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Hello all,

Need your advice Soobi fans. I have been slowly doing an auto to manual conversion in my L series wagon. Both cars were touring wagons, and 86 and an 88. I swapped the engine and manual gearbox complete without undoing them into the auto shell. Engine mounts look fine and bolt up nicely, manual gearbox mount bolt up normally too, however the gear linkages seem about 1-2cm short of the bolt that hold them in place as per picture. I could just rig up something to space that out, but can't help but wonder why its too short... Has anyone else come across this, I must be missing something simple as it appears both shells are the same, engine crossmembers etc?

Everything has been a matter of unbolting here and re bolting over there, until now. All advice welcome


Pic was taken under the car looking at the underside of the shifter/linkages area to the cabin.

Lift kit?
Steve

steve_rising_sun wrote:Lift kit?
Steve

Yes, 2 Kit installed before any work was started re gbox conversion. But it fit in the old car without a lift block in that place? Does a lift kit (2 inch say) normally come with a block for that part? The bolt is captive, and would need to be lengthened some how.

Sometimes there are subtle differences between models. Drill a new hole, chuck a nut and bolt thru it. Rocket science

Are the manual/auto tailshafts the same length?
Daza.

Daza, tale shafts are not even on yet, still have the end of the box plugged with a beer can.

AndrewT, yeah i know, easy enough to space that part out too. But was more concerned I might have something else wrong that might have bigger implications etc. Thanks for the idea though

The lift kit can make that amount of difference in bolt up spots. Either redrill or made aspacer but you will need an extra hole anyway to stop the lever from wandering if you do it with the spacer.

Manual shaft is longer than the auto one.

if it is a case of spacing it you can buy (if convenient) long nuts or join nuts at your fastening specialists. I have got 'em in M6 and M8 in the past.

Took a better look and read. it has no problem touching the floor ? just it aint stretched far enough? I'd put into neutral and ensure it all feels looks right then do the rocket science bit. If it don;t work it is not that hard to access and redrill from above. I had to stuff around same as when fitting L series 5 speed into the Brumby

with tail shaft I have found it is the front half of the shaft that makes the length difference so you should effectively be able to bolt a manual front half to an auto back

off topic question

if you still have both shells are the transmission tunnels the same width between the auto and manual shells?

I have both cars in tact, will measure the tranny tunnel dimensions for you steptoe.

The drive shafts are not an issue, yet. But I might have a problem there to if I do have something wrong that has put the whole engine and gearbox forward by 1-2cm. Though the shaft may have enough play to absorb that.

Assuming I do have the engine and gearbox in correctly I can just do the spacer option from that plate separated by the rubber block (right of picture) to the body where the bolt and nut can be seen. I guess there are subtle differences between the two cars. Donor car has a 3" lift so go figure. Just can't help feel I am missing something elswhere.

I can't see how I could have got the engine and gearbox in wrong, assuming the engine crossmembers are the same... There is no adjustment anywhere, it all just slots in, and bolts up.

Smokey wrote:There is no adjustment anywhere, it all just slots in, and bolts up.

Correct.
Sorry mate can't really help you, I do not remember having a issue with the gear linkages. It just all bolted up nicely. I will have a look under the car tomorrow though and see if anything comes to mind.

Thanks L turbo, any info would be appreciated. Even the years of the gearbox and car u used? Mine is S1 car and S2 box, might have something to do with it.

steptoe - No they are not. Again both Touring Wagons, S1 86 (auto) is 24cm and S2 88 (manual) 31cm, both cars appear to be approx 20cm deep. Measurements are between the mounting area where the auto crossmembers would mount. If you would like I can post/email some pics over the WE?

However I wonder if it has nothing to do with the auto/manual but rather the S1/S2 thing, would anyone else care to measure and post, maybe a new thread is worthwhile?

wow , that much difference. Photos not necessary. Actually it was silly of me to ask as I have a 87 sedan factory 4WD auto and an 1988 touring wagon in my shed at the moment on stands. will try to remember to measure what I have

Spent a little time on the car over the WE, but no joy. With the linkages all connected gears 1/3/5, the lever would hit the front of the hole where the levers enter the cabin. Was all prepared to drill a new hole and do the "rocket science" bit. But that won't work unless I make the cabin hole bigger and that just stupid. I must be missing something. Time to pull the engine out again I think and refit it.

If anyone can think of anything to check let me know. Below are the few possible problems I can think of:

1) Engine mounts are incorrect, are the more than one size for the EA82?
2) Engine crossmember is too far forward, not sure how though.
3) Car is different, ie linkage hole is further back than the other
4) Gearboxes come in different total overall lengths, including linkages, doubt this one too?

Only thing I can think of is that the car the engine and box came from had a 3" engine crossmember block and a 2" gearbox block. So this would have angled the gbox up towards the linkages hole... Might have to test a 2" block here, but then the levers will be too low in the car.

This is starting to get frustrating!

It is not gonna help you but.. I fitted my NOV87 make date Touring Wagon 5 speed D/R into my 3/87 compliance date GLTA - factory turbo 4WD 3 speed auto body tonight and the stud coming from the floor in M8 1.25 pitch was in just the right spot to fit up the lever bracket.

I have not tested the gears selection yet as the tranny is not in the correct spot as there is an engine to fit yet , giving the box its correct angle.

I measured my 87 or 88 compliance date wagon in the tunnel before it went off on its last journey (to the scrap yard) I got 230 and 250 from two points at the front of tunnel at firewall. The same points were not on the 3/87 body !! They were extra reinforcement plates not found on the sedan so could not refer against figures.

Quick update on this one:

Car is back on the road, feels so good and the noise the webber generates Still need to wire up the gearbox, HI/LO, Neutral and Reverse but otherwise its going.

Ended up dropping the linkages rear most bracket (the one with the rubber block separating the two plates) by about 1 inch and drilling a new hold and dropping a bolt through. The whole assembly is about 1 cm further forward than stock. But had to make the hole larger at the front of the car where the linkages enter the cabin. Again by about 1 cm. Actually just turned the metal bracket that holds the rubber shifter boot in place arround and use the middle stock holes, drilling new front and rear ones. Angle grinder cut the metal out filed and painted it. Would be hard to tell any work had been done. So all gears are nice and smooth with no hitting the body anywhere.

So nice to have manual again too, went for a rip arround the block, all new fluids probably helped but seemed so nice...

Thanks for the advice again as always guys, always help when one needs it.

Smokey