It seems a lot of the threads I’m finding on 5-speed conversions are pretty old or are a little long to browse, so I was wondering if you all have a summary of what is currently available? Are there or-stop-shop kits out there? The one I see advertised isn’t exactly cheap compared to the more common ones for Domestic makes and models.
A friend who may be interested in my car would want me to do the conversion, and I don’t really know anything about them other than what’s in the catalogs.
There aren’t a ton of great and reasonable options since the jt5 went away. Some people are buying Driven Man and you’ve probably seen some of the raging debates about quality. People seem to like the Broadsport but fitting seems to be hit or miss. The E-type Fabs one looks like a real gem but it’s $$$, the most expensive option I’ve heard of.
Does anyone know much about those E-type Fabs boxes? I seem to remember CJ offering one for a while that looked suspiciously similar to an earlier iteration of that gearbox.
The consensus (at the time) was that it was probably based around T5 architecture, but in a billet case. If Uryk has found a source for the parts that scuttled the JT5, then the E-type Fabs box may be the closest thing we’ll ever see to an early JT5 going back into production.
Ok Dave ….ask your friend this question……why do you want a 5 speed gearbox? ….if the answer is I’m always looking for 5th because I do 60mph or higher a lot of the time ( this is especially true if you have a 3.54 diff) …… let me suggest that a far far cheaper and just as utilitarian solution is to make the diff taller …. 3.07 or 2.88 ( my personal preference)
…yes it takes a smidge off the acceleration from a dead start, but we are generally not using our cars these days to drag off a corvette at the lights .
The loss of acceleration is minimal and the car is still very spirited ….the torque of the motor compensates for the changes without missing a beat
Hope this helps in the decision making ……also changing the gearbox is not a 5 minute job and the car generally ends up off the road for a bit!……on the other hand you can buildup a diff ( or have it done by a professional) and do the swap over in a day….unless you are doing a total refurb of the IRS in which case allow a 20 hours in labour alone as it can be fiddly
The CJ box was a JT5 and it was lovely. I procrastinated on purchasing one for too long though, and they went poof along with the Medtronic.
I don’t know anyone who has installed the ETFabs one. I think the price combined with the lack of user feedback has kept people from jumping on it. It is a complete custom unit. I’m not sure who developed the gear set for him.
Hi
I don’t understand you could make one of these for any box depending what you can get in your country Jaguar XK MK2 E Type XJ6- LT77 / R380 manual 5 speed gearbox conversion plate | eBay
redrill the flywheel to use the clutch that fits the gearbox
I am in the UK if i could get one at a reasonable price I would fit
a Tremec 6-Speed Magnum T56 GM Transmission
Assuming it even fits in the limited space of an e-type, it’s already at more steps than most people want to have go through just in having to alter the flywheel and change the clutch. There is still the question of throw out, clutch slave, output flange, drive shaft length, and shifter position. People don’t want to have to create a new transmission tunnel to resolve a shifter set forward or back by a couple inches.
The LandRover box might be perfectly well suited for the application, but unless someone has solved all the problems, most people don’t want to be guinea pigs. The Cangliosi JT5 kit only required a shorter prop shaft and he supplied the new one. If someone solved all the issues with the 380 and offered it as a kit and provided help, it could be a slightly profitable business.
With any E-Type, an adapter plate will require you to modify the firewall. If you have a 2+2, you might find an off the shelf T5 that almost fits, I’m not sure about a six speed. The SWB cars are very tight, and there really isn’t any unmodified box that has a natural fit. The gearshift lever for an E-Type is mounted further forward than any modern car, so you will have to engineer a linkage of some sort, or figure another way to move the stick forward. The input shaft has to be cut to the correct length, with the correct diameter pilot spigot. The Jaguar transmissions are very compact, so in most cases you’ll have to figure out how to shorten the output shaft and tail housing. The tailshaft has to accommodate a compatible flange or yoke, and you may still end up having to make a driveshaft. Then there’s the speedometer takeoff: most modern cars are set up for electronic speedometers. If you find one with a mechanical speedo takeoff, you’ll have to change the gear ratio and cobble up a custom cable. And there’s only one angle drive that will fit in the tunnel, but it will require a bunch of fettling to get it working. The good news is that there’s no need to machine the flywheel: just use the Jaguar clutch plate with whatever disk fits your box. None of this is impossible, but given the amount of engineering and machine work, it’s more sensible to make a bunch and go into business. If you can’t find an established vendor with good support, move on to the rear axle.
I have to agree with Danny: the later gearboxes in good nick are a fine gearbox, and if you have the 3:54/3.31 it’s a way less expensive deal to put in a 3.07.
There is at least One 5 Speed that fits without cutting etc in an e type serie 1 and that’s the Getrag 265 as used in de BMW . Hundreds of these swaps are done in a relative easy way. Shifter comes in the same position with the available shifters , etc . Point is that these boxes are meanwhile hard to get in a good condition and an total overhaul is costly.
See also the recent topic 5 speed in a Swb e type
Regards Roger
Yes it was their own product. I thought the guts were jt5 but I could be mistaken. It hasn’t been offered for roughly the period as the other one so assumed they were correlated to the same part shortage.
I think the rear is the better answer for him. I mentioned my synchros being a little funky and he immediately thought about a 5spd swap since it’s common among the American cars. Different breed here.
When I restored 70 E Type 25 years ago I did a lot of research into whether I should get a 5 speed or go with a 3.07 rear. While the idea of a 5 speed was very tempting, the cost and the future availability of parts was uncertain. My research led me to Fred Petroske at Mostly British in Chaumont, New York. Fred offered me a rebuilt differential with a 3.07 that would allow the fitment of my Series 2 rear calipers. It was a simple installation and has worked nicely for my driving habits. Fred has since passed but it is my understanding his wife still runs the business. I still have the 3.54 rear end if anyone is interested.
I have a CJ 5 speed in my XK140 and it is excellent. My only very minor criticism is that there is some gear noise apparent in fifth.
When it came to sorting my US import E Type Series 2 OTS with its 3.54 diff (definitely to low) I looked at all possibilities (the CJ box was by then no longer available) and it seemed changing the rear axle ratio was a better solution. To this end I worked out the relevant RPM and speeds to decide between 2.88 and 3.07.
I eventually opted for 3.07 and it seems like the best compromise with 80MPH cruising, nicely coinciding with the engines sweet spot – 3250 RPM. 65 is easily achieved in second and 90 in third both at around 5000RPM giving excellent acceleration.
