Mark II GT Transaxles - This paper provides a description of the Ford Mark II GT transaxle as used in the 1966 Le Mans race. The functional requirements, as established by a simulated Le Mans dynamometer test cycle, are summarized through integration of the engine torque and speed data and compared with gear and bearing design parameters to reflect their capacities in hours of Le Mans usage. The areas where the development work was particularly important are highlighted in the discussion.
MARK II GT TRANSAXLES* - While the specific subject of this paper, in a sense, did not exist as little as two years ago all of the mechanics for its functional needs were available. All of the mechanics, in fact, have been well developed for several years; the arrangement, however, is not in common use in this country and its application is treated as new. Interest in the subject is believed to stem, principally, from the demonstrated performance of the Mark II GT prototypes in the 1966 Le Mans Grand Prix race. Such interests most probably relate to the particular arrangement, mechanical action, functional capability and reliability, of the transaxle components, as well as the development work that brought them to their present state. This paper begins with a chronology of the subject's brief history. Following the chronology, a description and discussion of the particular type of transaxle used at Le Mans is given. The functional requirements for the transaxle, as established by a simulated Le Mans dynamometer test cycle, are summarized through integration of the engine torque and speed data and compared with gear and bearing design parameters to reflect their capacities in hours of Le Mans usage. The discussion of development work is limited to those problems occurring within the transaxle; particularly those areas where the development work came to the rescue of the design concepts.