Power Steering or 5speed

Rodeo4jake · Post by **Rodeo4jake** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:53 pm

G'day guys
Ok I've made a call to a wrecker near home & they have power steering for a Brumby for $550. Then today I notice a 5 speed box on eBay, dunno what it will go for yet.
I know some of you have done both these mods, which 1 do you consider a better improvement?
Cheers Jake

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 4:50 pm

I reckon you can do better!
Simply make a trip to the wreckers in Melbourne such as Jollys, Pick a Part or Centre Road - every now again you can find them there.
You can get L series 5 speed gearbox for about 100-150 bucks and modify to fit behind EA81.
Cheers
AP

phantomD · Post by **phantomD** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 4:53 pm

The power steering is a fantastic improvement on stock EA81. With the standard 4-speed gearbox you can rev the engine a bit higher to go faster if need be.

That said, the 5-speed box is better manufactured than the 4-speed and will give you better acceleration particularly between 2nd and 3rd on the 4-speed.

Still, I think the power steering.

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 4:59 pm

phantomD wrote:The power steering is a fantastic improvement on stock EA81. With the standard 4-speed gearbox you can rev the engine a bit higher to go faster if need be.

That said, the 5-speed box is better manufactured than the 4-speed and will give you better acceleration particularly between 2nd and 3rd on the 4-speed.

Still, I think the power steering.

i know that very well.. i had a car without P/S and I installed from a wreck onto mine and made huge difference to it, people who drives Power Steering cars know the difference, if you havent driven non power steering car - you dont know!
Cheers
AP

Rodeo4jake · Post by **Rodeo4jake** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 5:29 pm

Thanks for the replys there guys, think I'll be going with power steering then. The thing is I can pick it up 20 mins up the road. The box is in Brisbane so I would have to try & get it here.
I will call the wrecker in the morning & tell them to pull the steering out of the car.
Cheers

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 5:48 pm

As AP has said - Pick a part or Centre Road Wreckers are the way to go. I find Jolly's too far out of my way. They're reasonably priced if you're up for the drive and the time and effort to get the parts.

On the Pick a Part website you can do a search for makes and models that are currently in stock. You'll be looking for an MY touring wagon or an 1800 wagon as they're commonly referred to on that site - but also be careful as these can be L series as well, so take note of the year of production and that will usually tell you what it will be

As for the L series gearbox, if you're looking at the ~$300 one on ebay you're ripping yourself off. You can get them much cheaper in these yards. You just have to pull them out yourself. Sad thing is that I've pulled some parts off cars that are better than mine

All the best with it! The PS is great and makes the brumby feel much more sporty as you can throw it into corners a lot easier and makes the car feel a pot load lighter! You will need to move the brake booster line to the other side of the manifold and possibly grind one of the little blanking tabs down to clear the PS pump.

You can't get a PS kit from an L series either, these will not fit! Make sure you get the crank pulley too, otherwise you'll have PS but nothing to turn the pump

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 5:50 pm

rather steep on price me thinks, bought a complete sedan with PS for $100 - and threw the PS out as it was such an ungainly, awkward looking hanger onner piece of junk , or so I thought. Manual steer for me anyday. Road warrior ? put the money towards some 15" rims and tyres 195.50.15 are so light in steering on my Brumby.
Complete MY's are a bit thin on the ground for the pickings of PS bits so, if you happy with their price and want PS go for it. Did someone say to get the thermostat housing too for its longer neck ?

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 5:55 pm

Yep... Jollys doesnt have L series or MY at this moment but they do have a price list to show, click on the car and you'll see the price link - their address is http://www.jollysupullit.com.au/
Cheers
AP

Rodeo4jake · Post by **Rodeo4jake** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:20 pm

Hey guys,
There's a box on eBay right now for $495 that says it gas been removed from a Brumby. So supposedly ready to bolt in for that money. Says tailshaft may not fit, but that is not hard to sort out. Only problem is its 1800 odd kms from my place. The local wrecker near me has an my touring wagon with the steering on it, just a bit high in price as you guys are saying. At least it's local though. To drive to Melbourne & remove is worth a bit in time, fuel & money to me. I will try to be sure they give me all the bits I need.

Cheers

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:48 pm

$500 for a used gearbox???

I'll say no more

Rodeo4jake · Post by **Rodeo4jake** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 7:33 pm

I hear what ya saying there, but if we were talking other makes some 2nd hand boxes are $2500! It's all relative I guess. I suppose he thinks it is worth that much cos its ready to go straight in a Brumby. Then on the other hand if ya patient you might buy an L series wagon complete for the price of his gearbox. But it still won't have all you need for the conversion.

