fbekholden.com

ardiesse wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2020 7:32 pm Brief history of the red crashbox (apologies for the thread hijack):

The crashbox was re-engineered for the EJ, with a longer input shaft, a higher capacity single-row rear bearing, a press-fitted speedo drive gear, and an enlarged cluster gear shaft with twenty needle rollers. The rear main bearing was now retained very securely between the transmission case and the rear extension housing. But the method of location for the input shaft and bearing was a shocker - a Belleville washer between the bearing outer race and the throwout bearing sleeve, which was all held in place by the transmission-to-bellhousing bolts.

The EJ transmission case was carried over for the EH 149, but with new bellhousing (minus "ears" for the grey engine mounts) and new rear extension housing (enlarged, and with pad for red rear engine mount). For the 179 manuals, the transmission case and bellhousing were redesigned, with wider bolt spacing. The clutch was upgraded, and the slave cylinder redesigned with offset bolt holes. I don't know if the S4s had their own "sui generis" transmission cases and bellhousings.

The design shortcomings of the Belleville washer to retain the input shaft soon became apparent. If the washer cracked, the input shaft was now free to move axially. And if you should take off hard at the lights, shift into second, and then floor it, the input shaft would move forwards, the synchro hub and second speed gear rearwards, and a gap would open up between the input shaft and the mainshaft, just big enough to suck the top gear synchro cone dogs into. This would produce a momentary "grrr" sound as the synchro cone machined a couple of millimetres off the splines off the input shaft and the mainshaft. Gearbox now good for the bin.

And so GMH redesigned the input shaft, synchro hub, mainshaft, 1st-reverse gear and second speed gear with revised dimensions to ensure that the top gear synchro cone could not get crunched up if the Belleville washer broke. I think this change happened some time during EH. You can identify the parts in question by a small groove machined onto the splines (usually). The spline dimensions were changed so you couldn't mate "early" and "late" gearbox components.

Rob

Errol62 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2020 7:01 pm Gearbox mod has certainly pricked my ears up thank you Dave, rob, Greg.

Also the Harrop trutrac Rob. The only way to beef up a stock housing. I think 10 spline and 28 spline around the same price but then you need custom axles unless you run an early torana housing and the 28 spline axles would be rare anyway.

Really dig how you’re doing your best to keep it as period as possible.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

FJWALLY wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2020 6:20 am Thanks Rob - sometimes changes made for the sake of change rather than good but very interested in the HR gears into the EK box

Need to ask around who could make that work for me as most shops these days if it's not off the shelf they are not interested.

Blacky wrote:

FJWALLY wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2020 6:20 am Thanks Rob - sometimes changes made for the sake of change rather than good but very interested in the HR gears into the EK box

Need to ask around who could make that work for me as most shops these days if it's not off the shelf they are not interested.

Sounds very interesting, especially for a red motor swap and stock 3 speed so floors dont need to be cut

Harv wrote:You need that air filter to stop the Wray from sucking in small children and pigeons

Cheers,
Harv