Sleek

Hey Everyone,

I've got an xe esp which was originally a 6. When the 351 conversion was done (back in 1985), they didnt bother to change the gearbox aswell.

Now the issue i have is that in 2nd & 3rd mainly, but in 1st & 2nd too, the gearbox is pretty bad and makes the car shudder badly.

This has been getting worse over the past 6 months, and its time to do something about it!

Ive been quoted $675 to have the 4spd single rail rebuilt, new bearings & seals (plus syncros etc if need be), but i really would like a Top Loader, as ive heard (and read) some very good things about them.

Im located in the Northern Suburbs of Melbourne, but work in the City..so anywhere either Northern or Central would suit me best.

Any recommendations or workshops to go to? And/Or what to do?


Thanks for your help/opinions,


Glenn

Mike Gayner

Wow, $675, you wouldnt get that job done cheaper than $900 in New Zealand.

Is that a fairly standard price over in Oz?

Sleek

Thats expensive from what i hear, that was quoted from Trans, Gears & Diffs in Thomastown.

DavO_LTD

if u want a toploader just go huntung a bit, i found 2 toploaders for $500 each, one was just the box the other was with eveything, including being rebuild in 1999 with the receipt from the rebuild. it would be a much better option than rebuilding the single rail if you are able to find one at a decnt price

Sleek

Yeah, $500 is pretty resonable for a relatively recently rebuilt one..


Off to the Trading Post i go..

Someone suggested to me to try "Early Bird Falcons" in Thomastown, does anyone have their contact details??

Walkinshaw

Sleek, looks like youve picked up a nice car mate :0 welcome to the blue side

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Ive been described as a vault of usless random knowledge.

Ill take it as a complement i think.............

EBXR

If the single rail lasted from '85 - sounds like it lasted okay. ESP's (both XD and XE)never came out with the toploader; manual ESP's came out of the factory with the single rail.

If you are replacing the box, what about upgrading it to a T5?

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'67 Mustang V8 4sp... what fun to drive!

xdc351

Top loaders are a heavy shifting transmission, thats the only reason i'd be looking to stay with a single rail. If you get a hurst indy shifter or similar they improve a lot, but they are $400 or so just for the shifter.

I know of a single rail that held up for 3 years behind a ball tearing 378 stroker and only died after a 1st through to 4th gear burnout... and even then it died on the way home not during the burnout!

But then the top loader won more races in the 70's than any other... even the much BS'ed about A9X torries ran top loaders!

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Just like a Tsunami.

TICK4D

I am pretty sure EBXR, the XE ESP came out with the toploader as factory, my friend had one, and you see them for sale with "factory top loader".

Definetely get the top loader, single rails are rubbish, or even better as EBXR said replace it with a T5 and it will drive like a dream.

Shambles

The shudder could be the clutch which would be a cheaper option to fix whilst scouting about for a box. My vote is for the toploader if you can get one reasonably priced.