Ode to the Aussie 4 Speed

[wbute]

Funny..... back in the 80's when all I would own was a four speed I never once had problems with the M20/M21 sticking or problems changing gears. Sure I blew the odd one up along with the odd diff but that was mostly due to my agressive teenage/early 20's driving style...:knockout:

I think you pussies are just too used to late model smooth shifting boxes

Yeah, maybe a pussy, but have had plenty of time on true crash boxs to appreciate a nice shifting synchro one! Without a doubt the most amazing gearboxs are motorbike dog boxs that shift under full power up and down without the clutch and never break.

I love the Aussie 4 speed and dont reckon you have lived unless you have been bailed up by one Even brand new rebuilt Sandman vans are suffering from the great ballsups of the Aussie 4 Speed Demons in 2011!

I have considered the 5 speed celica/supra conversion or even a tremec but in the end its not meant to be there so when the M20 gives up the ghost I might give an M21 a go to see how much different the ratios make it to drive.

[jennie285]

Yup, when Rodney goes over 110km/hour, I have to hold the gearstick to stop the noise, deffo need a new thrust bearing already...oh well blame good old Borgwanna....

[HK1837]

Don't do it, M21 behind a 202 or 253 is awful unless it has at least a 3.55 diff. Will be fine for cruising but don't try reversing up small hills or carrying any load or towing.

[wbute]

[QUOTE=HK1837;16240]Don't do it, M21 behind a 202 or 253 is awful unless it has at least a 3.55 diff. Will be fine for cruising but don't try reversing up small hills or carrying any load or towing.[/QUOTE
Not likely to Byron.... I was sure first gear was a taller ratio and I know I dont want that! Its a 3.36 diff by the way. 3.08 would be nice for highway though.

[hx-sandman]

I've had a few combinations

202/M20/3.55
253/M20/3.55
253/M21/3.36
308/M21/3.08
308/T350/3.36
308/Supra/3.36

The M21 or supra with 3.36 would be my personal preference with the M21/3.08 diff the one I liked the least - fine for the highway but a real slug to get moving

[HK1837]

I had a 202 with W55 and 3.55 in a HJ sedan. It was fine for towing, and fine for highway. Big gaps in between gears though, but nicer than an aussie box. I've said it before here too that you can cheat a little with aussie 4spd's and run an M22 gearset with a 2.78/2.6 or 3.08 diff. 1st gear at 3.74:1 feels like a Celica or Supra but they still feel OK in top at highway speeds. Not the greatest combo for around town regular driving as there is big gaps in between gears like a Jap box. But OK for a Sunday cruiser that does mainly highway trips. It is good having the tall first if you have to put your car on a parking hoist or reverse into a shed regularly like I have to - this is where the TH400 and LSD in the HJ Prem are great, i'd never reverse a 308 manual up the driveway (Agro can vouch for how awful it is!).

[agr071]

i'd never reverse a 308 manual up the driveway (Agro can vouch for how awful it is!).

Yes i can vouch for this one.
It was bad enough doing it in my 308 auto and it has a 2.78 diff and 15" rims with high profile tyres.

[James]

My first car was an HQ ute, 3 speed Impala shift, there were not many others who could change from 1st to 2nd without causing a major lockup.

I also have a story about the old "first and reverse" lock up scenario with a four speed ( different HQ ute but 15 years later) .
It just happened to be at a boat ramp retrieving a tinny and the weight of the car rolling back made it impossible to get out of reverse until the car's weight was taken off the gearbox. The tide was coming in of course and there's a heap more to this story and the panic that followed but I managed to get towed out by a V8 Range Rover and it's ten foot tall driver (he'd had a few rums).

--- Updated ---

One thing i'll give them is they are easy to rebuild, I used to do a few of them. At least I thought they were easy, till I built a Muncie. Then I realised that the aussie 4spd is like a scale model of a real gearbox. On a muncie you stick 2 fingers down the layshaft tunnel to put the needle rollers in place, and the needle rollers are like pencil size. You could break someone's skull with 1st gear rather than give someone a nasty scratch with an Aussie 1st. And the layshaft belongs in a porno, or on a donkey.

Can't the M21's internals be "worked" to house a donkey size layshaft, needle rollers etc?