Some of you may be aware that I've been having issues with a tranny swap lately. My latest (and hopefully last) issue was that the passenger side driveshaft wouldn't go far enough into the diff. I thought the snap ring was preventing it but apparently the shaft is actually too long - the splines are hitting the pinion pin before the joint can mate up with the oil seal.

It's really strange since the new box is from a 3.0 manual just like mine. Do passenger driveshafts vary in length at all? Could this be from an auto, 3.5l or even 2.4l? I took it to my mechanic because I was sick of dealing with it - he was talking about custom making a shaft if he couldn't find one that fit. I wouldn't think that'd be necessary - I probably just had the wrong shaft in my old box (it was really hard to get out - had to take the bell housing off to get the snap ring off)

Anyone know?

Try fitting the shaft without the snap ring. If it slides in correctly you know its the clip. Give it a twist to ensure it engages in the spider gear. Is the oil seal in the right place, which is I believe flush with the case and not bottomed out in its recess. You could use a piece of wire to measure what the depth is and compare it to the length of the splined part.

If its the same model and engine, there shouldn't be a difference, unless Mitsu did some running changes during a model run, like using a different spline count. Get the part numbers of both boxes and compare. If different, get the drive shaft from the car the box came from. Or take the gearbox number to a drive shaft repair shop and try to buy the right shaft. You only really need the inner joint housing, the bit that actually slots into the box. The correct inner joint should be available.

If the box is from a different engine, you may be having a difference of spline numbers on the shaft and spider gear.

PS Your mechanic is likely to be just as confused as you are!

Yeah it's hitting the pinion pin even without the clip. And he is very confused... haha. It really doesn't make sense. I can't get the driveshaft off the car I got the box from as it's in Melbourne and probably not at Jolly's anymore. He's going to call around some wreckers and get them to measure the shaft's they have. Very weird though

Has he actually measured the depth to the pinion pin and compared it to the shaft length? It might be hitting/not engaging in the spider gear.
Get the gearbox model numbers!

So just spoke to him, he's spoken to a gearbox/driveshaft specialist who's checked the box model number and apparently it's an import box! The specialist said he'd seen this sort of thign once before - but it's really rare. So it must be from bloody Japan! I'll get the model number for you guys as soon as I get the car back.

Anyway, he made up a driveshaft that fits it, and that's been done no worries. Unfortunately the oil seal doesn't fit snug with the shaft though so he's getting one of those made up too (and presumably I'll need to do that every time I need to change it in the future).

So I'll be back on the road soon; it could have been a lot worse. So whoever owned the car that I pulled the box out of at Jolly's must have fitted an import box at some point - god knows why. Interestingly though, it had an Exedy clutch installed. So maybe he'd done some mods to the car. Maybe this gearbox is strengthened or something... who knows. The car is no longer at Jolly's anymore so I can't check anything, but I do remember that the Jolly's website listed the car as a 2.4 Auto, even though it was a 3.0 manual. I chalked it up to Jolly's being silly but if the owner had done an engine/tranny conv from a 2.4, it would have still shown up as that if they'd just plugged the VIN into a database.

I call crap on the above

The 3.0 and 3.5 box run an identical drive shaft and intermediate shaft, is only the 3.5 mounting bracket for the intermediate shaft that is slightly different. The auto also runs the same drive shafts as the manual only the intermediate shaft is 7mm longer on the auto.

I think that someone has mixed something up that is not from the car, I have mixed and matched that many times it is silly and never had that problem at all. Even the 5speed auto runs the same rh shaft as the 4sp auto and manual, is only the int shaft and lh shaft that is larger on these.

4 cyl boxes and shafts are totally different and simply will not bolt in at all

Mal, that's what I thought. What could they have mixed and matched? You think my driveshaft could be from a different kind of car (this is the LH shaft by the way)? The gearbox guy swears it the box has to be an import.

Makes sense now. But what a pain!

