Manual gearbox conversion

[andy120]

Hi. I'm looking for a bit of help as to how to mount the manual gearbox cross member. From my partners one (already converted when we got it) it looks like there has to be 42mm between the bottom of the chassis rail and the top bolted face of the x-member. That one has a 25mm pad welded to the rail then a bunch of spacers to make 42mm. I was aiming to do the same but have been advised, don't weld the chassis, warrant/inspectors get all bent out of shape over that, bolt it on. So what methods have others used to mount the x-member? Currently thinking thru bolting L brackets to the rail.

Many thanks
Andy

[geeves]

Only one I ever had anything to do with used adapter plates to allow the x member to be less back but still bolted to the factory mount

[andy120]

Currently we are thinking angle steel welded to the x-member then thru bolted to the rail. Don't quite know how we will drill those yet and work around/with the existing forward brackets.

[geeves]

If you can avoid any modification to the chassis your life will be easier at wof time. Even welding a bolt on x member seems a little close to the rules but if your wof man gets upset at least you can get another one and plan b

[andy120]

Any idea what the chassis box thickness is? Do the bolt holes already there have nuts welded in the box?

[andy120]

I see what you mean re using the existing mount. Far easier method.

[andy120]

Is there any tricks to the electrics on conversion? I can think of the rewiring the reverse switch, bridging the start inhibit. What else could hang me up? (96 Wizard).

[geeves]

electronic speedo Might work but might need the other sensor. Disconect the tps not that it should matter any more. Much easier than going the other way

[Gazza1904]

Let me know how you go with this as I'm looking at fitting a manual trans out of a 92 Jackaroo 3.1 into my 96 Wizard

[andy120]

Ok, day 1. Chronological order. Auto selector removed. 4 screws from handbrake console (to uncover rear two screws of selector surround). 4 screws in that surround. 4 bolts and 2 screws in the plate under the selector. Disconnect the brake interlock, 1 nut and clevis like thing. Remove the 4WD selector stick, 2 bolts. R-clip off the bottom of the selector. Front jacked onto stands. Put a jack under the back of the gearbox somewhere, the cross member has to come off, 4 bolts a side + 2 14mm nuts on the mount. Move the selector on the gearbox the neutral, 3rd click from the back. Driveshafts off. All bar one bolt came off easy. The last was persuaded with cold chisel. You need to turn a wheel to rotate the universals to get at all the bolts. Bolt holding the oil cooler pipes and remove rubber hoses. We just hacked the pipes of at the gearbox end fittings. Drop the back end of the gearbox, this uncovers the bell housing top bolts. You can get at them with a heap of socket extensions thru the selector hole. Mirror and torch required. Unplug what you can (we chopped anything not cooperating) Starter motor and the other bell bolts. Remove screws from the small plate under the flywheel. 6 bolts in there from torque converter, lever the flywheel around to get them. Now the fun part. My exhaust has no flanges where it passes right to left. We let go what ever exhaust mounts we could for wiggle room. Put a jack under the motor sump and one under the gearbox front. There is a pin in the top of the bell housing what is a pain. We tied a strop around the rear flange and pulled back while crow baring the join and getting the transfer case over the exhaust and cross member. We had 3 people for this bit. That pin kept getting stuck on the flywheel. Eventually the schizer came out and dropped it onto the ground off the jacks and dragged it out. Flywheel removed and manual one went on and clutch installed. Pull out the 3 groups of wires from the gearbox. On the passenger side there is a bracket holding 3 plugs, the 2 nuts are nicely accessible in the wheel arch. We broke the clutch hard line at the bleed block. Feed the upper hard line down and reattach it to the bleed block. Mine has a second battery position making things more difficult. The block bolts thru where the bracket was. The bottom hard/flex join bolts to a small bracket right in front of you if you are sitting in the tunnel. At this point we gave up for the night soaked thru (outside in the rain with leaky tarps). ~7 hours. Probably missed a few things.