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needing some advice re l-series gearbox - mine jumps out of 1st soon after I take my foot off the accelerator (tho this doesn't occur with light pressure on gearstick) but the box is otherwise really good - no crunching/noises/leaks etc and tight. is this something simple/cheap to repair? if it's a big job, are all L-series 4x4 boxes the same? (I currently have ea82T engine).

cheers

oaf wrote:are all L-series 4x4 boxes the same?

Oaf, there's a few variations, and when you start talking about diff ratios/year produced it starts to get very hazy

There are (that I know of):

- Dual Range 4wd 3.7 diff ratio - most common 4wd L box
- Dual Range 4wd 3.9 diff ratio - hard to find if you can get one
- Single Range 4wd 3.9 diff ratio - Even harder to find than the Dual range 3.9
- Turbo Dual Range 4wd 3.7 diff ratio - same as NA 4wd above but has differences with gear ratios and a low range that's closer to high range. I think there's also a Turbo 3.9 but I could be wrong.

Then last of all there's the Dual Range AWD L series box in 3.7 and 3.9. Both hard to get as they weren't delivered to Australia.

If your car is a conversion job i'd say you have a standard NA Dual Range 4wd 3.7 diff ratio gearbox in there. To find out your diff ratio, stick your head under the back of the car and check for a sticker on the back of the diff (could be covered in oil), it will have the diff ratio printed on the sticker. This ratio will be the same as the gearboxes ratio as the have to match for 4wd'n purposes.

My guess would be that swapping the gearbox would be easier than fixing the gear slipping out.

Cheers

Bennie

Check your shifter linkages are in good condition. Try renewing the nylon bushes (cheap to buy, easy to install) or swap out for another known working linkage assembly.

Sound like the gear has not been fully selected as AndrewT says try the linkage bushes first.

AndrewT wrote:Check your shifter linkages are in good condition. Try renewing the nylon bushes (cheap to buy, easy to install) or swap out for another known working linkage assembly.

agreed

alex

thanks heaps guys I'll have a squiz under the car tomorrow and get back to you. it goes into first gear fine and never jumps out on acceleration, only when decelerating. in case the sticker is gone is the ratio stamped somewhere? it's a d/r 4wd (not awd) box and the low range seems to be pretty close to HR so I suspect it is maybe the turbo box?? are the internals on all boxes similar ratings/strength? cheers brenden

Not something like a gearbox mount is it

I'll check it out - I have also heard somewhere that there is a stabilising bar/link between the gearbox and the chassis to stop it moving around during accel/deccel so I will have a squiz at that one.

finally got around to looking under the car and it seems the sticker has been spray painted over but there are some numbers cast into the diff housing but not sure if they mean anything
756
89 2 (28
KN5

I suspect the 89 2 is the DoM. the 28 is in a stamped circle.