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Re: 5 speed conversion

To: "Bruce Starke" <bstarke@redshift.bc.ca>
Subject: Re: 5 speed conversion
From: tom mitchell <3000mk3@bighealey.org>
Date: Tue, 06 Jul 2004 07:36:27 -0400
Bruce,
    I had to make some modification when I installed this setup in my BJ8.
Although the cars are a little different, maybe what I saw and did, will
help you.

I enlarged the hole where the clutch fork goes threw. I enlarge the hole at
the back (toward the transmission) and at the bottom. The cutting along the
back (1/4") allowed the fork to travel without hitting and I cut 1/4" from
bottom because the fork was dragging along the metal and I didn't like it.
My transmission was from a 91 pickup, so I'm not sure some parts are or
would be different.

I also added 3/8 of washers under the pivot pin to move the fork closer to
the clutch. I made adjustable push rods for both the master and slave
cylinders. I could shift before the adjustable push rods, yet the clutch
didn't engage or disengage until I was almost to floor.
The slave adjustable rod gave me another 3/8 of a inch and the master about
1.5 inches. Although with the master cylinder most if the travel was slop,
worn out pin and rod. I later bought Nock's adjustable master cylinder push
rod and pin. Much beefier and very nice workmanship. Be careful here not to
exceed the travel of your slave cylinder.

I also installed the rear seal while I was there, replaced all the
accelerator linkage bushings and installed a new oil line.

I have about 400 miles on it, just around town and small trips. So far it
one of the best things I've done to the car.

I hope this helps in a small way. BTW, there are a couple of web sites that
talk about the conversion and some of the problems they encountered.


At 10:03 PM 7/4/2004, Bruce Starke wrote:
>With all  this talk of the Smitty conversion, I decided to look again at the
>Conversion Components 5 speed conversion again. I have had this for some years
>and look at it periodically with a view to fitting it to my BJ7 to correct the
>poor synchromesh action. At first I did not have the rear crossmember (I have
>it now)  and have looked repeatedly at the measurement chart but cannot see
>how the clearance is right for the relaese bearing to clutch. The new
>bellhousing is a perfect fit with no interference but the bellhousing cannot
>be made to reach the engine backplate. It  reqiures a spacer of about one and
>an eighth inch so that the release bearing is just resting on the clutch
>without depressing it. This can be viewed quite easily  through the clutch
>release arm entry opening. Why would such a spacer be required? The
>bellhousing is a perfect fit onto the Toyota gearbox and onto the engine
>backplate and the rear mounting is a pretty good fit on the frame crossmember
>distance-wise (but won't be if I move the gearbox backwards by the inch and a
>bit). I have looked at the clutch release arm several times and it only fits
>one way---
>Any help would be appreciated
>Bruce Starke
>Golden  BC
>BJ7 (sans gearbox)
>Tricarb (at the painters)
>

  ____________                                  _____________
   (_______          \_______________/             ______ )
         (_____           Tom Mitchell                  ____)
             (SouthEast Michigan Austin Healey Club)
                       (         Newsletter Editor              )
                            (mailto:tommitchell@bighealey.org )





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