hey everyone,

you may remember me writing in this forum quite recently enquiring on how to change engine mounts etc.

well that was easy and got done, but when my car was still making horrible noises under load, i knew something else was up. So i dropped it round to a mates workshop (he has a hoist) and we've unfortunately narrowed it down to the gearbox, apparently a couple of teeth are chipped off a spider gear or something ( i don't know gearboxs at all) .

So the question i am asking all you tech guru's out there, .... can a 3.5 L gearbox bolt up where my 3L (TE) box used to be ? Is there much difference ? I have heard the 3.5L gearbox was stronger?

or should i just get my gearbox rebuilt ?

all replies are appreciated

later:cool:

Well from what i've heard, the TE autos were "weaker" than the TF autos. No idea how true this is, but my dads TF has nearly hit 200k kms and is still going strong.

pretty much the same, guru pulled apart a 3l and 3.5 box and said there was no real physical difference...didnt even look stronger

yeah a 3.5 box will bolt straight up. i doubt you will be able to rebuild the box as the cost of spider gears etc etc are herendous...better off buying a second hand box

pretty much the same, guru pulled apart a 3l and 3.5 box and said there was no real physical difference...didnt even look stronger

yeah a 3.5 box will bolt straight up. i doubt you will be able to rebuild the box as the cost of spider gears etc etc are herendous...better off buying a second hand box

Yeah the 3.5 box will bolt up without trouble to a 3.0. The only thing is that 1st I beleive was longer on the 3.5s (not sure if all models), somthing to consider.

okay, so its not really worth getting a 3.5L box in preference over a 3L ? looks like i will be visiting a few wreckers then eh ,

also, i wouldn't mind a longer first gear, even though it will be slower to accelerate, i think the drivability will be improved. Or is it too little a difference to notice?

thanks for your replies !


later:cool:

similar gearboxes, yes, but both the 3ltr and 3.5ltr auto transmissions have a different ECU! when looking for a second hand auto, check the numbers on top of the box, i think it goes something like F415... etc, check to see if there is the letter "R" at the end of it, if so, the gearbox is a rebuilt unit from mitsu.. it's a better box! "R" meaning rebuilt obviously.
good luck

sorry, but i have a manual gearbox,

pretty much the same, guru pulled apart a 3l and 3.5 box and said there was no real physical difference...didnt even look stronger

yeah a 3.5 box will bolt straight up. i doubt you will be able to rebuild the box as the cost of spider gears etc etc are herendous...better off buying a second hand box

The case hardening of the gears, forks and pinions plus the bearing tolerances were tighter and of suposedly better quality on the 3.5 manual gearbox thats why there was no 3.5 manual gearboxed magna until the TH model.
The box had to undergo full durability and service testing before MMC/MMAL would let the 3.5 manual gearbox combo out on to the street. (They didnt want another balls up like the TE/TF/TH auto trans issues)

okay thanks thats great news. Looks like i will be shopping around for a 2nd hand 3.5L box then.

later:cool:

okay thanks thats great news. Looks like i will be shopping around for a 2nd hand 3.5L box then.
But remember that it took a boosted Booya to kill his TE manual.

But remember that it took a boosted Booya to kill his TE manual.

Just remember that its not always the power or to a lesser extent the torque thatll kill a gearbox, its how its driven and maintanied.

I'll use my dads XR6Turbo as an example, its only got the "old" T5 5speed manual which when the BA was released people were saying theyll never last, there at the limit of the box etc etc. Well dads car has been drivin hard from day 1 and has taken 318rear wheel Kw's now for ages without any problems, also APS used a 5speed maual as there full test/trail car and that is now putting out over 400Kw's still with no trans problems.

Constant high rev clutch dumps and full lock one wheelers burnouts will destroy a FWD transaxles (or any diff/gearbox for that matter) and so will super sticky tyres and super strong clutchs (look at the WRX gearbox problems when that stuff is fitted) When you strengthen one area, sumthing else down the line normally suffers.

Normally its the clutch that is the fuse point in most cars (its cheaper to replace a clutch than a trans and or a diff for a car company while it is under new car warranty)

So i guess what im saying is its the way its driven as to how long it will last, no matter what the brand of car. :)

Just remember that its not always the power or to a lesser extent the torque thatll kill a gearbox, its how its driven and maintanied.
Yeah, good point. Benno was a little soft on the launches :bowrofl:
(If you'd seen that video, you'd understand)

Are'nt some of the 3.5l manual boxes longer in the ratios? Meaning slower acceleration?

