A question for gearbox gurus....FT4wd box compatibility

[isnowi]

Hi all, i have found a l series touring wagon that appears to have the FT4wd lockable center D/R box in it. Is there an easy (serial or model number of gearbox etc) to confirm that this is in fact what i am looking at?

Also if i as to purchase all the parts required to convert my 85 PT4wd 4 speed D/R brumby, what do i need from the donor vehicle? Obviously the box, and linkages, and the solenoid to operate the centre diff lock, what about driveshaft? and half shafts/cvs?

I have searched already and the information is all pretty fragmented, so i'm hoping someone has done this or similar and can offer some pointers.

Cheers.

[El_Freddo]

G'day isnowi,
To tell if this box is a FT4wd L series box best way is to get under the subi - not an easy thing to do sometimes - and have a look at the rear extension housing. On the driver's side there will be a lever. If this lever has its pivot point in the centre of the housing its an AWD gearbox, if it has the lever pivoting from the top of the box its just a part time box - they look idential apart from this. Also if it is dual range and has the vacuum diaphragm hanging off the side of the box it'd be an AWD box as the PT single range boxes were the only ones that came out with the "push button" 4wd, unless someone's pulled the box down to make a PT dual range push button 4wd...
A very good box to have if you're offroading as you'll get the best of both worlds - good traction AWD on road and locked 4wd offroad.

You'll need the box, gear linkages, tail shaft (will need to mount the centre bearing) the air vacuum solenoids and associated wiring. You can send the console switch and dash board to me if you like

Biggest hurdle is making the gearbox cross member and sorting out the clutch - both of which I have not done.

Cheers

Bennie

[yarney]

Hi all, i have found a l series touring wagon that appears to have the FT4wd lockable center D/R box in it. Is there an easy (serial or model number of gearbox etc) to confirm that this is in fact what i am looking at?

Also if i as to purchase all the parts required to convert my 85 PT4wd 4 speed D/R brumby, what do i need from the donor vehicle? Obviously the box, and linkages, and the solenoid to operate the centre diff lock, what about driveshaft? and half shafts/cvs?

I have searched already and the information is all pretty fragmented, so i'm hoping someone has done this or similar and can offer some pointers.

Cheers.

Send a message to "fang" on this forum he is the man he's got one in his l-series
He knows the box back to front and will give you all the answers you want but i haven't seen him on the forum much lately tho

Jan

[Chris_Rogers]

had one

if you have the whole thing in front of you: grab the box,crossmember,linkages, vac hoses vac solenoids (beside wiper motor.) interior trims, harnesses and cluster.

the dead giveaway for the lockable side of things will be the vac solenoid hanging off the front drivers side of the box.

if the donor is a touring wagon tell me where it is. ( I need a few bits for my GT2.)

[Bogged!]

This is interesting reading. I think I know where one of these gearboxes is, the bloke who owns it reckons it was only the early L's that had no low range with the selectable 4wd switch and the later ones had the lever on the floor, sounded a bit strange to me but whatever. Is this true or is it a AWD job and can the locking part of that be incorporated into an EJ DR box?

Cheers,... Col.

[isnowi]

this particular one is at a local wrecker here in wellington (NZ) the gearbox loks like it has always been there, the car itself is a jap import electric everything with ea82 turbo. Plush velour interior etc. the gearbox has a secondary lever (just like other L's) but it only has 2 positions, the diff lock is a small round 2 position dial on the drivers side of the centre console between the handbrake and the gearstick. The cars has 3.7 diffs, and the rear looks to be an open diff (i'd heard rumours that the touring wagons with AWD have rear lsd, but this one doesn't) Oh it's also got air suspension too.. :O

Biggest hurdle is making the gearbox cross member and sorting out the clutch - both of which I have not done.

Cheers

Bennie

What is the issue with the clutch and crossmember? Surely it should be similar to all other L and MY setups?

[El_Freddo]

this particular one is at a local wrecker here in wellington (NZ) the gearbox loks like it has always been there, the car itself is a jap import electric everything with ea82 turbo. Plush velour interior etc. the gearbox has a secondary lever (just like other L's) but it only has 2 positions, the diff lock is a small round 2 position dial on the drivers side of the centre console between the handbrake and the gearstick. The cars has 3.7 diffs, and the rear looks to be an open diff (i'd heard rumours that the touring wagons with AWD have rear lsd, but this one doesn't) Oh it's also got air suspension too.. :O

^ That will definitely be an AWD lockable centre diff'd gearbox... Those are a diamond in the rough over here! Lucky fella you are...

is the issue with the clutch and crossmember? Surely it should be similar to all other L and MY setups?

