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Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
June 2002
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Toyota Auto modification info (f.ucken massive essay..everything you never needed to know)
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Mon, 03 January 2005 23:47
 
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Ah Christ-I started writing a quick reply but it all just came out at once. Sorry about the essay. Anyway, I've written down everything I picked up as I went from a W58 to the full house A340 that is in the Crown now. If you're still after a shift box I could ask mike for you-MV is only 3 mins from my place.
Hi there mate-I'm using a full manual shift supra 4spd auto box in my crown, and with regard to your last question, wether or not the manualised auto is a bandaid solution depends on what you're after.
If you are after a car to attack bends-one you really want to drive hard-the go would really be a manual box.
Alternatively, if you are interested in more straight line stuff and the car you are building up isn't really one for twisty stuff the auto is the sensible choice, (cressida?-It'll only ever be average through the bends unless you spend mega$$$-and then it'll ride like a dog). I'd also guess that living in Whyalla means there aren't too many twisty roads...(I've been there a few times). I went auto as the crown handles like a complete turd regardless and I wanted to build a package for 1/4 mile stupidity.
(as an aside, your first ride in a Turbo car with good power and a tricked up auto can be quite an eyeopener. THERE IS NO TURBO LAG, or indeed ANY LAG once the car is on boost. Each time you upshift the box jumps instantly into the next gear, the boost increases and the car takes off. For straight line stonk, a turbo and a tricked up auto are a brilliant combination.
My opinion is that you'd be better off with the auto in a car like a Cressida in a pretty flat regional area. A manual conversion will cost a fair bit and may involve a few hidden costs. (tailshaft mods, speed sensor mods, crossmember mods, pedalbox install, clutch master cyl install etc) The other thing is that the gun supra turbo boxes are pretty pricey and a good clutch is also going to be expensive. You can go ceramic puck type clutch to save cash-but they aren't exactly traffic/driveway/carpark friendly. Driving a manual car with lots of grunt is great fun (the crown sure was with a 250+rwkw 5Mturbo)-but in my opinion a manual conversion for a cressida is probably a fair bit of cash spent for not much gain. If it was manual to begin with, sure, but to convert to a non-recoed manual box (ie not modded to handle grunt and may need an expensive rebuild after a few hard miles) will be about the same dollars as getting the existing auto sorted to handle anything you dish out.
Another thing to consider is the impact that converting to manual can have on the car. When you drive a manual car hard, every time you slam it into the next gear it puts huge impulse forces through the drivetrain. For this reason the unis, diff, driveshaft unis and diff cradle bushes etc all get flogged out much faster in a manual car. You are also far more likely to snap something when getting a bit rowdy on the gas and clutch.
The manual shift trans is super easy to use, and because you can still run the Overdrive and converter lockup (also fully manual) it's brilliant for cruising. Because the auto OD ratio is lower than 5th in the toyota manuals-0.68 vs 0.75 or thereabouts-and the converters have the lockup function-you can get pretty awesome mileage out of them on the highway.
Some seem to think that manually shifting an auto would be a real pain, but consider that all you have to do is push the lever back and forth-no clutch, no H-pattern, and if you have had the valvebody done it shifts much faster than you can shift a manual (excepting dogboxes, Liberty drag manuals, airshifted manuals etc of course, but that is getting into purpose built race stuff-not mass produced stuff that gets modified)
A good aspect of going auto is that there are a series of things you can do bit by bit to improve the box to cope with increasing engine power.
Here's a rundown-
1. Manual shift transistor box. $180 or so-install yourself. (this means you can avoid possible headaches of getting the auto ECU working properly-often very hard when fitting later model engine/auto trans-This bit can cost a shitload if you have someone doing it for you) The MV box isn't a tiptronic/button type, it only hooks to the shifter and gearbox and doesn't specifically switch the OD or Lockup. You need to set that up yourself but they both only need to be 12V on/off. There IS someone who does the tiptronic setup though-he's on PERFORMANCEFORUMS-you can dig him up pretty easily if you post there.
2.Bigger transcooler-AN ABSOLUTE MUST WITH THESE BOXES-Anywhere from $20 to $200 depending on what you buy-you can also mount it away from the airflow if necessary by using a small fan strapped to the cooler. I've currently got two Dick Smith computer fans on mine and its mounted flat behind the headlight. (and it never gets hot)
3.Trans Temp indicator-$70-$300 (Ive got a cheap Splitfire one and it works a treat) Not mandatory, but good insurance if you are going to be giving it a hiding at times and you have spent some cash on the internals. Without one you run the risk of melting the guts of the box-and one good cooking is enough to fuck the fluid and fry all the friction material. Then keep driving it without knowing you've damaged it initially and you can start melting shit together (just like I did...=-).
4.Uprated valvebody-$300-$400 (from memory)this changes the actual shifts themselves. They become shorter and harder, reducing the time the box is slipping up into the next gear and heating up the clutchpacks. (heat is mainly what fucks auto clutch packs). The increased hydraulic system pressure in the valvebody also means that the gears are more tighty held.
5.Hi-stall Converter-$400-$500-an increased stall speed will give you better launches and neck snapping acceleration from slow speed due to the torque multiplication effect. It will thrash your fluid a bit more-but the trans temp guage and more trans cooling generally keeps it under control-if not, you just whack another trans cooler in. And on the open road you just hit the lock up and there's no slip in the converter to soak up fuel.
6.Full gearbox re-build for abuse...This is the last stop, and the biggest cost item $1500-$2000. This is all new friction materials, extra clutches for second gear (2nd gear is the weak link in the toyota (A340 etc) boxes), all new/upgraded thrust bearings/roller bearingsetc,machining to the actual trans case, other mods I can't remember. This is really only required when you start playing with bigish power levels and launching it with sticky rubber though. (I think around 400hp and up is the aviseable level) I'm currently pushing 700+nm through one and it hasn't missed a beat.
Anyway-there you have my complete rundown on the Toyota Auto option- maybe more info than you needed, but you get the whole picture then, (and once I started I figured I should finish it properly). I'm not an anti manual gearbox person, it's just that they aren't the best thing for some combos and can end up being pretty bloody expensive if you're aiming at big HP. One thing to remember with these sorts of conversions is to be very careful and plan what you are going to do before starting. Otherwise things get expensive(I've been there....) Doing it right to begin with will actually save you money.
Of course, if you have have designs on going drifting in the Cressida once it's done-disregard everything I've said-you'll need a manual.
Anyway, take it easy, and if you've if there is anything I've missed there just yell out.
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Toyota Auto modification info (f.ucken massive essay..everything you never needed to know)
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MS-75 | Mon, 03 January 2005 23:47 |
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Re: Manual shift kit for MX73 1JZGTE
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Chris Davey | Tue, 04 January 2005 00:42 |
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Re: Manual shift kit for MX73 1JZGTE
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woofa347 | Tue, 04 January 2005 00:43 |
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Re: Manual shift kit for MX73 1JZGTE
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woofa347 | Tue, 04 January 2005 01:00 |
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Re: Manual shift kit for MX73 1JZGTE
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MX73_drifter | Tue, 18 January 2005 08:15 |
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Re: Manual shift kit for MX73 1JZGTE
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bbaacchhyy | Tue, 18 January 2005 09:33 |
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