Are'nt some of the 3.5l manual boxes longer in the ratios? Meaning slower acceleration?

Slightly taller first gear ratio, that was done cos the 3.5L had more low down torque than the 3.0L

yes dont do burnouts and your spider gear will stay intact, but whats worse is spinning the tries while turning (when inside wheels is spinning)

about $500 for new spider gears from mitsi or about $150 2nd hand but is not hte spider u have to worry about its if the broken bits did any other damage???

trust me i know, just spent $2500 on 2nd hand box and new clutch plus fitting, snapped every single tooth off the spider gears after doing a quick launch at the drags

by the way i maintain my car everywell so it must be my driving as i'm on my 3rd manual gearbox :bowrofl: :bowrofl: or im just "lucky" enough to have a 3.0L TH and have the weaker 3l box

yes dont do burnouts and your spider gear will stay intact, but whats worse is spinning the tries while turning (when inside wheels is spinning)

about $500 for new spider gears from mitsi or about $150 2nd hand but is not hte spider u have to worry about its if the broken bits did any other damage???

trust me i know, just spent $2500 on 2nd hand box and new clutch plus fitting, snapped every single tooth off the spider gears after doing a quick launch at the drags

by the way i maintain my car everywell so it must be my driving as i'm on my 3rd manual gearbox :bowrofl: :bowrofl: or im just "lucky" enough to have a 3.0L TH and have the weaker 3l box

Well that is funny cos ive never blow a gearbox in nearly 7yrs of driving my car very hard at the drags and around a racetrack, the only issue ive had was the secondhand ralliart LSD that i put in in 2001 died a few months ago (it started throwing open wheelers at the drags)

New LSD is now fitted, also fitted new bearings at the same time. Hell the gear faces and syncrhos still looked like new when the box was stripped down. :)

Well that is funny cos ive never blow a gearbox in nearly 7yrs of driving my car very hard at the drags and around a racetrack, the only issue ive had was the secondhand ralliart LSD that i put in in 2001 died a few months ago (it started throwing open wheelers at the drags)

New LSD is now fitted, also fitted new bearings at the same time. Hell the gear faces and syncrhos still looked like new when the box was stripped down. :)

told u its my driving
but your does not count u have a LSD:nuts: :nuts: .
oh i drive my car hard, have done many many many Mt runs, drags, and track days almost every weekend for 5 yrs
or its my heavy clutch thats the cause

told u its my driving
but your does not count u have a LSD:nuts: :nuts: .
oh i drive my car hard, have done many many many Mt runs, drags, and track days almost every weekend for 5 yrs
or its my heavy clutch thats the cause

I didnt have a LSD for the first 2 1/2yrs that i owned the car and it was drivin hard on the track b4 that, also a LSD puts even more strain/stress on the gearbox cos theres more traction at the wheels.

I didnt have a LSD for the first 2 1/2yrs that i owned the car and it was drivin hard on the track b4 that, also a LSD puts even more strain/stress on the gearbox cos theres more traction at the wheels.

So what are you running in yours now Jason?? An LSD (what kind?) and I assume some form of H/duty Clutch.

I had always assumed this would be the optimal setup for a daily driven, high powered magna. What else can be easily strengthened in the transaxle??

So what are you running in yours now Jason?? An LSD (what kind?) and I assume some form of H/duty Clutch.

I had always assumed this would be the optimal setup for a daily driven, high powered magna. What else can be easily strengthened in the transaxle??

Hey mate, i just installed another ralliart LSD that i had in my shed into my old box and fitted new bearings at the same time, otherwise the box is as it came when i bought the car new, as for the clutch im using a xtreme H/D ceramic plated clutch, made here in adelaide.

I didnt have a LSD for the first 2 1/2yrs that i owned the car and it was drivin hard on the track b4 that, also a LSD puts even more strain/stress on the gearbox cos theres more traction at the wheels.

my TH's spider gear lasted me 2 1/2yrs also, then only 1month ago the spiders when again about 3 years later

so hopefully what i have now will last about 2-3yrs

nothing else has been a problem with the gearbox ONLY the spider gear, so the rest of gearbox HAS been working great, teh only reason y i decide to replace the whole gearbox this time around was because the loose teeth did alot of damage after they sheared off