I'm pretty sure the crossmember is different, thus a custom job or a modification needs to be made. If you've got an 8 or 9 inch clutch and flywheel on the brumby (the one thats the same diametre as the L series' one) apparently you need to machine the flywheel or something. Again I've only heard about this being done and the information is rather vague in my mind. A forum search should find some threads about it.

Bogged: The L series locking centre diff cannot be retro fitted to the EJ gearbox without taking all of the L series internals with it - people believe these internals to be weaker than the EJ equivalent but they look the same to me... The L series box is a different length compared to the EJ gearbox, I can't remember if it was shorter or longer - I'm on a good run for vague info tonight.
The early L wagons that were singe range came out with the 4wd button on top of the gearstick, this only engaged the rear end for 4wd. There's no AWD with it. The vortex came out with a single range AWD box that was also lockable, but you can tell them apart. Disco now has a modified one in his RX - it was single range but is now dual range...

Cheers

Bennie

[Chris_Rogers]

this particular one is at a local wrecker here in wellington (NZ) the gearbox loks like it has always been there, the car itself is a jap import electric everything with ea82 turbo. Plush velour interior etc. the gearbox has a secondary lever (just like other L's) but it only has 2 positions, the diff lock is a small round 2 position dial on the drivers side of the centre console between the handbrake and the gearstick. The cars has 3.7 diffs, and the rear looks to be an open diff (i'd heard rumours that the touring wagons with AWD have rear lsd, but this one doesn't) Oh it's also got air suspension too.. :O


What is the issue with the clutch and crossmember? Surely it should be similar to all other L and MY setups?

can I get the phone number of this yard please!!

need bits for mine!

you have found a FT gearbox. get EVERY thing attached to it. clutch - can't remember but I have a feeling its the same as the normal one (been 10 yrs since I owned a FT box)

crossmember is different. it picks up the same points on the car but is differnt in build.

[steptoe]

Only offering info from my own L Series PT 4WD DR into standard height EA81 Brumby

Compare std L box to 4 speed box bellhousing to where clutch fork and cable works. They are different. I used L Series box, L Series clutch fork, L Series clutch cable, modded my Brumby pedal box to take L cable, L Series two piece tailshaft, I continued with 8 inch clutch pressure plate and fly of the EA81, using a 1.6 litre petrol RWD Gemini clutch disc to fit the L Serie splined box, got grey console bits from L too, retained all L levers and made no mods. Your FT4WD box being in a turbo likely to be 25 spline stubs on front drive, whereas Brumby and std L are 23 spline. Get the CV shafts for the inner DOJs to fit to Brumby CV shafts and outer . Suggestions have been strip box and fit small stubs from std L box with 23 splines so no stuff around with 25 spline DOJs

Word is a std height Brumby may not take the vacuum cannister of diff lock due to restrictions of tunnel size

[isnowi]

Only offering info from my own L Series PT 4WD DR into standard height EA81 Brumby

Compare std L box to 4 speed box bellhousing to where clutch fork and cable works. They are different. I used L Series box, L Series clutch fork, L Series clutch cable, modded my Brumby pedal box to take L cable, L Series two piece tailshaft, I continued with 8 inch clutch pressure plate and fly of the EA81, using a 1.6 litre petrol RWD Gemini clutch disc to fit the L Serie splined box, got grey console bits from L too, retained all L levers and made no mods. Your FT4WD box being in a turbo likely to be 25 spline stubs on front drive, whereas Brumby and std L are 23 spline. Get the CV shafts for the inner DOJs to fit to Brumby CV shafts and outer . Suggestions have been strip box and fit small stubs from std L box with 23 splines so no stuff around with 25 spline DOJs

Word is a std height Brumby may not take the vacuum cannister of diff lock due to restrictions of tunnel size

Thanks Steptoe, that's exactly the detailed info i need, the car is at a local pickapart wrecker, so i have to take bits off myself (in the hail and 100km southerlies) so far i have the tailshaft and centre bearing, gearbox, diff solenoid, linkages, and crossmember, unfortunately the plastics are all cracked and worst of all blue, so i gave those a miss. I will be going back for the DOJ's as the front shafts are in fact 25 spline, on the weight of your advice i'll also grab the clutch cable too.

