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D Type Od & Transmission For Gt6


TIMSGT6 X 5

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A busy day yesterday, picking up my newly created seat covers and getting a few tips on installation, acquired a really nice hydraulic machine vice for the milling machine which I was able to pickup just a few kilometers away. I purchased a complete transmission with D type od in July of 2008 through E-Bay. It was a deal at $185.00 US, I had it shipped to a friends industrial supply company's shipping vault across the border in Detroit. It was shipped apparently without an invoice and such so I delayed picking it up as trying to get it across the border without proof of purchase and value would be tricky. Making a short story longer by about 8 years I decided a day of reckoning was at hand and went over while I was in Windsor yesterday. The transmission was there, in its box, no paper work, and off I went to bargain with Canada Customs Agency. I informed the officer of what I had purchased, I took a reasonable guess at what I had paid for it, $185.00, and what vehicle it was for. I got a very skeptical sideways glance and the question, you only paid $185.00? I replied, yes, in 2008, it has been in storage ever since it arrived at the vault. He seemed satisfied , or resigned, handed back my passport and said have a nice day, no duty, no taxes and best of all no hassle. Big win!

 

Here it is in all its splendor:

post-854-0-72329200-1457017544_thumb.jpg

 

I have plenty of bell housings laying about so no issue with that, but it has me thinking. With my new resolve to abandon the Lucas PI systems in favour of EFI why not go the next step and just go to a T5 transmission as well. I'm certain this could be marketed for enough to more than pay for the conversion.

Any thoughts or input as to the viability of such, pros and cons?

Cheers Tim

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Clean on the outside at least.  Presumably it turns ok and you can get all the gears?  How much lateral play in the input shaft?

 

If you are going 2.5 then those gearboxes are a bit fragile - more in the sense that they wear out quickly than break outright usually.  Not such an issue with 2.0 but they still wear out fairly quickly if used  vigorously.  A good one is a nice thing to use as the ratios are good and the change sweet.

 

Having worn out a few myself, I now have a Toyota 5 speed in mine.  It's a W58 from a Supra and I like it.  Though it's a big 'box, the shape suits the Triumph chassis and all I had to do to gain clearance was to fold the inner flanges chassis flanges down out of the way.  You can get conversion kits to fit them in TR6s, including bell housings, from at least 3 sources which is probably easier than welding bits of Triumph and Toyota together as I did.  But not cheaper.

 

Other possibilities

- Toyota T50 - would have been my first choice and others have done this including our own Craig.  They are extremely thin on the ground here in the UK but may be better where you are.  Again, kits or diy both possible.

- Toyota W57 - Same as W58 apart from 5th gear ratio.

- Ford T9 - well documented and conversion parts available from many sources (some more correct than others).  Gearbox availability is usually a bit limited west of the Atlantic due to limited use in the Americas and getting rarer and more expensive here now too.

- Leyland Rover LT77 can apparently fitted using Rover SD1 2300/2600 bell housing.  While you might find a gearbox (same as TR7 5 speed) the bell housing will be a challenge to fin even here now.

- BW T5...... don't really know.  Did look at these briefly when I was considering my options.  I stayed away because they are relatively rare over here and tend to have been fitted to high value vehicles and were very expensive when I was looking.  There also seem to be many variants.  They also seem to be really quite large and a more awkward shape than the W58.  Pretty sure I have seen references to them being used in small chassis Triumphs, but only in conjunction with fairly radical engine swaps in highly modified vehicles.

 

Nick

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saw a gt6 with a t5 in once some years back,as nick says they are quite large being a very square shape and there are some casting bosses at the bottom for the bellhousing which may require chassis clearance.

on the plus side there are various tailshaft castings offering different g/stick positions.

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I am looking at the GM T5 from the V6 Camaros from the late 80s and early 90s, they are quite small, lots of fettling though to get them up to the flywheel.

Nick, the input shaft has lots of radial movement, like the bearing races are loose. It is turning and all the baulks look in good shape from the top, IIRC it was a rebuild, the guy was pissed it didn't fetch a respectable price but lived up to the deal.

A few years back I did buy a Supra with the W58 in it, I sold it to someone who wanted it more than I in a moment of weakness.

Cheers Tim

Edited by TIMSGT6 X 5
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Hmmm, lots of movement there quite often means that the is a problem with the spigot bearing between the tip of the main-shaft and the input shaft....... and that quite often involves damage to the main-shaft tip itself.  Depends how much movement you have - some is normal (maybe 3 - 4mm each way at the tip for a good used with less being a bonus and more being cause to be wary.

 

Some maybe useful links I found while looking for pictures

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/Detailed/349.shtml

http://www.thirdgen.org/forums/transmissions-drivetrain/444098-t5-faq-everything-we.html

 

Some pictures showing a T5 alongside a Toyota W58

W58 vs T5 1.jpg

W58 vs T5 2.jpg

 

and these from my W58 in a Vitesse (very similar to GT6 regarding fit to chassis) conversion

DSCF0002.jpg

3 boxes side by side for comparison, Triumph box in front (Note J type and 1" longer that standard - already a very tight fit at the rear, the W58 was easier there!), W58 in middle and Ford T9 at rear.

original gbox 1.jpg

Hybrid Triumph box in the car

W58 in the car

5 speed fitted.jpg

installed left.jpg

installed right.jpg

 

The shifter comes out in the Triumph position.  Tunnel cover was extended at the back.

 

Nick

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That is helpful Nick, mostly what experience I've had with the T5 is holding one in my hands, it seemed small but in reality the W58 is smaller.

I'm going out to the shop to have a snoop at the tranny and compare it with another that I pulled from a parts car, I may be missing something about that input shaft.

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Well, not wanting to put you off as I'd like to see it done......  :)

 

But I can't find anything about anyone else doing it to any Triumph 6.  Thought I'd found a TR6 but that had a matching V8 too and they've got alot more room between the rails.

 

Suspect it's not done 'cause the size and shape make it hard to do and other things are used instead.  I'd say see if you can pick up a T50 or W57/8.

 

Nick

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