33 replies to this topic

[enderwigginau]

CRS do an adaptor and crossmember to suit.
If you can't get another answer here, best bet would be to give them a call as they should be able to answer any questions you have.

Grant..

[76lxhatch]

I believe that the W55/W57/W58 box is still a bit of an upgrade strength-wise from an M20/M21. Not a huge amount but it could be enough if nothing else fits. There are gains to be made from bigger bearings with them too from what I understand, get a box from behind a four cylinder that has never been abused and fit the better bearings.

[Toranamat69]

That bigger bearing thing is an urban myth which hangs over from the really early days of the celica steel case 5 speeds where there were improvements to be made from better bearings. All but the very early celica boxes are already fitted with the bigger bearings so there is no upgrade available for the any of the later model celica 5 speeds or the supra boxes - I have checked this out in detail.

[ls2lxhatch]

Mal Wood's thoughts Sept 2007.

The R154 is far more expensive than the W58 and much harder to find now so as I see it you really have two choices with the 5 speed, the Supra or the Tremec. The Supra 5 speed is quite suitable behind a 200kw engine but above that the Tremec is the choice.

� The W58 with all the parts to fit it which includes, New bellhousing, New 10.5�� clutch kit, New Hydraulic Bearing ( pictured in the attachment),New special firewall bracket, New master cylinder and reservoir, Modified clutch pedal, New Braided line, Mount bracket and crossmember, New speedo cable, New slip yoke, Floor boot, Gearstick and knob, this Premium Supra kit will cost you $3545.

� The Tremec TKO 500 is a much better long term choice for the Torana, it too includes the same parts list as above. The full kit for the TKO 500 will cost and extra $2430 and If you want a Billet steel Flywheel and ARP H/P bolts add a further $445.

It all depends on what end result you want, the last thing you want is to go out for a drive and give it some spirited driving and break something like the gearbox. I would definitely fit the TKO with a 355, Regards Mal Wood

[ls2lxhatch]

Ls2lxhatch, I would have thought the TKO was far more expensive than a R154, box vs box only.

I imagine that the price of the TKO will be on the way up due to the exchange rate. I also expect that as the R154 will be a used box, the price will also vary considerably.

lx308 and A9X have the TKO from Mal Wood.
http://www.gmh-toran.......arted&st=55

[Toranamat69]

Ls2lxhatch, I would have thought the TKO was far more expensive than a R154, box vs box only.

Read that again - the TKO box will cost you an extra $2430 - that sounds like a fair bit to me.

There has been an R154 on e-bay for a while for $1800. They do come up cheaper every now and then and sometimes you can find them at the importers.

http://cgi.ebay.com....1QQcmdZViewItem

Nice and local for me too.

They actually come up on E-bay in the US a fair bit for a fraction what we pay here. I have seen them go for $50 so even with freight they can be landed here for about $500 to $600.

I have never used a TKO so I can't really comment either way on them.

Often you will find places like Mal Wood will give you the advice to go with the product they make the most profit margin on not the better product - call me a cynic if you will but as they say - 'you can't bullshit a bullshitter'

Matt

[ls2lxhatch]

The TKO box was an extra $2430 over the price of a W58. According to Mal Wood the W58 is considerably cheaper than a R154. You are also comparing a used or rebuilt gearbox with a new gearbox.

[Toranamat69]

Tremecs have a shithouse 5th gear ratio for a performance car where as the R154 has a nice set of ratios (first gear slightly short if anything).

Pretty much every W58 I have seen for sale has been $800, I have seen numerous R154's go for $1200 and as I stated above you can get them from the US cheaper.

I have been quoted $800 for a full rebuild but I have never seen one even need a rebuild unless some clown puts a solid clutch disc in front of it in their Supra and abuses the hell out of it trying to get it to move off the line quickly. It is the impact load that kills them and you just don't have to drive a manual like that with the torque of a V8.

Mine is only a second handy and I give it hell - I reckon it has probably done 60 runs down the 1/4 plus plenty of track work and Plenty of hard street use.

I would trust Jap engineering before Mexican anyday.

[Toranamat69]

Whan you look at the price you can bring a TKO into this country for your self vs what Mal Wood and other local suppliers charge, you will see why I am such a cynic - they make an absolute killing on these things.

There are conversion kits for both these boxes from CRS and Dellow so why not buy those straight from the manufacturer, not through a middle man who puts his cut on. Same with the gearbox bring it in from O/S if you want a TKO.

If you can fit a standard manual box, you can fit an aftermarket one with an adaptor kit - there is stuff all difference in what is involved.

Just cut out all the leeches in the middle and do it yourself.

Just for your info, Mal Wood sourched my R154 for me when I got it about 7 years ago and wanked on every time I spoke to him about how he would crack it open and have a look at the condition inside and then he told me he had done so and it was all 100%.

When I went to install it in the car I first pulled the drain plug and about 1 litre of water came out and about 10ml of oil - I wonder if he is in the habit of refilling gearboxes with water? FKn bullshit - he did nothing but pressure clean it down to make it look new and managed to get shitloads of water down the shifter hole because the shift lever wasn't fitted - none of those bolts on the housing had ever been removed - he just took the chance because he knew how reliable they are.

Keep your wits about you when you are dealing with suppliers.

[Toranamat69]

I could have told you that straight up - that is what I was referring to above.

If you can get a 308 to the same torque figure mine engine puts out and get the same level of traction on street tires, you are talking a bloody serious 308.

I haven't broken my thrust washer yet and I drive it damn hard. The only ones I have heard breaking a thrust washer are clowns with solid hub clutches who dump the clutch ridiculously. I am still using a sprung hub clutch because I don't see the sense in solid ones anyway.

Do you have a link to the stuff about the kiwi guy who made up some other washers? I am interrested in a read.

BTW, Marlin Crawler are kunts and I wouldn't use them - I ordered their solid urethane shifter seat bushing and the billet main bearing retainer for the R154 - they sent the package to one of their other customers in Canberra instead of to me in brissy.
Luckily the guy in Canberra was nice enough to post it up to me at his cost but then he still didn't have his package.
Then when it got here the shifter bushing wasn't included - then MC reckon'd they sent a replacement which also didn't turn up and then 3 months later, after I threatened to cancel the credit transaction through my bank, they refunded me my money.

Wanting the shifter seat still, I waited 3 months and then got a mate to order it and they came back saying due to international deliveries going missing (remember they sent it to the wrong address), there is now an US$80 shipping fee for a $10 part which weight less than a gram.

I ended up getting it sent to a friend in the US who put it in a $2 envelope and it was here in a week - this is after MC's online ordering system took my details as payee and my friend in the states details as the delivery point and they then tried to accuse me of again putting an Aussie address for delivery. Talk about shit service to get a $10 part.

Why don't you go the Tremec option but buy it from the US yourself then? You can cost it all up before going ahead.

I seriously doubt you will break and R154 with an NA 308 unless you solid clutch it and run drag slicks.

M@

[Toranamat69]

If you saw the outright number of parts I have ordered from the US in the last 8 years, this is a mere drop in the ocean and was particular to this one mob of clowns - all my other transactions have been superb and better than the vast majority of aussie suppliers.

I still got my parts in the end too and I actually got the Billet main bearing plate for free they gave me an entire refund to shut me up and get me off their back ) .

Up to you what you do but I get about 90% of my stuff direct from the US and so does a mate - he has ordered a lot more stuff than I.