I know some folks down under have been using Supra boxes for quite a while. I’m not nuts about the shifter position or the length shown in the photo but I’m hoping it’s for a different car. About $3k US is as cheap as it gets and it’s a common box, easy to get parts for.
Lloyd (Schmedley) has had a Supra box in his '71 OTS for a good 10 years. He’s quite happy with it. It was not a total drop-in fit (IIRC - new bellhousing, shortened driveshaft, some hacking on the trans mount cutout, and some finagling of the shifter to get it close to the correct position), but he seems totally satisfied with the operation once it was in. I seem to recall he bought the “kit” and bellhousing from someplace in AU, and had some problem with them, but don’t recall who. I’m sure he’ll chime in here.
There is a thread on this site from a few months ago on use of these boxes. There are 2 Supra boxes available - one from the turbo car and it is stronger than the one offered here, which is off a non turbo car. Needless to say opinions varied as to whether the non turbo box is suitable for use on a car with the E Type’s torque.
Does it use the carbon throwout, or do they supply a real throwout?
All they include is shown in the photo, which is to say the clutch disk, I assume because of the splines. They must expect you to use a Jag pressure plate (not sure which one) so that means I’d also be increasing my carbon footprint by one donut.
I read through that thread. Is there a visual way to tell the difference between those two boxes?
If it’s true that the shifter is 3 inches back, it’s probably removed from contention anyway. I have no interest in center console fabrication. Center console restoration was enough of a pain in the butt as it was.
Erica The part number is different. Was there not a discussion about identifying the boxes on the last thread? I recall there was something on that. I can’t recall anything about the shifter. If you look at Toyota Supra on Wikipedia they describe the transmissions used.
See, for me the deal killer would be if I had to use carbon throwouts, especially in light of the many failures that people have seen, and you might’ve already had.
I was going to use a hydraulic internal one if I had done the T5 in Tweety, because there was no way in hell I was ever going back to the carbon throwout!
I think it was established a while back here that there is no throw out kit that allow a roller throw out to move in a straight line towards the pressure plate so it would be sliding acros the plate instead of spinning with it. If such a kit exists I don’t think it’s been discussed here.
Yea, there is.
Sure, that’s the deal killer. Not that the transmission you’re installing is now rarer than the original. Or that the shifter will never, ever be exactly in the right spot. Or that there are no speedometer gears available. And on and on. I wouldn’t waste time looking for a turbo box, the non-turbo version is just fine for a stock XK.
There are kits that allow a roller bearing to be used for throw out. The problem is that they require the clutch slave to be relocated to the back of the bellhousing, so the bearing can be worked directly. This is the old GTJ mod…a Tliton throwout, with some hardware to mount it to the back of the case and a remote bleeder. Honestly, the cure is far worse than the disease.
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Seems like a nightmare to me. There’s no stock way to mount that inside an XK bellhousing. Plus, better hope the throw out is calibrated properly before installing it. Plus, now the slave hydraulics are inside the bellhousing out of reach in the event something fails.
Yea, true: not easily accessible, like the shitball carbon TOs available today… sooo much easier to fix.
Exactly, yet one goes in with zero engineering challenges. I like my nightmares simple.
Sure sounds like you’ve had extensive experience with internal throwouts.
So have I, in virtually every TransAm car I ever worked on, none of which ever had a failure, with MUCH heavier clutches than a Jag.
Show me modern carbon bearings good as the old ones? I’m all in.
I’m not up to the challenge of boogering my bellhousing on an experiment. That’s not the goal of this next engine outing.
…and then, of course, the shifter came off in his hand in Sonoma on the California Coastal Oil Leak in 2016, but he found a friendly shop to weld it back, so all turned out well 
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Here’s a picture of my Medatronics box. The shifter goes where the paper towel is. It does appear shorter than the realm box.
Wiggie some release bearing porn. These are some photos of the Quarter Master slave RB that I use. Most of these require a snout to sit on to operate - you can see that in another picture. Paul ordinarily cut this off for his Jag transmissions. The Realm doesn’t have a snout that’s long enough. I use this slave because I use a Centerforce clutch assembly for a 327 / 350 hp Corvette engine that doesn’t have a flat plate on it like the Jag clutch. These RBs are tricky to set up - very fussy as to total movement - there is actually very little movement in the bearing, but they and the clutch work really sweetly. 
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Ok so the reason most go for a 5 speed box is to get the overdrive effect… why not just get a taller diff… 2.88 for example and if your really worried about the lower 3 gears being compromised… do what I did ( well the rebuilder did on my behalf) and use a gear set out of a KN series box from a XJ6 … the overall ratios are near enough to standard except for the last… cruise along at 65 mph at 2250 rpm… quiet and I no longer look for 5th gear.
Cheers
Danny