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138 to red motor, what is needed!
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:42 am
by Trev
Ball joint front End, What ever Auto you want to run, are you going Floor Shift or Column - then the shifter, linkages..., Motor plus all accessories (ie starter, carby etc..) depending on motor condition you may need to reco - or put in a red motor rad, seatbelts, dheater / demister... speak with and engineer whether you need a collapsible column, disc brakes, brake booster, fire wall or remote mounted (easiest), eh sump.. possibly larger trans tunnel, gearbox crossmember (fabed to suit), thats all i'm thinking at the moment, speedo cable...
Guys/ Girls & EK owners is it worth getting a sticky made for the changes to a red motor of all thats required?
Cheers
NoMAD
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:57 am
by mrs ratbox
a little extra, it's best to speak to yor rego authorities/engineer first as things vary from state to state and even engineer to engineer and these are the people you have to keep happy
also you can get a 138 red motor and a 149 red motor they are getting harder to find, but in NSW at least there is no engineers report needed for this conversion and none of the upgrades are required either
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 2:44 pm
by J
Depending on engine position you may need to run a thermo fan on the outside of the engine bay.
If running pacemaker extractors you may have to flatten lip on firewall, if your trans has 360deg bellhousing you may have to trim a bit off that as well.
You will also need to measure up a tailshaft, if keeping diff then get a yoke to suit the gearbox, then get it put on the current tailshaft.
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:30 pm
by mrs ratbox
J wrote:
You will also need to measure up a tailshaft, if keeping diff then get a yoke to suit the gearbox, then get it put on the current tailshaft.
i've found in the couple

that i've done if yor using a powerglide, trimatic, aussie 4 speed or 3 speed all syncro an LC/LJ torana tailshaft is the correct fit bolts straight in

unless you still have the gray diff centre then you have to change the uni's
even i bought a 5 speed conversion from an LC/LJ and the tailshaft fit FB/EK

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:12 pm
by ek61
i used a lh torana shaft no probs at all

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 9:58 am
by vmx-mxr
Here's a twist in the tail.
The ute I bought recently is in my opinion WAY too good to go cutting trans tunnels etc so I am opting for a three speed at the moment.
I had all the usual old school ideas of a slightly lumpy red driving an Aussie 4 etc but now am back to square one.
I am definitely fitting an HR disc front end and definitely will not be cutting into the car. MY thoughts are also for an improvement in the back end as well with an HR rear as a minimum. Once again no cutting!
Do I just tweak the grey and be happy with that?
Can I fit a red with a later three speed crash (are they any better that the grey box?) behind a mild red hanging off the standard grey mounts, and if so how do you mount the front of the engine? By that I also mean will the later crash still fit in the trans tunnel too.
If and only IF I was to fit the red and mount it on the cross member as per normal how do you hang the arse end of it and keep the hand brake etc etc?
Can the normal radiator be kept along with a thermo, do I need a heavier core etc as I really don't fancy cutting the front panels out either.
Sounds like a lot of ??? - sorry but I'm looking at any options that leave the body of the car intact.
Dave Mac

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 11:27 am
by Thommo
Ok Dave Mac
Although you dont like the idea of 'cutting the car' up (which sounds drastic)
All you would need to fit a later box is to fit an auto trans tunnel.
It would then take most gearboxes.
It could always be changed back if you keep it.
To bolt a grey to a HR front end,
when you fit the HR front crossmember to a FB/EK
you need to change the outrigger to a FB/EK one.
the FB/EK out rigger will have the holes to mount the grey in it.
To fit the red motor, you will need to use the mounts on the HR crossmember,
But you could use the two rear grey mounts to hold the front of the gearbox,
and not use a gearbox crossmember.
Handbrake will remain stock.
You can fit the non-synchro grey box to a red,
just drive it normally and it wont fall apart.
You can fit a full synchro red 3 spd in if you
heat the floor and knock some clearance in to it.
Stock radiator will handle all but extreme conditions,
dont get stuck in a traffic jam in the middle of summer.
It hope this helps.
Cheers
Jeff
Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 12:42 pm
by Devilrod
Thommo wrote:You can fit a full synchro red 3 spd in if you
heat the floor and knock some clearance in to it.
Just to add to this the EH box (non synchro on first) fits too, but is tight.
And they don't like alot of abuse

