.
Also for what it's worth, after the coupler, the next weak point in the transmission is the cast aluminum case. I've got a set of cracked case halves in my garage to prove it.
Location: Surrey, United Kingdom
Posts: 181
It might be worth checking with GTO Racing in the UK, I believe they sell an uprated input shaft.
https://www.gtoracing.co.uk
Location: Orlando, Florida
Posts: 2,734
My VIN: 01643
Club(s): (DCF) (DCO) (DCUK)
Indeed they do; if someone has sincere interest, I think they're worth looking into. Just be aware that the kits are primarily designed around the UN1-027 that was installed in the Lotus Esprit V8. With their kit you actually get different output shaft gears as well for 1st and 2nd because 1st is straight cut (so you're going to hear it loudly), and the ratios for both are altered to increase the length of the time in the gear. This is because the UN1-27 has a lower rear end ratio (3.89:1) than the gearbox used in the DeLorean (3.44:1) so 1st and 2nd are even shorter. The other thing to be aware of is that these gearboxes used a different thrust bearing setup on the fifth gear side of the input shaft. Instead of the single double thrust ball bearing, they used two tapered roller bearings (similar to the way the output shaft is setup). This would need to be accounted for if fitting into the DeLorean.
None of this is to say that the shafts aren't usable, just to be sure to ask the right questions when ordering and know what you're getting into.
With all that being said, there are still limits to the strength of the case of the gearbox. I've heard them say 500hp cars run these. Personally, I cracked a case of a DeLorean (Renault 369) gearbox with the power shown in the dyno sheet in my signature. (Granted the case of the UN1-027 box is known to be a bit stronger because of the different thrust bearing configuration).
Location: Tucker, GA
Posts: 15
My VIN: 4608
Club(s): (SEDOC) (DCUK)
If possible, what would it take to get one from you? Ill happily sign a liability waiver. I could pay the machining cost, or whatever...
Im building a big-bore, high compression, high rpm prv thats going to be putting down power. The kit from gto racing is far too questionable to try to use in the 369, yours would be the most ideal.
My coupler broke recently and I really dont want to go back together with the same thing.
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,440
My VIN: 11408
Club(s): (DMWC) (TXDMC) (DCUK) (DOI)
I linked this thread to you for reading, Not to try and convince Nick to sell you an input shaft. He has said more than once he is not selling them, and I told you this as well. I do not understand why you think this is an opportunity to purchase.
Like I mentioned in email and this thread i use couplers on my swaps and they are adequate. No need for much more than that especially if you are keeping the PRV.
Last edited by Josh; 03-15-2021 at 01:01 AM.
Supercharged 5.3L LS4 + Porsche 6spd
[email protected]
lsdelorean.com
I am not affiliated with Delorean Midwest in anyway.
Location: Surrey, United Kingdom
Posts: 181