Red motor crashbox "loan"

[Harv]

I've been working away on the grey motor crashbox guide, and it's coming together nicely. As normal, I got distracted  :oops: , and have been looking at floor shifters. I've managed to lay my hands on the following:
a) grey motor crashbox Impala shifter (inline pattern)
b) red motor crashbox Impala shifter (inline pattern)
c) Aussie 3-speed Impala shifter (H-pattern)
d) Aussie 3-speed Speco shifter (H-pattern)
e) Unusual Aussie 3-speed shifter (I suspect an early Thomas Speed version)
... plus photos of the greymotor crashbox Speco shifter (side shifter), red motor crashbox Speco shifter (side shifter), Dor shifter and some wierd one-offs.

Havn't been able to find anything at all on the red motor crashbox Speco centre-shifter, other than the part number.

For each of the shifters that I have managed to get hold of, I've taken plenty of photos of the shifter in pieces, and installed on the gearbox. I owe a big thanks to Craig for helping me get hold of an Aussie 3-speed to do this.

I'd like to get hold of a red motor crashbox to do the same thing for the red motor Impala shifter. If anyone in Sydney has red motor crashie that is not in a vehicle, I'd like to "borrow" it. Aim is to install the shifter, take some photos and then give the gearbox back. I can either do this back here, or can install/photo/remove at your place to avoid transporting the gearbox around. At the end of writing the document I intend to sell off most of these shifters (fully overhauled) - happy to give the person "first dibs" as thanks for their help.

Cheers,
Harv.

[Harv]

Managed to get a loan of a red motor crashie - many thanks to Jeff  . Will fit up the red motor floor shifters and take some good photos for the Guide.

Cheers,
Harv

[FC427]

Harv Just wondering if have you ever seen one of these..the box resembles an Opal 4 speed but is only 3 speed    ......FC427.......
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[FCRB26]

Is it holden ?

Looks like Dodge 6 cylinder  box ?

[FC427]

Is it holden ?
I thought it may be Vauxhall ?? looks a lot like a grey bellhousing to me .....FC427.....

[Harv]

G'day FC427,

Got me stumped. .

To the best of my knowledge (and I could be wrong), GMH only made three types of manual 3 speeds:
a) The grey motor crashbox, used from FX through EK Holdens. The grey motor crashbox has a bottom transmission cover (sump) and integral casing/bellhousing. The gearbox had synchromesh on second and third gears only,
b) The red motor crashbox, used from EJ through HK Holdens. Like it’s predecessor, the red motor crashbox still had synchromesh on second and third gears only, with the internal gear and shaft layout and operation very similar to the grey motor crashbox. However, the gear selector process was changed significantly, as was the construction – red motor crashboxes have a side transmission cover and separate casing/bellhousings, and
c) The Aussie three-speed, used from HK through HZ Holdens as well as LC-LX Toranas. The external construction of the Aussie three-speed gearbox is similar to the red motor crashbox, having a side transmission cover and separate casing/bellhousing. However, the Aussie three-speed was fitted with synchromesh on first, second and third gears (often referred to as an all-synchro box), and the gear selector process was changed again.

The bellhousing engine-end pattern looks to be Holden grey motor:

Grey on the right, Red on the left. Red and grey bolt/dowel pattern are near identical, with some differences on starter bolting and the lower mounts. So I'm guessing its from something that Holden supplied grey motors for. I'm not sure what other companies GMH supplied to... possibility it could also be an industrial box.

If I'm reading the photo right, there is no mounting position for a clutch slave cylinder. This would probably date it to pre-FE Holden (pre-mid 1956), assuming that the original car got hydraulics about the same time as GMH.

The photo also shows holes at the 4/8 o'clock position for a dust cover. Early casings have these, whilst later casings (apparently around the FC model) only have four holes tapped, deleting the two holes at the 4/8 o’clock position. This again probably dates the casing to FE or earlier.

There looks to be a GMH part number cast into the passengers side of the main casing. Looks to be 7137.... (can't read the rest). There are however no 7137 numbers in the 20 Beers Master Old Farts Dogologue. 7134... is for FC, with the Dogologue then jumping to 7139... for EH/HD. I guess GMH may have assigned the 7135..., 7136... 7137... and 7138... numbers to whoever they supplied parts to. This would imply the box is around FC (ish). Post the number and I'll cross-check it against the 20 Beers Master Old Farts Dogologue.

Cheers,
Harv (deputy apprentice gearbox fiddler).

[FC427]

Thanks Harv I reckon the bell housing looks grey but the cast ribs on the side threw me .....it came with a lot of early Holden stuff I got from a clean out and the guy only had early Holdens  the linkages on the side have been welded and look to replicate early Holden  .......FC427........

[Harv]

Some early FX/FJ grey motor crashbox castings have the external ribs running from the front corners of the sump up to the 3/6 o’clock positions on the bellhousing flange. The change to delete the ribs in later casings is not clear – for example ribs are evident in casings from January 1948 and October 1954, but are not evident in a casing cast in April 1948.

The early Holden selector and shifter levers are all pretty similar:
a) The shifter lever hole used to connect to the gear shift linkage changed from 5/16” diameter (FX and FJ Holden) to 3/8” diameter (FE and FC Holden) to ¾” (FB from engine number B169037 and EK Holden, which used an insulator  in the larger diameter hole – this lever is part number 7419060, with the insulator being part number 7419061).
b) The selector shaft control lever changed in length (became longer) at the FE model (FX-FJ Holdens use 7400177, FE-EK use 7409290 for right hand drive ).

Be interesting to measure the shifter lever hole diameter and see if it is 5/16”, 3/8” or ¾”.

Cheers,
Harv (the curious  ).