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 1:26 pm
by vmx-mxr
Thanks guys
All now into the option box.
Short of cutting Jimmys sedan apart to get a trans tunnel how hard are they to get hold of? I would imaging with so many guys doing 4, 5 and auto conversions they are in great demand?
If anyone has one I'd be interested
Dave Mac
Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 4:45 pm
by Trev
Check ebay for the trans hump new, about $100 each

Re: 138 to red motor, what is needed!
Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:05 am
by reddo
Yo
Spent last Xmas hols converting the panno to red motor.. grey crash box... HR ball joint front with HR commercial brake drums / shoes. HR rear with commercial drums and shoes.. all boosted. used the 2 red motor mounts as well as the 2 original grey rear engine mounts.. effectively giving 4 eng mounts.
Changed rear uni to suit HR 3.36 diff yoke... all linkages and handbrake goies back as original. You will need to buy a modified handbrake cable to suit HR backing plates . Make sure you get the correct length of the handbrake cable outer made up from backing plate to fixing point on the body.. from memory 450mm.
I run a N.O.S HR radiator which involved cutting the apron either side of the radiator about 100mm and recessing itf orward about 15mm into the top support panel . not necessary if front eng mounts welded in correct position.. mine wherent so this mod was a quick fix for clearance.
Use the original EK pitman arm and drag links.they clear the EH sump ... dont forget to grab the oil pick up when buying an EH sump.
Took it to a Blue slip inspection station for the big tick of approval. He passed it with the red in it... but mentioned seeing as though the front end had been changed from king pin to Ball joint / outrigger swapped / engine mounts moved and welded in. I technically should have got an engineers cert before coming to him.
He went on and signed the papers and off i went.
Just as an aside.. i asked our local mech engineer about using the old grey crash box behind a red.. he stated he wouldnt pass them as they are not up to the power and torque of a red motor.
What a load of shit.. I have towed caravans .. car floats etc and the box is as quiet as a mouse. As someone has already mentioned.. treat em like the 60 year old box they are .. check oil and give it the good stuff when required...and it will last for ages.
2 speed wipers not necessary as standard EK electric wipers complete more than 48 complete sweeps of the screen ( just ) in 1 minute as per mod sheet on RTA website.
If going to 202 you would need collapsible column, dual circ brakes etc.
If they want to play it to the letter of the law in NSW.when fitting anything bigger than original ( even 149 .. remembering that the car is now a modified vehicle) the you can add .. seat belts ( if not already fitted ), demister ( heater not necessary), windscreen squirters
I am with you on these mods. I actually had all the gear here to go to a Celica 5 speed .. but when it came to the crunch... i didnt go ahead with it.. just couldnt bring myself to cut up the floor.... although i did fit bucket seats.
Done the same mods when i fitted the 186 to the Metallic green ek ute that is now running around Cudgie Beach district.
Hope this helps.
Reddo
Re: 138 to red motor, what is needed!
Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 5:14 pm
by Craig
The most important thing you need is a complete lack of self respect
Re: 138 to red motor, what is needed!
Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 9:08 pm
by Blacky
Re: 138 to red motor, what is needed!
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 2:57 pm
by GreyEJ
reddo wrote:Yo
Just as an aside.. i asked our local mech engineer about using the old grey crash box behind a red.. he stated he wouldnt pass them as they are not up to the power and torque of a red motor.
What a load of shit.. I have towed caravans .. car floats etc and the box is as quiet as a mouse. As someone has already mentioned.. treat em like the 60 year old box they are .. check oil and give it the good stuff when required...and it will last for ages....
Reddo
I've seized my crash box twice int he ej towing 3 x motorbikes and 4 people though the countryside up past dalesford. Bit of a cool down and some more oil and she was golden.
Re: 138 to red motor, what is needed!
Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:47 pm
by 62purpleek
Stupid question I have just done this.
The engine i have put in is out of a hr, after putting the eh sump on are the dipstick levels the same or different, from the hr to the eh