FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Hello all,
            my crash box has died. just wondering , could a holden 4 speed be hooked up to a grey, im sure ill have to get a new hump put in , but apart from that and the floor shift, what else would i need to gett done?.Will having a 4 spd help the grey cruise along better ? And what sort of hump should i get put in? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Paul

hi Paul,
i know the feelin the joys of old crashbox's!!!
ok my ideas,well yeh you can put a aussie 4 speed ,cut the floor up get a ek auto hump or the poor exuse repro ones and the get a enginere  cert ,etc  spend money /time or wot about a good ol opel 4 speed out of the hk ... yeh yuk some people will say but....its size is small soit wont need any floor mods,eg humps etc,grab a ek auto shaft, get a adaptor plate so to speak so you can have rear engine mounts,the box has same bolt pattern as your crash, yeh i know its not a bullet proof box,but if you drive sensible the box will last and the  car will crusie nice..... but rember with any of these you may have to ditch the bench seat,or modify shifters
or havent got the budget just throw in a full synco box out of any ht/wb no floor hump mods ,get a speco floor shifter, so you can keep the bench seat in it all bolts up ,use ya standard clutch hydrolics ek auto shaft,and go crusin again real cheeply and reliable,
you may want to change diff ratios say 3.55 or 36 but at least its all simple mods   ;)
keep crusin mate! ;)

 ;)paul,you CANT bolt a all synchro 3 speed box out of a hk-wb as they are the same size as a aussie 4 speed,without modification!!you can fit a red motor 3 speed out of a eh-hr without much messing around,and they are a small box,maybe a bit stronger than a grey motor box,the biggest problem is trying to fit up the engine mounts again in the original position!!cheers jamie ;)

Final ratio on 4 speeds is the same as 3 speeds: 1:1.  You're not going to get better cruising out of this mod.  Change your diff centre to either a 3.55 or 3.36 ratio.  (The lower you go, the longer the legs, but the more strain you put on your crash-box's first gear: what you gain at the top end you lose at the bottom.)

Also, if you're running 70 series 13" tyres (which is all most tyre outlets have), get  80 series fitted next time.  You'd be amazed how much those low profile tyres reduce the rolling circumference.

cheers
RET

cheers Crashbox, Jamie and Ret for all your advice. the 4 speed idea sounds like more trouble than its worth. for the amount of driving i do in my car , it might be worthwhile just to get a good reco crash box an save all the dramas. i thought having a 4 speed would help it cruise on the highway a bit better.but obviously not , seems i might be better of changing diff centre and wheels to make it a better cruiser.
thanks again for your advice, its good to know these things before i start pulling things apart
cheers.......paul

  Hi paul, Ret mentioned a diff swap for better cruising.
If you don't have hills where you live a 3.36 will really transform a grey at highway speed.
3.55's would be better if you drive in hills regularly.
3.89's are woeful unless you only drive in town.
Cheers, Rob.

Woeful?  No, I won't have that!  3.89 is just fine on the highway, as long as it's mated with original "conventional" 13x6.40 cross-ply tyres.  Cruise at 60mph, no probs.  Can let you down a little in the handling department though... :-/

;D ;D

cheers
RET

Paul

    I have thought about puting a circa 1982 5 spd Toyota corona g/box behind a grey. Don't know what mods would be needed but the corona g/box fits to a starfire motor ( 4 cyl commodore ) which is basicaly a 179 or 186 red motor with 2 cylinders cut off the front.  So if you'r looking to fit a red motor type box it may be an option. They are cheap to buy and relativly common. If you look around you will buy a whole car for about $100 .oo or less.  It's only a small box and probably will not stand up to much thrashing behind a six , but I caned mine and it held up well. The shifter is forward on the floor and  "may " fit with a bench seat.
  They have a hydrolic clutch and mabe all you need is an adapter plate  with standard g/box mounts and the right length tailshaft, but I don't know as I havent realy looked into it. I don't have a clue about g/box ratois but if you'r keen i'm shure you can find them out.
 Has anybody done or even tried this?
                      Brad.

hi i brought a fc once and it had an opel for speed out of a hk in it...i dont know if this will help you....  cheers mark ;D ;D

hi all,
not trying to be smart or cause a stir ..but i have fitted a full syncro  box into a fb ,WITHOUT cutting/welding the floor,ok yes i used a oxy to heat up/and move very slightly some of the floor/hump to get some clearance... had a adaptor plate from engine so we could have rear orig engine mounts,.used  modified linkages, a hr column/cut with a fb top and had 3 on the tree still. yes it was registered and passed rta and got engineer cert.......a aussie 4 speed  box needs a new hump cause of the linkages just need more room.......
like i said not saying this to be smart,BUT  merely just saying things can be done with a bit of thought/time
keep cruzin.....

cheers for everyones advice,
                                          i really appreciate it. for the time being , ill be looking to put another grey crash box, ive got te 4 speed still and ill wait till im a bit more cashed up and maybe put a 186 and a 4 speed in at the same time .
cheers for all your help.......paul