Still not possible even if was an import as the Diamante was made here as well, not sure if the boxes were made here or in Japan, think they were made in Japan so would not make a difference

The LH shaft is the same for ALL auto and manual with the only exception being the 5speed auto

This is the pass side BTW

the car may have had a 3.0l mivec engine in it! (I know it didnt but hay)
I think it was like mal said, a balls up by someone. and the new custom shaft, could just be the right one.
if it was hiting the pinion rod the entire gearbox and bellhousing would be different.

Interesting

Intermediate Driveshafts + shaft to engine bracket

3.0L

A/T MR336823
M/T MR336824
ALL ? MRMR336823
Mounting bracket MR486920


3.5L

A/T MR336823
M/T MR336824
ALL ? MRMR336823
Mounting bracket MR486921

So the actual shaft is different between manual and auto, but it's the mounting bracket that's different between 3.0L and 3.5L
As Mal said...

Not sure why the auto shaft is listed as suiting ALL because it clearly doesn't fit a manual box from experience..

there's two different driveshaft seals aswell..

MD755526
MD755904

Same listed for auto/manual and 3.0 and 3.5
perhaps that's why my inner shaft seal is still leaking.. first I thought it had stopped until I walked under my car at the exhaust shop..

driveshaft seals auto to manual are same, just has a slight raised lip on the inside on one of the seals. I put an auto seal in my gearbox, when i was desperate. It hasn't leaked a drop since. This is why there would be a different part number - the lip. Inside diameter and outside are the same.

Hmm, most likely I didn't install it right....
I might take the car to Mits and ask them to replace it..
I bought two seals when I did the gear box swap because of the leak, I got one for each side.

Replaced inside, still leaked, replaced again with the other seal after killing the first one popping it out.. didn't leak for a few 1000k now it's leaking again so I must have screwed it up..

what the ?

Just found this in the manual.

(E) OIL SEAL
1. Apply transmission oil to the lip of the oil seal.
Specified oil:
Hypoid gear oil SAE 75W/85W conforming to API
classification GL–4

(F) OIL SEAL
1. Fill the lip portion of the oil seal with grease.
Specified grease:
Mitsubishi genuine grease part No. 0101011 or
equivalent

So, I'm supposed to put gearbox oil on the seal, install it, then put grease on the lip?

i smear a small amount of silastic / ultra blue around the outer edge of the seal, i also grease the inner lip before installing.

hmm, I didn't put any grease on the inner lip, which is where it's leaking from.
Is it worth pulling the shaft off again, greasing the lip and trying to push it in so it's fully sqaure?
Or is the seal likely to be shagged?
I might try using a spray can cap to help push it it, should be the right size..

I've got a spare shaft in the garage. Sticker on it says MR196221. It came off a KJ. It's probably a bit late, but it's yours if you want it (free).

nah it no good now man, You grease it up before you put it in that way, whatever you are putting the seal around slides in easier without damaging the lip of the seal.

i've got a spare shaft in the garage. Sticker on it says mr196221. It came off a kj. It's probably a bit late, but it's yours if you want it (free).

mr196221?
Is that off a manual? full shaft or just intermediate?
Where abouts do you live?

Mine does have a damaged dust cap which aint good..

mr196221?
Is that off a manual? full shaft or just intermediate?
Where abouts do you live?

Mine does have a damaged dust cap which aint good..

Passenger side driveshaft according to ASA..
What condition is it in? my outer boot recently split so needs to go..

It came with an Auto 3.5 g/box I got from a KJ Varada. Both boots look fine. My old shaft was OK so I didn't use this one.
Sorry about the photo quality, took it a few mins ago with the mobile phone. I'm in Taylors Hill, off the Calder not far from Calder Park
http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/6492/image196l.jpg (http://img63.imageshack.us/i/image196l.jpg/)

It came with an Auto 3.5 g/box I got from a KJ Varada. Both boots look fine. My old shaft was OK so I didn't use this one.
Sorry about the photo quality, took it a few mins ago with the mobile phone. I'm in Taylors Hill, off the Calder not far from Calder Park
http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/6492/image196l.jpg (http://img63.imageshack.us/i/image196l.jpg/)

Thanks but you're a bit too far away for it to be worth while :(
I'm way up North...

