EJ Dual Range AWD 1.19:1 Lo range upgrade to 1.59 {56k warning}

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:59 am

Ok, Update - 6/4/09
I've cleaned up all the internals and casing and everything is ready to go to close the case up. I've replaced half of the gearbox's bearings. I realised my silicone has gone hard so have to buy some more & damaged one of these large O ring - will get new one today.

EA's fork is working nicely, I've drilled the notches on the selector fork. Tonight I am taking the gearbox off my car to replace the clutch and the new gearbox will go in tomorrow night.

Cheers
AP

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:22 pm

Looking really good AP!! That's one clean gearbox there, if it were in my shed I'd turn around then look back and it'd have at least one layer of dust on it!

Can't wait to see what you think of the low range.

Cheers

Bennie

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:32 am

El_Freddo wrote:Looking really good AP!! That's one clean gearbox there, if it were in my shed I'd turn around then look back and it'd have at least one layer of dust on it!

Can't wait to see what you think of the low range.

Cheers

Bennie

Will do mate, didn't touch the box last night, removed my gearbox/clutch last night - all went well.
Cheers
AP

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:28 am

It becomes much more useful , I've had both .
The taller one only really made a noticable difference on open roads in hilly sections at speed .
The lower L one is handy for parking or easing up/down gutters and no doubt off the beaten track .

Where its good onroad is that the hi lo difference is slightly wider than the main box ratios in close ratio sets like say 1st gen DR Libs have .
You sometimes get instances where a greater difference is handy and being syncro change means you can change ranges easily .

You'll like it , cheers A .

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:06 pm

discopotato03 wrote:You'll like it

That's a given Disco, I'm keen to see how AP's lib goes now and how big his smile is once he's offroad. I've briefly driven a liberty offroad in the standard low range - it might as well not have one its that poor!

Cheers

Bennie

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 4:21 pm

discopotato03 wrote:It becomes much more useful , I've had both .
The taller one only really made a noticable difference on open roads in hilly sections at speed .
The lower L one is handy for parking or easing up/down gutters and no doubt off the beaten track .

Where its good onroad is that the hi lo difference is slightly wider than the main box ratios in close ratio sets like say 1st gen DR Libs have .
You sometimes get instances where a greater difference is handy and being syncro change means you can change ranges easily .

You'll like it , cheers A .

Oh yeah I cannot wait!!! People (family & work mates) don't understand why I'm doing this!!! But once I drive it maybe I could show and why i wanted extra low range... if they get it!!!

El_Freddo wrote:That's a given Disco, I'm keen to see how AP's lib goes now and how big his smile is once he's offroad. I've briefly driven a liberty offroad in the standard low range - it might as well not have one its that poor!

Cheers

Bennie

So far, the gearbox is in with new clutch fitted, Its still on the stands at the moment, the drivers side CV is busted and decided that it wasn't worth mucking around with it so gonna get another one tomorrow and wack it in then I'll be able to drive it... As I said the liberty is still on the stands, I did test run it and I could see the wheels turning slower in low range and normal speed on normal range (high) so far its working, found out that gearbox's low range switch is broken but lucky i had spare.. and the light works.

Will update tomorrow.
Cheers
AP

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:16 am

Final Report:
After finding a drive shaft, looks newish to me/not old to me, so fitted it in, bolt it all up then jack it down, adjusted the clutch then went for a drive, drove around the block making sure the box is working well, then went off road to check low range, it works, went somewhere where 1.19:1 ratio struggles (about 70° gradient in a drain) behind EJ22, the 1.59:1 climbs way easily behind EJ22, (before with 1.19 you had to go faster but couldnt because if you go a bit too fast it'll hit the front of the car and with A/C on it was impossible to keep up the power as you'll stall halfway..) I was rapt and very happy with that - its fantastic and should have done it long time ago!!.

Overall project, you really need good mechanical knowledge, if you have access to lathe (along with welder & milling machine (you can use grinder instead but has to be spot on)) then I don't see why you can't do it. I would say it is worth the task upgrading from 1.19 to 1.59 ratio low range. A few of measurements involved.

Now I can't wait for next weekend's trip with El Freddo!!!

I wanted to say thankyou to these people below -
PeeJay
Phizinza
El Freddo
And a few people here that I've spoken to..

