I am about to remove the engine on my 74 e-type and while out, I want to convert from an auto to manual box. I have a proper 4 speed transmission and all the bits and pieces to make the change but I'm thinking that I might want to go to a 5 speed to tone down the Interstate revs. Does anyone have a experience installing a US-sourced 5 speed and can recommend a (kit) supplier? I'd like a real bolt-on that doesn't require cutting or re-locating the stick. Any advice will be appreciated.

Submitted by NE40-48370 on Wed, 10/02/2013 - 13:59

"I think the JT5 is bulletproof and it comes with all the parts to install instead of scrounging around for overdrives, propshafts, bell housings etc. and then ending up with something substandard."

Howard, for Jack's or anyone else's conversion from auto, they HAVE to get a bell housing and flywheel etc. no matter what gearbox they buy. If they have a LWB car and think about a standard or overdrive Jag transmission, they don't need to get a propshaft and can use all stock mounting hardware etc and will definitely not have to smack anything around to get it to fit. If they have a LWB 4-speed and want to upgrade to an XJ overdrive they change absolutely nothing except the gearbox. Stock Jaguar gearboxes and mounts aren't sub standard, they are the ones that fit with no modification.

The JT5 is a wide box, no matter how you locate it, and the JT5 is also longer than the SWB E-type box. Neither dimension HAS to be an issue, and sometimes they aren't. But in practice, the width and length often ARE an issue and as you and Steve have both demonstrated (i.e. 100% of a sample of two), it is common to have to hammer the tunnel into submission - no matter what any of the makers claim. This isn't the case with Jaguar overdrives.

Will you be at the Columbia concours in ten days?

Pete

Pete

Submitted by SE21-50092 on Wed, 10/02/2013 - 12:51

I agree that in my test drives last week it shifted and cruised very well. However we had an unacceptable engine vibration coming into the body and the tunnel cover had to be modified heavily to fit the cover & radio surround etc on top. No one has modified my car in the tunnel area. 5speed is sending us another rubber mount tomorrow. We just need to find out how to make it work without metal to metal contact occurring. The photo mid way down this page http://www.5speeds.com/concept.html is my current mount and the rear flange skirt surrounding the rubber is intruding into the tunnel & resting on the stationary nuts which are used to hold that support plate.

Dick Maury told me they customized / created a traditional Jaguar EType spring mount for a 5 speed they did. We may end up doing the same as he spoke highly of his success?

Or we may need to purchase a mount like this http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=KG01008BK&PARTN... if the one provided by 5Speed doesn't work.

Thanks Howard for your help. Steve Chase

Submitted by howardbollinge… on Tue, 10/01/2013 - 17:25

Steve, The installation of the JT5 needed, as I said, only some bumping out of the driveshaft tunnel from underneath to clear u-joints and travel issues of dshaft. Gearshift spotted right on to stock position front to back. We dropped engine out the bottom to do all this.

My car is early (864th) LHD roadster, flat floors, inside bonnet latches. Engine is 4.2, taken from a totaled later E and mated with this chassis by PO in 1969 or 70.

I had to do no mods to rear mounting area for trans. Has your car had some things done by a PO in this area to require this work? I assume your 64 should be similar in configuration to mine in that area if somebody hasn't messed with it.

If some mods to mount it are req'd, I don't think you will be sorry if you figure out how to make it work. I think the JT5 is bulletproof and it comes with all the parts to install instead of scrounging around for overdrives, propshafts, bell housings etc. and then ending up with something substandard.

There is nothing like cruising at 85 in 5th with those revs layin' way down.

Howard B

Submitted by SE21-50092 on Tue, 10/01/2013 - 16:32

Howard, my 64 xke is being modified to a JT5 transmission and Muncie Imports is having a conflict problem with its rear mount hitting the frame of the car. 5speed.com's Paul is sending another mount but I think we will need to modify the car frame cross member at the rear end of the JT5.

Back last year you reported "no mods beside thumping out the d'shaft tunnel a bit from below to clear the universals, but very minor stuff"

Can you enlighten me a little as to exactly what was done to your series 1 car??

Submitted by bonnettoboot@e… on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 23:36

Well Jack, you have a lot of information to consider. I have had both V12 E types and over a number of years drove the cars a lot. But on extended drives to many Western States cruising at 80 mph was so easy for the Auto and she still had 2000 rpm in waiting, it was used only rarely -especially after I was tailed by a helicopter in Utah- . Although I enjoy the frisky driving of a manual I cannot see the advantage of a 4 or 5 speed on long trips, particulary one that had the slave INSIDE the bell housing, This is a ridiculous arrangement used on everything from the new beetle to the Aston Martin, becoming somewhat of a boon to the repair industry, where on earth did common sense go?

Submitted by jackkeery@emba… on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 22:38

Thanks all for the suggestions. I've looked long and hard at the Driven Man website (could it be the same kit as offered by xk's unlimited?) and I guess the downside is the internal slave. Does anyone have experience with the Driven Man's V12 kit or other products? As for the other option under discussion, I agree with Pete that trying to install any transmission with engine in situ would be extremely difficult and quite dangerous. Of course, my V12 is now out, so the question is moot, and I do have to make a decision soon. Am I unfair to think the V12 E-Type Fabs unit a bit too new and untried?

Submitted by NE40-48370 on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 09:13

Sounds good Richard, thanks. Wasn't aware he was doing a V12-compatible version. Not sure how he manages the engine in isitu part at either the front or back, but there you go. Could be one of those 'possible' options where by the time you've undone or slackened off everything you need to in order to move the engine enough, you're not that far from undoing those same items completely and hoiking the engine out altogether. Not that the V12 is an engine to be trifled with on the end of a crane...