The brumby will be raised either 3 or 4" i'm yet to decide for sure, on 27" tyres.

I have confirmed that the rear output shaft turns all the time irregardless of the lever position, thus it is 100% an AWD box, i've also noted that the diff lock could easily be connected to a mechanical lever if need be, but i will try to retain the vacuum operated solenoid just so i can fit this cool little switch:

[discopotato03]

Yes that surround and switch is unique to L Series AWD cars . I managed to get the surround and sticker but not the switch . I also have the Vortex switch but never fitted either .
I don't off road my car and have never had the need to lock the diff on the blacktop .

BTW the L AWD DR/SR boxes go straight into any manual L Series with no differences other than the stay rod and shift rod length , ah and make sure your drive shafts are using 25 spline DOJs because that's what the L AWD box has std .

Make sure there are no remnants of the speedo drive cable in the gearbox before you fit it because they are a bi*ch to pry out with the box in place .
Also , important hint , unbolt the vac unit so that you can get the gearbox up high in the trans tunnel to bolt it to the engines flywheel housing - in an L Series anyway .

Also , important , make sure you grab the AWD boxes wiring sub loom because its different to the PT 4WD one - switches in different places .
I think it plugs into the ordinary cars body loom side and should light up the 4WD and Low Range center dash lights .
I'm just using the LR wiring though its not hard to tell which range you're in if you have the non turbo L shorter LR gears like my hybrid AWD L box has .
Very handy to have a syncro high/low range and makes tight parking maneuvers a snap .
My box also has the non turbo closer ratio main gearset which is a hoot at the traffic light grand prix , never fall off the boost curve ever again though not so good on the expressways .
Some people find the wider taller turbo ratios not to be so good in a carby L Series though after a Brumby four speed the turbo 5 speed would be rather welcome as in closer than what you should have now . I wouldn't think a Brumby has 3.7 diffs so may need to grab that L's rear diff .

There's obviously differences with using any L Series five speed gearbox in an MY/MA but the changes would be the same because the L part time and full time boxes are for all intents and purposes the same .
Really the only external differences , aside from the vac actuator , is the AWD one is deeper in the extension housing at its lower rear .

No doubt people here would love the gauge cluster because the center bit lights up Diff Lock when locked . They also had a couple of extra gauges the more mundane versions didn't get .

For the drive experience you will notice that after the conversion your car will feel more sure footed everywhere and nothing like you typical FrWD POS .
You have less load on the front tyres contact patches so they don't tend to skip and screech over humps bumps etc . Also you can launch from a standing start on wet roads as hard as you like and not spin the wheels in the wet . I'm only using 185/70/13s which are no disadvantage at all in a straight line .
My RX has a bit more squirt that your average EA82T powered L and it doesn't spin wheels except over one sharp hump tight right hander intersection and I have to have the boot right in to make it do it .
Off cambered up hill tight roundabouts in the wet with the boot in , minimum understeer though I've altered geometry and have big anti roll bars under my car to take out the average Ls take the chrome off the door handles body roll .
Nothing like driving an Evo Lancer but very passable for a mid 80s car .

AWD will spoil you and make you hate not having it in other cars .

You have been warned , cheers A .

[steptoe]

I might add , diff ratio on my Brumby is 3.7:1

Too right about the added grip with the AWD upgrade. The WRXed Brumby I had a run in only ran standard cheaper variety of tyres like grand rally S or something and it did not lose traction anywhere in the dry.

[isnowi]

Thanks for all the information,

The car in question will be running 27" tyres, a lift, and either an ej20 sohc or ej22 sohc. It will not be a serious offroader, just something a little different, truth be told it doesn't need a 5 speed AWD trans, but it was an opportunity i couldn't pass up, (besides it would of ended up in the crucher if i didn't grab it)

As for being spoilt by AWD, all our cars will be AWD when this is done, so no issues there.
I think i will make up a custom FG centre console to match up the stock brumby part (which is damaged anyway) with the L type covers to tidy everything up. I will have to have a bit of a play with the 4wd and diff lock indicator lamps, might grab the dash from the touring to play with. Should all go nicely with the GTB leather seats and the WRX steering wheel already in the car...

Now if only i could find the engine bits i need to get it running...