10 replies to this topic

[350mick]

Does anyone know if a TKX & SBC will fit into a Hatchback without modifications to the floor

[Redslur]

I can't say they do from experience, but I have been doing a fair bit of reading up on them considering one myself, and from what I have read, they supposedly fit into most car without mods. They are aimed at the old skool car brigade. They have slimmed it down and also reduced the height of it to accommodate more cars. Be a good option for us with a bit more hp :-)

[Heath]

My eyecrometer tells me that a TKX will come very close to fitting in a standard tunnel. I know exactly what space a TKO needs, and a TKX has stuff all of those shapes.

 

I think some people claim to install TKO's into LH/LX/UC Toranas without tunnel mods, but they must be hanging them ridiculously low, which is certainly not best practice.

Anyway, if you can do that with a TKO, you can do it much, much better with a TKX.

 

I don't know how an SBC compares to a Holden V8. I have only tried with Holden V8.

[axistr]

I have a TKX sitting in the shed ready to go behind my SBC in the hatch. I currently have a TKO 500 in it without the floor been cut. The Hatch is an SS body car so didn't want to butcher it and wanted to retain the original console and look. It had the SBC in it when I bought it and being a L20 factory car I decided to leave it chev powered when I restored it near twenty years ago. 

 

Although the TKO were a good box back in the day, the TKX is a so much better gearbox all round. The TKO does sit a bit low but I don't have vibration problems with the two piece tail shaft I fitted a few years back. The only problem I do have is when I boot it in first or second off the line the centre bearing compresses the rubber due to the angle of the CV joint and bottoms giving a knock, knock which sound like someone is trying to get in. I have a project that has taken three times longer than I expected but once its finished I will throw the TKX in and let you know what the angle difference is. I also have a new 3.5 diff gear set to swap out the current 3.0  It currently has 500hp and 503ft torque, should be an interesting performance upgrade.  

[Heath]

Quite the highway cruiser with a TKO and 3.0:1 diff gears. I assume it isn't a 0.62 overdrive version haha.

My hunch is that that upcoming swap will be a great upgrade in every way.

[Ando]

Did my engine drivetrain build back in 2014.

I've never ever had a vibration issue even with some spirited driving. Power peak @ 7000 rpm.

Stroked Walkinshaw bottom end. Worked YT-3 heads. 530 hp 480 flb tq. Engine sits about 8-10mm lower on the HQ engine mount brackets compared to Torana brackets. TKO600 mounted as high as possible without any tunnel mods. 3" tail shaft 1350 uni/yoke & 3.5 ratio 9" diff. Torana trailing arms. Gearbox/tail shaft angle is the same at opposite end tail shaft/pinion in static position.

Drive shaft pitch angle may not be "race car" perfect to some "eggsperts" but after 8 years, there's still no sign vibration issues or potential failure. Agree TKX is the go!

 

[axistr]

Quite the highway cruiser with a TKO and 3.0:1 diff gears. I assume it isn't a 0.62 overdrive version haha.

My hunch is that that upcoming swap will be a great upgrade in every way.

 

I think all the TKO 500s had .68 overdrive. At 110kph the speedo was indicating 1,650 RPM with 14"x 265/50 rear tyres. I used to drive from Windsor to Newcastle (toranafest) on $60 return. Of course that was when 98 fuel was at $178 per litre. The new TKX has the same OD ratio but with a higher first gear 3.27 v 2.85 and now running 17'x275/35 rears so defiantly need the lower 3.5 diff gears. 

[Heath]

Ah, TKO 500, yep you're spot on about the 5th gear ratio. I missed that detail.

 

Very cruisey. Must have a baby cam to do a good job at 1,650rpm. Clearly a working combination though with that economy... getting 10L/100km is very impressive.

[355LX]

TKX has 3 different ratio choices, two close ratio and one wide ratio. Each has a different 5th, .68, .81 and .72. 

 

I've currently got my TKX mounted behind a dummy LS block on tuff mounts and gearbox crossmember I made. To achieve 3.4 degrees I've chopped quite a bit of the tunnel including the bracing that runs across from left to right. I want to lower the engine slightly further to get closer to 3 degrees, so I've modified a spare K frame for more clearance to the sump but haven't had time to trial it. 

 

Dropping the box down and using a two piece like Lenny has is a good option, but to get close to a decent driveline angle with a single piece shaft you will still need to chop the floor with the TKX. 

 

Edit, ratio choices below - I went with the 17722 to best suit club racing with my combo, bit of hwy cruising compromise but not massive;

 

Edited by 355LX, 25 May 2022 - 11:41 AM.

[axistr]

Ah, TKO 500, yep you're spot on about the 5th gear ratio. I missed that detail.

 

Very cruisey. Must have a baby cam to do a good job at 1,650rpm. Clearly a working combination though with that economy... getting 10L/100km is very impressive.

 

 

Yep Heath my figures worked out at 10.9 lts 100km. Hwy only.  It has a 3.75" stroke so not so sensitive to cam overlap like shorter stroke engines. You can drive it all day between 1,500-2,500 rpm. Cam 232@50 .500 lift. I have AFR 195 flow heads fitted so its all about mid range torque. I'm surprised it make the HP it does with inlet runners on the smaller side.

 

Dave I ordered the TCET18085 box over 18 months ago through Rocket industries but they couldn't supply after 12 months and returned my deposit. Summit racing couldn't supply one either. Tremec advised that this ratio would not go back into production until September 2022, That apparently has been push back till sometime in 2023. I really wanted the .72 OD, but at the end of the day decided to go for the TCET17805 and change the diff gearset for a bit more power to the treads, I was never overly impressed with the 3.0-1 except for the cruise up the freeway to Toranafest every few years.  

[Suni]

I have a TKX in my hatch. Supplied from Malwood auto. He supplied a mounting bracket with it that sits it perfectly correct with no measuring needed. It literally lines everything up for you. Fits in easy as. I have the 0.68 5th gear over drive. With 3.55 diff gears it makes highway driving a breeze. Can't remember rpm but I think it was around 2000-2200 rpm at 110 kmh.