Brumby Gearbox Rebuild

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 8:58 pm

I've decided that my gearbox is rat shit.
Its sloppy / hard to find gears
Clutch feels bad, doesn't spring back like it should/ soft down and up. not soft down, hard up.
According to Subaru (ages ago) Selector shaft seal leaking, diff side seals leak.

I've gone OFF the 5sp, too much work and a guy i know reckons you only use 5th at highway speeds, he owns both and prefers the 4sp for the Brumby.

So my plan is to buy one from wreckers and slowly do i up, then change them over.

What do you do when you rebuild a gearbox?
All i know is that it would be Bearings and seals.
What else is there? I know nothing about the parts of a gearbox

Cheers Cam

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:13 pm

Depends on the year of the gearbox, if its early the 3/4 selector fork will be chewed out. Later ones have nylon collars = good.
3rd gear synchro is usually bad and is un-available new.
The 3/4 ring chews into the centre hub and makes notches that can lock it in 4th under decelleration/stopping in 4th.
Can swap 3 synchro with 4th (need another good box then). Were able to clean the synchro's up, but nowadays they are all to worn, unless realy lucky.

Selector arm wears, if it been drilled or welded, carefull check required.

Seals.
Bearings, depends on whats worn

So if you have got or can get a box with none of these problems, fix it, not an unknown wreckers one.

Appart from all the stuff above, it should be easy

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:17 pm

That first reply was the gearbox, now the cluch.

If the gearbox is hard to change/select, it can sometimes have a lot to do with the clutch.

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:20 pm

I think I've just had a sarcastic YAY moment.
Hate it when you can't get new parts/ things wear.
It's a 1991 model. I can get pics if need be.
Easy eh? Pff
Ok, I'm unsure of how bad this box really is. It seemed ok untill today when mudking drove it. gave it a food run and he noticed it. then i jumped in and it was slightly worse than last time.
I don't want to take the car off the road to find out/ fix. So it's a decision on which one to rebuild. Just got to find one first.

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:22 pm

tambox wrote:That first reply was the gearbox, now the cluch.

If the gearbox is hard to change/select, it can sometimes have a lot to do with the clutch.

Ok, what can I do about it? It's not like a slave or master cylinder isn't working.
I know I don't have that mucho at on the friction pad but its not that bad.

Cheers Cam

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:23 pm

91 should have the good fork in it, there you go, one less thing to worry about

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:25 pm

There should be something on this site about MY clutch pedal mods.
Have look.

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:26 pm

Excellent!
This project is going to have to be done slowly/ on the cheap.
The minister for fun and finance is noticing his account has dropped.
Il have to see what it's like tomorrow. But after reading some Subaru notes on those seals I'm not sure what to do.

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:32 pm

All those seals you can fairly easilly change without removing the box. As long as your selector shaft is good, they will all seal again, for how long??? But better than leaking.

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:35 pm

Ok interdasting.
I've always thought that my gearbox was alright, just a bit sloppy.
So if I fixed all my seals and fixed the selector shaft thing. That should be ok.
As long as the syncros and bearings are ok.
Who knows with a new engine that has been modded how long they will last.

Cam

Post by **TOONGA** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:37 pm

1. remove 4 speed and place at very bottom of mineshaft.

2. forget where mine shaft is.

3. find a 1991 or later "L" series, flywheel, clutch and dual range box and rebuild that.

4. get a single piece tailshaft made.

5 install the goodies and never remember where the mineshaft is.

as for your friend who is telling you the 5 speed is only good for highway speeds, get him to help you put the 4 speed gearbox in the mineshaft. then remove the ladder while he is at the bottom.

TOONGA

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:45 pm

Late L series boxes are good and some Gen1 parts fit, OEM still in stock:D

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:48 pm

TOONGA wrote:1. remove 4 speed and place at very bottom of mineshaft.

2. forget where mine shaft is.

3. find a 1991 or later "L" series, flywheel, clutch and dual range box and rebuild that.

4. get a single piece tailshaft made.

