At Silverstone the Reynard had three very tough days with some of the hardest racing I’d been involved in so far. The car had worked incredibly hard all weekend, so back at the workshop I wanted to check the gearbox. I’d removed Formula Ford gearboxes before, but I’d never rebuilt one. Rather than just watching Mark do it, I wanted to understand how it all fitted together.
The gearbox came out and, before we could start putting anything back together, every component had to be cleaned thoroughly in the parts washer. Seeing the gearbox stripped down to its bare casing with all the gears laid out on the bench was fascinating. Until then, I’d only ever seen it as a complete unit bolted to the back of the engine.
It also made me realise just how important preparation is. Mark had every gear organised, knew exactly what ratio belonged where and had a setup sheet showing the different gear combinations we use for each circuit. What had looked incredibly complicated from the outside was actually a very methodical process, provided everything stayed organised and clean.
Cleaning the components wasn’t just about making them look nice. Once the oil and dirt had been removed, we could properly inspect each gear, shaft and bearing for wear before deciding whether it was ready to go back into the gearbox. That was something I’d never really appreciated before.
It also made me realise how much difference good equipment makes. Having a proper parts washer meant every component could be cleaned quickly and inspected properly, while decent sockets, ratchets and hand tools made removing and rebuilding the gearbox much easier. It’s surprising how much more enjoyable a job becomes when you’re using good-quality tools that simply work.
A few days later the gearbox came back with its new selector fork fitted, but everything else was still laid out ready for assembly. Mark rebuilt it once while explaining every stage, then immediately took it apart again and handed it over to me.
That was the real challenge.
I’d watched it happen once, but now I had to remember where every bearing, dog ring and gear belonged. I worked slowly, asking questions as I went, building the gearbox from fourth gear through to third, second, first and finally reverse. What I’d assumed was an incredibly complicated job turned out to be a logical process of taking your time, keeping everything organised and making sure every component was in exactly the right place.
Once we’d checked everything together, we bolted the gearbox back onto the Reynard and got the car ready for Lydden Hill.
Only a few days later I was racing with a gearbox I’d rebuilt myself.
It worked faultlessly all weekend.
Looking back, rebuilding the gearbox taught me far more than how a Formula Ford transmission fits together. It reinforced how important preparation, organisation and cleanliness are in any engineering job. It also reminded me that the jobs which seem the most intimidating usually become manageable once somebody takes the time to teach you and you’re prepared to have a go yourself.
One thing motorsport keeps teaching me is that the best way to learn isn’t by standing in the corner of the workshop watching somebody else. It’s by getting involved, asking questions, making mistakes, listening to experienced people and gradually building the confidence to do the job yourself.