Cheers Jake

555Ron · Post by **555Ron** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 7:54 pm

Rodeo4jake wrote:Then on the other hand if ya patient you might buy an L series wagon complete for the price of his gearbox. But it still won't have all you need for the conversion.

How so? The gearbox will bolt straight in and the linkage modifications are very minor or you cut the floor from what I have read? The tail shaft needs support but I'm guessing that's welded into the car he got the gearbox out of. I think the power steering is a much better proposition... L series gearboxes aren't hard to come by.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 8:12 pm

AlpineRaven wrote:You can get L series 5 speed gearbox for about 100-150 bucks and modify to fit behind EA81.

No mods required to the gearbox required! The only mods I know of are to the EA81 flywheel where it's machined out to fit the L series clutch pressure plate. And sometimes the starter motor needs to be spaced out a couple of mm. A flat washer or two does the trick - but if you've got a mate that can machine a plate up that would be loads better and keep mr plod at bay if they know what they're looking at.

Silverbullet wrote:$500 for a used gearbox???

Yeah bugger that - it's just an L series box! You can get one much cheaper than that!

Rodeo4jake wrote:if ya patient you might buy an L series wagon complete for the price of his gearbox. But it still won't have all you need for the conversion.

Yes you will! You'll have the gearbox, the clutch pressure plate and the gear selector. Just make sure the gearbox you get is from a carbie EA82'd L series otherwise you'll have to customise your driveshafts too. MPFI and MPFI turbo gearboxes have a 25 spline output shafts on the front diff. Carb'd L series have 23 spline count which is the one you want

555Ron wrote:L series gearboxes aren't hard to come by.

Too right! $500 and freight is too much!

Maybe you could ask a fellow forum member to dig you up a gearbox from the parts yards in melbs

Gotta think outside the box!

Oh, the other thing you'll have to sort out is the gearbox crossmember - I think custom is the way but I'm not 100% sure.

And Steptoe is correct on the thermostat housing - you'll need that too as it is longer. Also grab a new radiator hose while you're at it

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 9:36 pm

Even the Jap import houses have not charged more than $300 for a low km box 4WD L series in my experience.

MPFI and turbo boxes all have 25 splines.....an exception is the 4WD auto box 23 spline

Mate, an L series box into 84 to 94 Brumby has a few different approaches depending on what clutch / fly you already have , no need to cut shifters, just expand on the hole on the floor a tad. Retain Brumby x member just adjust the Brumby gearbox mount holes in the brackets

phantomD · Post by **phantomD** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 10:15 pm

El_Freddo wrote:All the best with it! The PS is great and makes the brumby feel much more sporty as you can throw it into corners a lot easier and makes the car feel a pot load lighter! You will need to move the brake booster line to the other side of the manifold and possibly grind one of the little blanking tabs down to clear the PS pump.

Absolutely. I used to have to slow right down getting out of my garage and going around a roundabout near my old place (the smallest roundabout in Brisbane) - not anymore! The power steering also makes the car safer to drive, the manual steer can really try to follow grooves in the road etc.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 5:37 pm

Hey Phantom , what's the diameter of the roundabout ?

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 6:13 pm

Centre Road Wreckers, now charges $250 for a 5 spd L series box.
It was possible to get them for $120, as they were clasifed as front wheel drive.
They are now educated and carefully check all Subaru boxes.

phantomD · Post by **phantomD** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 7:27 pm

steptoe wrote:Hey Phantom , what's the diameter of the roundabout ?

I'm not sure, but it's a bloody small one.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 9:30 pm

Reading back, I must admit I have not done a conversion to know the difference between manual and power steering in feel, but it is beginning to sound like PS is almost a performance conversion for the Brumbies in the handling dept. All I have is 50 series on 15"s and a 25mm front sway bar.

Rodeo4jake · Post by **Rodeo4jake** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 9:56 pm

steptoe wrote:Reading back, I must admit I have not done a conversion to know the difference between manual and power steering in feel, but it is beginning to sound like PS is almost a performance conversion for the Brumbies in the handling dept. All I have is 50 series on 15"s and a 25mm front sway bar.

Yeah from what they're all saying the driving experience is greatly improved. Just wondering what type of 15 inch wheels you have. Also wondering about the 25mm sway bar, how did you get hold of one of those? In all my searching on the net I can only find a company in the US called Addco that lists front & rear sway bars for the Brat. Haven't been able to figure if I could get these locally somehow.