3 spd crash box types

[iso007]

Hi guys, just joined the site. great information so far. I have just bought an ej with a blown gearbox. the car is totally standard. the seller was told that the ej crash box is diffeent to say the crash box in an ek. i want to track a gearbox down before the car arrives next week. can anyone shine a light on this please.
best regards to all
Ian

[reddo]

Hi Ian

The crashboxes where the same from 1948 to 1963 ( EJ )
In 1964 the EH got a gearbox with seperate alloy bellhousing.
So.. any of the early boxes up to 1963 will fit.
Its finding a good one that is the hard part.

There is a mob called "status engineering"in Vic that advertises reco crashboxes $660.
I bought one... it whines in 1st and second.. jumps out of second..
They are sending me another rebuilt box.

I explained to them that you cant build up reco boxes from mismatched parts from other 3 speed crash gearboxes....
They seem to ignore this fact.

If this next one is a dud i will be chasing my dollars back off em.You might score a good one off ebay a lot cheaper ... but its like playing gearbox lotto... all the old boxes have been on the road a long time now... to find a good quiet one that selects gears and stays in gears under all conditions would be like winning lotto.
Would be nice to find an unwanted one still in a drivable car so you test drive before buying/removing it ... or say someone about to do a 4 or 5 speed conversion or a red motor/later gearbox conversion.
Good luck

Cheers
Reddo

[Mick]

EJ crash gearboxes ARE different to the earlier boxes they are a seperate bellhousing to the box, i'm sure i was told that they are slightly different to the red gearbox which makes them a 1 off, i have one here but have no clue of it's condition i also have a red version so can have a look to see if there's any visable differance

[Harv]

There are three separate grey motor crashboxes - early humpy, FJ-EK and EJ, each of which is different to the red crashbox. I suspect they are largely interchangeable, perhaps with the exception of the EJ grey box.

Case assemblies changed between 48-FJ and FJ-EK, though I suspect the changes were minor. EJ and EH had the same case up till EH engine number 81520, then EH-HR got it's own case.

Extension housings were identical 48-EK, EJ got it's own housing, as did till EH engine number 81520, then EH-HR got it's own extension housing.

So EJ is a one-off, as is early-EH. There were also internals changes as well... if I ever get around to writing a crashbox document, it's gunna be a headache .

Cheers,
Harv.

[fbvan]

LOts of photos and info here.
http://holdenpaedia.oldholden.com/3_Speed_Crash_Gearbox

[Thommo]

Great info guys

I have changed the title to fit the info supplied, & made it a sticky

[resto]

There is one significant difference between a FX FJ gearbox casing and the later FE to EK casing which has been missed here.
The FE introduced the hydraulic clutch and the mounting face for the slave cylinder is machined on FE to EK gearboxes. FX and FJ gearboxes have a rough cast finish here which is at a bit of an angle so the slave cylider will not mount up.

Resto

[Harv]

Cheers Resto.

Digging through a ton of info for the crashbox guide, there are about a dozen differences between the various grey boxes (I just have to extract the digit and get the document finished )

[MeFB]

I just have to extract the digit and get the document finished

Yes; yes you do

[gordon]

Heres pic of Alloy housing EJ Gbox at a Swapmeet , has the extra castings for the Grey motor Eng Mtgs
Were in the last of the EJs , be rare now