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| Joined: | 03-14-2005 |
| Location: | Atlanta, Georgia USA |
| Posts: | 406 |
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Today I was able to road-test 13492 with not only the 907/910 hybrid engine, but with a Supra 5sp transmission and 912 bellhousing. A casual observer would notice my JH is morphing closer and closer to a Lotus Excel.
Over many years I have been able to assemble the parts for this project. You can save money when you have time, but there are no guarantees. Your experiences may vary....
The transmission is from a 1987 Non-Turbo Supra (W58 w/ extra-back shift position) bought off Ebay that I had rebuilt locally. During the rebuild I had my machinist form the input shaft to match the Esprit/JH pilot bearing (common Chevy .590").
Various internet sources were able to fabricate a 8-1/2" organic clutch with springed Toyota center for less than $100.00. The stock JH pressure plate was retained, but the JH clutch fork needed considerable modfication to work with the Supra throw-out bearing. A custom hing-point for the clutch fork, clutch cable bracket and transmission mount were fabricated from various bits of steel stock.
One of the easiest things was the driveshaft I had fabricated locally. I updated from the early 'small' driveshaft flange to the 'larger' style used in the later JH 4sp and all 5sp transmissions. This change allowed my driveshaft shop to use a Volvo yoke to make it all fit together. Total cost was about $200.00.
As others have noticed, even with the 'extra-back' position, the shifter is still 1"-2" too far forward. I was able to graft a JH 4sp shifter to the bent Supra shifter to solve this problem.
Unfortunately, the shifter simply throws too far as it hits both the front and rear of the tunnel cover (~1/4"). A possible fix would be modifying a 'short-throw' shifter designed for the Supra. Without this 'fix' the W58 feels less 'slick' than a properly rebuilt JH 4sp.
First gear is slightly lower than the JH which makes starting from a dead-stop a bit easier. 2nd and 3rd gear are almost identical to the JH 4sp, but the HUGE difference is 5th gear. This isn't your daddy's Getrag close-ratio box!
The .78:1 O/D is NOT performance oriented, rather it's designed for highway cruising. If you drive to a lot of events on the interstate this is a gift from above.
Overall driving impressions are mixed but generally positive. My wife will appreciate the lower revs, and I'll have piece of mind knowing I can get replacement parts. If I can fix the shifter, I think I'll be pretty happy with the conversion.
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