Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Transaxle MTX-75?

Originally posted by Terry Haines from FCO:

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OK,I need to clarify the 3rd gear blocker ring designs on the MTX75 .From '95 to around 2000 almost all MTX's used the 'twin-blocker' rings on 3rd gear.The MTX at this time had twins on 1st,2nd & 3rd gear.Single blocker ring was used on 4th,5th and reverse.Twin-blockers are used on gears that a)Have a large 'step' in the gear ratio b)Have gears of a large weight or mass.It all comes down to speed differences between gears at the time of shifts.The blockers in a syncromesh trans are mini cone clutches.Imagine a single plate clutch Vs a multi plate clutch for transfering drive without slip.The more blockers you have the larger the surface area of the 'clutch',this a)Reduces spin up time b)Spreads the load over a larger area (reduces wear rate).Up to around 2000 all but one gear in the MTX75 had some common blocker ring parts.1st & second gear used common twin blocker parts ,4th,5th & Reverse used a common single blocker.The only 'oddball' was 3rd gear which used unique blockers,twin,not used on any other gear.At this time Ford decided to reduce costs and complexity of parts by making 3rd a single blocker as 4th gear.This not an upgrade,3rd needs a twin blocker for the gear steps involved.You may know that on the Focus MTX the gear that usually crunches and wears out its blocker before the rest is 3rd gear ,look on some of the Focus sites!.
At the time Ford dumped the twins on 3rd they also dumped the parts for service replacement.At that time we,HMS Inc,bought up all the USA stocks of 3rd gear twin blockers,these we now use to repair,upgrade and retrofit to our own customers 'shipped in' transmissions.
If you understand how a clutch works you can understand the benefit of twin over single in say a multi-plate clutch,same principle in blockers.....Hope that helps...a bit !

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