5-speed swap beginning tomorrow - any hot tips?

[arminyack]

This is why I always take the whole front subframe engine/ transmission assembly out .... trying to line up two with it in the car always winds up being a major pita.

[Son of Marty]

One tip for tranny install is to turn the front wheels to the stop this will lower the tie rod a bit, 

[MattL]

For anybody following along at home: the 5-speed unit I have is unusable and probably unsalvageable (lunched 4th/countershaft input gear, among other things), and the donor box MVLiotta kindly provided is unfortunately too far gone to be of use. (Thanks anyway, Vince - very kind of you to let me have that.) So, if anybody has a hot lead on a serviceable 245 — or even a 240 — I am all ears. 

[Markster]

Hi all - I too will be doing the swap in my 70. I am curious if anyone has used their mid rise lift. My car is completely disassembled at the moment I getting paint.  I am thinking I will assemble the entire subframe and slide under and up. Just not sure the scissor will accommodate that or be blocking me?  Any experience out there w the scissor jack?

 

good point about keeping the old box. I plan on doing that too. 

 

 

[Conserv]

On 5/11/2021 at 6:55 PM, MattL said:

For anybody following along at home: the 5-speed unit I have is unusable and probably unsalvageable (lunched 4th/countershaft input gear, among other things), and the donor box MVLiotta kindly provided is unfortunately too far gone to be of use. (Thanks anyway, Vince - very kind of you to let me have that.) So, if anybody has a hot lead on a serviceable 245 — or even a 240 — I am all ears. 

Matt,

 

Assuming a 245 is $1,200 to $1,500, and the next one you find has a 97% probability of being a “pig in a poke” — condition un-known and not a freshly-overhauled unit — is it impossible to find someone with e21 transmission experience to make one good transmission out of the cracked-case unit and Vince’s unit? Yes, I recognize that parts are not easily available, but most are out there, at least in good used condition. Hey, your two units alone would give you a good starting point!

 

It seems to me that investing, say, $2,000 to combine and fully overhaul what you already own beats spending $1,500 for an unknown unit that either (a.) needs an overhaul now or (b.) will need an overhaul in 5,000 miles. I picked $2,000 out of the air because I believe you could have your two units combined and knowledgeably overhauled for that amount, or perhaps far less!

You’ve got assets in hand — a pair of 245’s — don’t ignore them.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[MattL]

Thanks, Steve. That was my hope and plan. I took the two units to a 245 specialist in the hope that he could make one good unit from them. He took them both apart. He said the unit I bought had already been taken apart at some point, and had a mish-mash of parts in it. The gears had been moving around and were all chewed up. Water had gotten into Vince’s unit and sat at some point, so the internals were rusted out and not able to be used in the other unit. Anyway, the diagnosis was that because of the poor state of the basically unobtainable pieces in the “repaired” unit, rebuilding would be very expensive. So, I was told I’d be better off getting a new unit to start from. 

[mosman58]

there are a couple on eBay Germany - but expensive if you add freight ,,, maybe you could get it disassembled and just get the gears etc sent over...

Edited May 14, 2021 by mosman58

[tech71]

Maybe time to consider a path of less resistance, as in a 240 from an 83 E21 (single trans mount and speedo drive) or an 84-85 E30 318i (dual trans mounts no speedo drive)

Start checking out local CL regularly for trannies and possible parts cars. May take some time.

Consider putting a 4 speed back in the car sos you can drive it and keep looking.

Edited May 15, 2021 by tech71

[MattL]

@tech71 Yep, I have the 4 speed back in. It's got a super-wobbly-rattly input shaft, but it works for now. And yes, I'm definitely considering a 240. 

[tech71]

Well good luck with all of it, If you find a 240 I can help with questions about the install.

Really sucks there are unscrupulous people out there willing to take advantage and land you in such a messed up situation. 

As far as I am concerned, most 245s out there now are most likely a "pig in a poke"

Trashed boxes that someone gets a hold of and turns for a profit at the buyers expense. You can still get lucky I suppose but that resource has become depleted.

The seller owes you an apology, and a refund...  But dont hold your breath on that.

Clearly, that gearbox was in no way "fully functional"

 

 

have you checked this out? Terry Saythers name is well known and widely respected.

 

Edited May 15, 2021 by tech71

[Dudeland]

I am staring down the same problem.  I am also fishing around for a rx8 transmission.  Once things open up I feel I am going to try the RX8 and hold onto the two 245's that I have until I can find a solution. 

 

 

[tech71]

43 minutes ago, Dudeland said:

I feel I am going to try the RX8

Can this be done? Looks like the shifter would sit quite a bit farther aft.

Looking forward to your project?

[Dudeland]

11 hours ago, tech71 said:

Can this be done? Looks like the shifter would sit quite a bit farther aft.

Looking forward to your project?

I have the plate, just poking around for a transmission now.  The shifter will move back 'about' an inch.  I feel it will be closer to two inches.  I am jammed for the next 2 months, but after that I should have some time to spend on the car. 

 

 

[MattL]

Just so everyone knows: @resra gave me a full refund on the transmission. I didn't have a good experience with the box, obviously, but resra proved to be a standup seller. I think we both learned that sometimes you SHOULD judge a book (or transmission) by its cover. 

[1dollar93]

Resurrecting this from the dead. I’ve been poking through most threads on the install and I’m at a sticking point. Trans is a 240 from a 320is, car is a ‘73 manual.

I cannot, for the life of me, get the trans up high enough to slide into the clutch. I’ve got it on a trans jack, I’ve clearanced the tunnel on the drivers side, and I’ve got threaded rod in a few of the holes to ‘guide it in.’ I spent 7 hours on my back under the car today prepping and wrestling with it. I can get the smooth part of the input shaft over the throw out teeth, but I seem to be hitting to top of the tunnel and it won’t go any further in to mate with the clutch. Do I need to massage the tunnel on both sides? I’ve got the engine tilted pretty far back, the original 4 speed tabs are removed… I’m stumped.

 

I’ve been attempting this install at 1 hour increments for the past few months, I have a little bit of runway this week and would love to knock it out. Any help is welcomed!