Eh Crash box

[jasonr70002]

Hey all just wondering if an EH crash box can be a bolt in item in my FE or can\should  I just bolt the 149 straight up to the grey box. The reason I am going for a 149 is so I dont have to do umpteen hundred mods for a 161 or bigger and I can still have the extra reliability and ease of parts of a red motor.

Cheers Jason

[EffCee]

Jason,

If using the original column shift linkages, you will have some work to do to get it to work, an easier solution would be to use the EJ-EH column and steering box, but this is approximately 2 inches shorter than the FE-FC columns.

You would need to use an EJ box as these have the rear engine mount on the bellhousing.

HTH

Keith

[jasonr70002]

Thanks Keith, What about just bolting the 149 to my Grey box. The engine will be standard so wont be too much power put through it. Might put a towing cam in purely for a tiny bit of bottom end torque to cart my family of 5.

Cheers Jason

[EffCee]

Jason,

That would be the easiest thing to do, obviously you will need to weld engine mounts the crossmember, but this makes it a very easy conversion.

The drive train will handle it all day, so long as you don't start abusing it.

Keith

[pedro]

G'day Jason you'll also need to change the clutch plate to a grey one and check the spigot bush in the back of the crank to make sure it's the right one for the grey box.
                              Pedro

[CraigA]

Mines had the grey box on the back of a 149 for more than 20 years and the only issue was a busted second gear synchro ring due to a hard 1/2 upchange. My fault entirely.

A 149 is a simple solution to get a slight increase in power and increased longevity over the standard grey motor (engine??). Also much cheaper to rebuild - if you can still get pistons.

[EffCee]

A 149 is a simple solution to get a slight increase in power and increased longevity over the standard grey motor (engine??). Also much cheaper to rebuild - if you can still get pistons.

An easier way out, particularly if the engine has to be bored, is to fit std 161 pistons. This will increase the bore from 3.250 to 3.375, or an 1/8th of an inch. Gives a little more power, still looks externally like a 149. Bores were quite robust in the 149/179 blocks. Again the drive train will have no problems, just don't abuse it.

Keith

[FB_MAD]

  Yep, can confirm that 149 will bore out to 161 cubes.I have 40 thou oversize 161 pistons in my standard 149 which now gives me 167 cubic inches.I am running a standard grey crashbox behind it in an FB sedan alaong with a 3.08 red diff centre and very happy with it.

No problems with rego as the 149 was passed as owner approved modification ( no engineer or other mods required ).

I drive like an old fart and don't abuse my car and the grey box handles the increased power.I even tow some ( at times ) heavy loads in a trailer with no dramas.

The gears in an EH box aren't any stronger than a grey box really and you'd be going to the trouble of fitting one with no real great strength advantage gained.

The all synchro 3 speed is stronger but requires floor hump mods in addition to other mods to fit ( similar to aussie 4 speed fitment ).

The grey crashbox will take the power output of the red motors in standard form if you look after it.It won't handle a higher capacity modified red and certainly will break if you abuse it or subject the box to abnormal loading.

[FB_MAD]

G'day Jason you'll also need to change the clutch plate to a grey one and check the spigot bush in the back of the crank to make sure it's the right one for the grey box.
                              Pedro

  Intially, with my 149 to grey box, I fitted an EH red clutch setup but wasn't happy with it so I wen't back to a grey clutch.There isn't much difference in the EH plate friction  facing area compared to the grey clutch plate friction facing.

The difference is really in that the diapragm spring isn't as strong in a grey clutch pressure plate as the red, so would probably slip with a higher capacity red, especially a modified one.

I haven't experienced any slippage problems with a grey clutch assembly behind my standard 149 ( 161 ) driving in the manner I do.

[jasonr70002]

Thanks heaps fellas I will go the bore to 161 route and grey box. Does anyone have some 161 pistons for sale?.