March Indy gearboxes

[Los Rubios]

In the early 80's, March Engineering produced a transaxle that was similar to the Weismann unit. It doesn't use Weismann internals however. Does anyone know who produced the internals (gears etc,) for the March Indy boxes.

Since they were UK based, it is possible that they could be Hewland DG parts in a March housing?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

[marc sproule]

I can't remember if it's in there, but you might want to get a copy of Alan Henry's book on the March F1 and Indy Cars.

IIRC there was discussion of the gearboxes in the Indy Car section. The answer may be in there.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

ps

I've been in contact recently with a former March mechanic. I'll contact him and pass on the question. He should be able to help or point you in the right direction.

[Charles Warner]

The 1987 Leyton House F1 cars used some standard FT parts and some custom made specifically for that gearbox. All AFAIK by Hewland.

[R. Pare]

They were indeed Weissman parts, but most of the components were specific to that box. The dog rings were definitely interchangeable with some of the Weissman gearboxes that were used in Trans Am in the '80's - I was with the March importer/distributor at the time and we sold a lot of the old stock dog rings to a couple of TA teams.

We had a huge wood box with maybe a half mils worth of parts for those boxes in it that went with the whole lot of Indy car and GTP parts to the Asse brothers out in CA back in the summer of 1989. You might try hunting them down to see where that stuff has ended up.

[Los Rubios]

Thanks. I was able to chat to Randall Aase this afternoon and he certainly remembers the box from 20 years ago. They were in need of space about a year ago and since none of the parts were any use for Hewland or Weismann boxes, they dumped them into the trash.

Evidently there were enough casings, shafts, gears and diffs to weigh down a decent sized pickup.

Timing is everything as they say!

Thanks

[R. Pare]

Never talked with Randall (I think it was he who came out to Indiana - it wasn't Dennis) again once he left the shop with that stuff - we had a few days delay getting the tranny on the truck fixed correctly that had supposedly been rebuilt a couple of weeks before.

That was one heck of a big load in the trailer that they hauled off with - the trip up and over the Rockies must have been an eye-popper!

[rossracing]

I may have some of that stuff - I got a whole lot of gears etc that was unidentifiable from Arciero that was reputed to be march - weisman. Sold the Hewland stuff which I wanted.
E mail me but I'll need photos and dims to go look at the parts
Phil