L series With Liberty D/R AWD gearbox. Tail shaft help

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:37 pm

I guess when measuring the L box you'd want to add the thickness of an adaptor plate which you'd normally have between the bellhousing and the EJ motor when in your car.

Paint it in red / yellow stripes, like a maccas drink straw

Or even curved stripes so it looks like a rotating barber's pole to somebody laying on the ground if you ever drive over them.

guyph_01 · Post by **guyph_01** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:18 pm

AndrewT wrote:I guess when measuring the L box you'd want to add the thickness of an adaptor plate which you'd normally have between the bellhousing and the EJ motor when in your car.

Paint it in red / yellow stripes, like a maccas drink straw Or even curved stripes so it looks like a rotating barber's pole to somebody laying on the ground if you ever drive over them.

I don't think the adapter plate would matter as the gearbox mounts don't move. From what i understand it pushes the engine 6mm forward and the box 6 mm backwards.

I like the curved stripes idea:)

Ok so from the measurements i got 2day, from the front lib of the gearboxes to the rear output cover thing:

Liberty : 815mm
L seires: 730mm

L series manual tailshaft : 1485mm

So from this, the difference is : 85mm

Thats relatively out compared to the 65mm???

Any one else remember the measurements when they did shorten the tail-shaft?

Post by **TOONGA** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:44 pm

according to the EA to EJ pdf here http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/--Old%20Models--/ it is 55 mm

mine was 80mm shorter from memory (3am in the morning) but that was into the brumby using a liberty front and a wrx/impreza rear again from memory.

the only real way you will find out is when you put the shaft in and measure

was the measurement down the length of the box or taken at a 90 degree angle to the back of the box?

TOONGA

guyph_01 · Post by **guyph_01** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 4:59 pm

What id 55?

If this is the box, thats how i measured it:)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Is that good?

Post by **TOONGA** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:13 pm

thats the correct way Guy and according to the pdf I linked to the tailshaft needs to be 55mm shorter
.
TOONGA

guyph_01 · Post by **guyph_01** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:39 pm

So upto now we've got, 55, 65 and 85....
hummmm

Post by **TOONGA** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:44 pm

55+85+65= 205

divide 205 by 3 =68.33333333333333333333

so 69mm sounds like a good number

TOONGA

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 6:41 pm

Both the ones I had done were shortened 65mm. Both worked. I did not imagine this.

As mentioned, I think give or take a fair bit would probably still work fine anyways so I'm sure other's have also successfully run tailshafts shortened by other amounts.

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 11:50 am

Double check and triple check those gearbox measurements again Guy, just to be 300% sure.

Then subtract the L box length away from the Liberty box.. No need to subtract anything for your adaptor plate because you aren't using one (EJ engine to EJ box marrys up perfectly) then maybe subtract an extra 5mm for extra movement (because of your Ken Block driving habits) and then make sure you have the correct flange end for the diff you are using.

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 11:53 am

TOONGA wrote:according to the EA to EJ pdf here http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/--Old%20Models--/ it is 55 mm

mine was 80mm shorter from memory (3am in the morning) but that was into the brumby using a liberty front and a wrx/impreza rear again from memory.

the only real way you will find out is when you put the shaft in and measure

was the measurement down the length of the box or taken at a 90 degree angle to the back of the box?

TOONGA

Your conversion bits sounds good to me Jules but the 55mm doesn't sound correct unless this is refering to the early EA 4spd (4WD) boxes which are much longer than the EA 5spd (4WD) boxes.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 7:46 pm

Breakthrough!!!

I just fitted my L series tailshaft into the back of the Liberty 5sp gearbox and measured the difference between the centre bearing mount and the centre bearing holes

Close enough to 50mm

This is with the shaft pushed all the way in.

guyph_01 · Post by **guyph_01** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 8:26 pm

I had it shorten by 65mm like Andrew said and its perfect:)

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 6:15 am

As somebody mentioned previously, the splines are pretty long so there is plenty of room for error so 65mm will allow for a bit of movement when the gearbox mounts flex