Submitted by richard@my64et… on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 08:55

Actually Peter, according to Uryk, his new gearbox comes in either SWB or LWB (c/w clutch slave fixings using the std prop shaft, clutch, speedo and transmission mount) and you can remove the existing 4 speed or auto box and install his new 5 speed with the engine in-situ. If it's like everything else that Uryk builds, I would feel pretty good about checking it out.

Submitted by NE40-48370 on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 01:47

Apologies for double post - not sure what happened. Slight correction needed too. When I said in para 2 that the OD fits all six and twelve cylinder Es as a straight swap, I was talking about LWB Es in that para, not SWB. So the XJ box is a drop-in for any 2+2 six or any V12 E.

Submitted by NE40-48370 on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 01:42

The E-type Fabs box is surely for SWB cars and will not fit a V12 without work. It would bolt to the back of a V12 bell but I bet it will not have the necessary bosses for the slave cylinder which is on the opposite side to a six in any case and bolted to the box not the bell. Then you would need a longerp ropshaft etc.

The XJ6 came with 3 boxes - the BW auto, the four speed non OD and the 4-speed OD. All are indentical in legnth and rear mount location and can be swapped. The first two are identical to what the LWB E-types came with anyhow - give or take. The OD was never fitted to any E-type but fits all six and twelve cylinder Es as a straight swap.

The only issue for an auto would be cutting a hole for the shift lever but even that is easier because you can use the XJ gear lever position and have it a little further back than stock E-type ,manual. This allows you to keep your auto console etc. If you wanted to fit a stock manual console the lever would have to come slightly further forward than the XJ position so you'd need an E-type or S-type trans top and all standard manual console parts. Of course for anyone with a 4-speed who simply wants to add overdrive all those parts are already on the car and the trans top just needs to be swapped over to the XJ6 box.

Pete

Submitted by NE40-48370 on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 01:42

The E-type Fabs box is surely for SWB cars and will not fit a V12 without work. It would bolt to the back of a V12 bell but I bet it will not have the necessary bosses for the slave cylinder which is on the opposite side to a six in any case and bolted to the box not the bell. Then you would need a longerp ropshaft etc.

The XJ6 came with 3 boxes - the BW auto, the four speed non OD and the 4-speed OD. All are indentical in legnth and rear mount location and can be swapped. The first two are identical to what the LWB E-types came with anyhow - give or take. The OD was never fitted to any E-type but fits all six and twelve cylinder Es as a straight swap.

The only issue for an auto would be cutting a hole for the shift lever but even that is easier because you can use the XJ gear lever position and have it a little further back than stock E-type ,manual. This allows you to keep your auto console etc. If you wanted to fit a stock manual console the lever would have to come slightly further forward than the XJ position so you'd need an E-type or S-type trans top and all standard manual console parts. Of course for anyone with a 4-speed who simply wants to add overdrive all those parts are already on the car and the trans top just needs to be swapped over to the XJ6 box.

Pete

Submitted by bonnettoboot@e… on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 00:47

A year or so ago I came across a 72 with a Toyota 5 speed. I was shocked at how well it was designed and felt. The kit was produced by an australian outfit. You just have to find your own tranny -maybe a couple of hundred $'s from a recycling yard or new from A toyota dealer. I could dig out the details if anyone was interested!

Submitted by jackkeery@emba… on Mon, 04/09/2012 - 17:32

Peter:
According to my Smiths speedometer code 1216, I should have the 3.31:1 diff ratio. Since it is an automatic undergoing conversion, that would be the right ratio. Do you know if the XJ6 is a straight bolt on or what does it take to fit the Series 3 e-type?

Howard, thanks for recommending Medatronics. I seen their website, so it's good to know that someone has had a good experience. Were there any irreversible mods required?
Thanks to you both for the advice.

Submitted by jackkeery@emba… on Mon, 04/09/2012 - 15:23

Peter:
According to my Smiths speedometer code 1216, I should have the 3.31:1 diff ratio. Since it is an automatic undergoing conversion, that would be the right ratio. Do you know if the XJ6 is a straight bolt on or what does it take to fit the Series 3 e-type?

Howard, thanks for recommending Medatronics. I seen their website, so it's good to know that someone has had a good experience. Were there any irreversible mods required?
Thanks to you both for the advice.

Submitted by howardbollinge… on Sun, 04/08/2012 - 18:31

Jack,

I installed the JT-5 from Medatronics, Tequesta, Fl. in my S1 that had a 4.2 engine with 4speed synchro.

It included bellhousing, driveshaft, new clutch etc. Not cheap, but the highest quality, and smooth as silk. On the highway it is a dream. I couldn't be more satisfied.

Submitted by NE40-48370 on Sun, 04/08/2012 - 15:21

Which diff ratio does your car have? Being auto it is probably higher than the normal manual so you will have nice cruise revs. A 1:1 4-synchro top gear on a 2.88 or 3.07 diff will give the same sort of cruising revs as an overdrive top in a five speed with a 3.54 dif.

The perfect compromise if you have a low-geared diff would be an overdrive XJ6 Jag 4-speed. Those are is identical to your existing manual but use the room taken up by the 'blank' tailshaft extension to provide an electrically-operated 'fifth' gear.

In a few months I'll will have brought several over from the UK but not yet :-)

Pete