EJ Grey Gearbox swap

[Ronno]

Will the EJ Grey 3 speed manual box be a straight forward swap to replace the FC manual box (fit tail shaft etc)? Cheers Ronno.

[Ronno]

Having done more research it appears they are different (what a surprise), although no clear answers- it appears to be a grey area (ha). I will compare the two when I remove the old one from the car.

[Harv]

This may help:

http://forum.fefcholden.club/index.php?topic=22894.0

Cheers,
Harv

[mcl1959]

The EJ gearbox was more a red motor gearbox than a grey one. The mounts are different to earlier gearbox and it has a one-off bellhousing.

[ardiesse]

The EJ-HK gearbox is longer than the cast-iron grey gearbox: driveshaft will need shortening.
The bellhousing is longer, and will most likely require modifications to the transmission tunnel.
Then the rear engine mounts will need to be adapted, as Ken says.
The speedo cable comes out on the driver's side, not the passenger's side, and you'd need an EJ/EH speedo cable anyway.
The gearshift selector and control rods from an FC won't suit the EJ gearbox, so you'd have to start with EJ/EH ones and perhaps modify them even then.
Adjusting the clutch in EJ-HR is a nightmare in comparison with the earlier models.  You're flat on your back inside the bellhousing with a 3/4" open-end spanner and a custom, long 5/16" Allen wrench.
The EJ slave cylinder's on the passenger's side, not the driver's (so you'll need an HD/HR clutch hose).
If the clutch fork assist spring inside the bellhousing should require replacement, you absolutely will need Tool 6A21 to do it.
On EJs and early 149 EHs, the clutch slave cylinder doesn't interchange with the more common late EH-HK slave cylinder.
The input shaft in the EJ-HK crashbox is retained in position by a biiig Belleville spring washer between the bellhousing and the input shaft bearing outer race.  The Belleville washer frequently breaks.  You'll know when it does, because the gearbox will eat the top gear synchro cone when you accelerate hard in second gear.  Gearbox good for the bin after that.  The cast-iron grey gearbox does not have that particular design fault.
The selector housing in the EJ gearbox is aluminium.  The selector shaft bores wear out (sloppy gearchange) and leak oil.

As you can tell, I am no fan of the later crashbox.

Rob