Cheers
AP

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:28 am

Well done, and a good write up

I suggest that a mod make this a sticky in workshop/conversions section of the forum

PeeJay · Post by **PeeJay** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:11 am

Well done!! That smile will be plastered to your face for weeks now!

vincentvega · Post by **vincentvega** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 5:52 pm

i am very interested to see if this box holds up. Most of the boxes up this way that have the lower low fitted seem to let go not long after.

You seem to have done everything right so it should be a good test of whats reliably possible

PeeJay · Post by **PeeJay** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:11 pm

vincentvega wrote:i am very interested to see if this box holds up. Most of the boxes up this way that have the lower low fitted seem to let go not long after.

Which part gives way, and was it in low range?

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:52 pm

I'd say its the torque multiplication in low range that overloads things in some circumstances .
Note how no turbo cars other than L RX's have low range and those EJ powered ones , and RX L's , have the taller low range gears . No EJ25 cars have LR either AFAIK .

A .

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:24 am

discopotato03 wrote:I'd say its the torque multiplication in low range that overloads things in some circumstances .
Note how no turbo cars other than L RX's have low range and those EJ powered ones , and RX L's , have the taller low range gears . No EJ25 cars have LR either AFAIK .

A .

Didn't outback that has EJ25 have dual range? I,m sure they did.
Cheers
AP

vincentvega · Post by **vincentvega** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:59 am

I don't know specifics.It's just the impression I get from friends cars. Hence why I am keen to see how long this conversion lasts, as it seems to have been done very thoroughly.

stamp_licker · Post by **stamp_licker** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:08 pm

Excellent write up.Interested in doing a 4.11 front diff swap to go with the ea into ej low range write up?

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:10 pm

stamp_licker wrote:Excellent write up.Interested in doing a 4.11 front diff swap to go with the ea into ej low range write up?

Thanks guys... It is a good write up yeah...

PeeJay has done this EA low range in EJ Forrester box with 4.11 diff... So it can be done but a bit more machining involved. But I haven't seen someone converting from other ratios to 4.11 in D/R boxes yet so yeah I would be interested to see too.. To use 4.44 would be impossible I believe!!!!
Cheers
AP

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:52 am

Good post mate
start making kits , with exchange parts

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:04 am

Glad to hear you're very happy with your effort!

I've heard that one trick to maintain low range in good condition is to overfill the gearbox with oil a little - this allows more oil up to the low range gears, it also prevents the low range gears starting to whine - so I've been told, I haven't done it myself and I reckon you'd have to extend the dipstick tube to avoid overflow on steep inclines.

Can't wait to see it out and about on saturday

Cheers

Bennie

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:07 pm

El_Freddo wrote:Glad to hear you're very happy with your effort!

I've heard that one trick to maintain low range in good condition is to overfill the gearbox with oil a little - this allows more oil up to the low range gears, it also prevents the low range gears starting to whine - so I've been told, I haven't done it myself and I reckon you'd have to extend the dipstick tube to avoid overflow on steep inclines.

Can't wait to see it out and about on saturday

Cheers

Bennie

Yeah Ive heard of that, I would give that a go, at the moment I have suffered a bad leak in left side stubs - I think the spring ring behind the seals has came off and it needs new seals on the left so yeah hope do that before this weekend as oil is pouring on the exhaust pipe and it stinks!!!!!

I've been doing some thinking about the gearsets, I have figured something better and a bit stronger - will upload some more photos in upcoming days (I need to take main shaft apart and have a good look)..
Cheers
AP

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:30 pm

AlpineRaven wrote:Yeah Ive heard of that, I would give that a go, at the moment I have suffered a bad leak in left side stubs - I think the spring ring behind the seals has came off and it needs new seals on the left so yeah hope do that before this weekend as oil is pouring on the exhaust pipe and it stinks!!!!!

I've been doing some thinking about the gearsets, I have figured something better and a bit stronger - will upload some more photos in upcoming days (I need to take main shaft apart and have a good look)..
Cheers
AP

Okay, As promised above, I've taken pictures - will explain below...

Instead of machining this out -

This gotten me thinking, It is possible I've made it "weaker" by machining it off as it *might* be likely to get blown there - who knows!?
I took out 4.25mm out, because there is 4.25mm difference in this section of the spline see in this photo below -

What I should have done is to use EA's main shaft, remove all gearsets (swap them both over) and it possible would work if they're the same measurements. This is what I would do in next gearbox if I get the chance. That way its stronger for low range section. (or keep the EA's main shaft and gearsets - both were exactly the same number of teeths but the biggest problem is - the worn gearsets will not match hence will have a noisy gearbox.

What do you think guys?
Cheers
AP