5 install the goodies and never remember where the mineshaft is.

as for your friend who is telling you the 5 speed is only good for highway speeds, get him to help you put the 4 speed gearbox in the mineshaft. then remove the ladder while he is at the bottom.

TOONGA

I'm liking this plan.
It's just whethe I can be fu(ked doing it. And how much it will cost.
He's on offroading subarus. Reckons with 27's he only uses 5th on the highway and that the 4spd is a good little torquey gearbox for the brumby.

Read up a bit on the cable/ pedal box failure. Reckon that's what's happened.
Then probably just do the seals and fix the sloppy shifter (photos of how to please?)
Anybody think that the bearings will be likely to go with the new engine?

Cheers Cam

555Ron · Post by **555Ron** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:48 pm

TOONGA wrote: as for your friend who is telling you the 5 speed is only good for highway speeds, get him to help you put the 4 speed gearbox in the mineshaft. then remove the ladder while he is at the bottom.

Since he thinks the 5 speed isn't much good on the ea81 I'd offer him one of my 4 speed gearboxes in exchange for the 5 speed before you put him in the mineshaft.

Tonga, what is better about post91 gearboxes? I am feverishly looking for one to do the conversion in March.

Post by **TOONGA** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 10:01 pm

555Ron wrote: Tonga, what is better about post91 gearboxes? I am feverishly looking for one to do the conversion in March.

tambox wrote:Late L series boxes are good and some Gen1 parts fit, OEM still in stock:D

the quote by Tambox says it all, as well you may find a box with less than 400000 km on it if it is 1991 onwards

and do I really look like and Island state?

TOONGA

tambox · Post by **tambox** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 6:34 am

The only disadvantage with the late model boxes is they are all 3.7 diff ratio. Some of the earlier boxes had 3.9 diffs.
The lower ratio is good for 4wd-ing, but they are easier to break.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 6:42 am

Brumby Kid wrote:
What do you do when you rebuild a gearbox?

Cheers Cam

Keep putting your hand in your pocket !

Have to say I prefer the four speeds ratio's to my five speed - but really only for the torque I used to get from 4 spd 2nd gear. Only use 5th on the highway

LOL - first time have used that abbreviation....man, sometimes I corner in fifth, enter and exit roundabouts !!

Rebuild a 4 speed is much more work than doing the five speed conversion - what , with all those detent ball bearings and springs that pop out all over the place on ya, unexpectedly. Just be ready to see where they come from, mark them, bag them - forensically

And, now I feel guilty in tossing my 4 speed just not so long ago - may have had some good internals. The selector shaft and stick intersection was welded together to take the slop out, weld banged on the seal killing it quickly. I ground that off, filled divots with putty and still needed a new seal every year. Front seal leaked, nice quiet box and diff crunched third. kept it for the seven years , still love the 5 speed even thogh it has third gear issues - i just down shift to second instead of third

as the ratios are close enough. I have another 4 speed in use at the moment with slight diff whine but otherwise good - was keeping the other box to build a good one from two - when it comes out I may just try to sell it for what it is worth .......not much

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:12 am

Well found the clutch problem.
The suspected piece of metal hinges LOTS!
do il take that out soon and weld it up.
Thinking if this fixes it and I can be shown via pictures how to fix the sloppy shifter and the seals il stop at that.

Cheers Cam

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:57 pm

Here ya go

showthread.php?t=18767&highlight=tutori ... ter+bushes

Once you get in there and have a look you will understand about the nut and bolt replacement of the roll pin, if yours hasn't already been converted. If you still have a roll pin and want to do the mod, you have to get under the car and knock the pin out, drill the hole out larger in the tube/selector fork, and a matching hole in the selector rod so you can fit a bolt through it (don't make the hole much larger than the bolt) You can also cut a slot half way down each side of the selector tube so when you tighten the bolt it squashes the tube down on the shaft a little bit.

Done in a couple of hours tops

Unless you find something dodgy and unexpected while you're down there from a previous owner, like I did last week.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:17 pm

Cam may be talking about the creaking stay bracket on the fire wall ??? They break away and affect engine placement and clutching....