Out of curiosity.
Say I bought a manual conversion including the intermediate shaft.
But the Intermediate shaft doesn't go into the gearbox far enough to make a seal over the driveshaft seal, could this mean I was actually sent a kit for a 3.5L ? or a 3.0L box but they sent me 3.5L driveshafts?

In which case, I could get an auto intermediate shaft for a 3.0L, swap over the mounting bracket and that would solve the problem?

The whole issue with mine is.
The silver dust cover in the driveshaft doesn't come in contact with the flared lip of the seal but s,its about 1mm out from it.. and the part of the driveshaft that's supposed to make the seal (I think) only 'just' goes into the seal.. if that makes sense..

Looking at the same setup on an auto the silver dust cover actually goes over the lip of the seal..
Or, Have I just pushed the seal in too far? in which case I'll take it to mitsubishi so they can use whatever tool is needed to push it in 'far enough' rather than all the way in..

Guys,
I have covered this in the thread already, so I do not know what the confusion is here....

Here it is again.

Based on 4sp auto and manual box...

RH
Drive shaft IDENICAL
Int shaft Auto is longer than the manual
Int shaft, 3.0 to 3.5 only the carrier bracket is different

THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE LH SHAFT FROM 4 SPEED AUTO TO MANUAL
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE LH DRIVE SHAFT FOR 4 SPEED AUTO, 3.0 AND 3.5 MANUAL BOXES

5 Speed Auto, LH spline inner is larger, RH shaft is same as 4 speed auto and manual
5 Speed Auto, Int shaft will not fit, is longer and also larger spline as per the lh inner joint

Oh and just to clarify, I HAVE used combinations of the above so YES I do know what I am on about


Out of curiosity.
Say I bought a manual conversion including the intermediate shaft.
But the Intermediate shaft doesn't go into the gearbox far enough to make a seal over the driveshaft seal, could this mean I was actually sent a kit for a 3.5L ? or a 3.0L box but they sent me 3.5L driveshafts?

In which case, I could get an auto intermediate shaft for a 3.0L, swap over the mounting bracket and that would solve the problem?

The whole issue with mine is.
The silver dust cover in the driveshaft doesn't come in contact with the flared lip of the seal but s,its about 1mm out from it.. and the part of the driveshaft that's supposed to make the seal (I think) only 'just' goes into the seal.. if that makes sense..

Looking at the same setup on an auto the silver dust cover actually goes over the lip of the seal..
Or, Have I just pushed the seal in too far? in which case I'll take it to mitsubishi so they can use whatever tool is needed to push it in 'far enough' rather than all the way in..

The Dust cap is just that, a dust cap, IT IS NOT MEANT TO TOUCH THE SEAL as it would make the seal wear, smoke and be shagged in just a few k's

Thanks Mal.
And yes, I know you know what you're talking about.

I've obviously stuffed up putting the seal in so I'll take it to a professional and get a new one put in.
I just wasn't sure because if the 3.5 litre mount is different I may have ended up with a 3.5 shaft which would still bolt on but but not go far enough into the gearbox but you've cleared that up.


Guys,
I have covered this in the thread already, so I do not know what the confusion is here....

Here it is again.

Based on 4sp auto and manual box...

RH
Drive shaft IDENICAL
Int shaft Auto is longer than the manual
Int shaft, 3.0 to 3.5 only the carrier bracket is different

THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE LH SHAFT FROM 4 SPEED AUTO TO MANUAL
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE LH DRIVE SHAFT FOR 4 SPEED AUTO, 3.0 AND 3.5 MANUAL BOXES

5 Speed Auto, LH spline inner is larger, RH shaft is same as 4 speed auto and manual
5 Speed Auto, Int shaft will not fit, is longer and also larger spline as per the lh inner joint

Oh and just to clarify, I HAVE used combinations of the above so YES I do know what I am on about



The Dust cap is just that, a dust cap, IT IS NOT MEANT TO TOUCH THE SEAL as it would make the seal wear, smoke and be shagged in just a few k's

Thanks Mal.
And yes, I know you know what you're talking about.

I've obviously stuffed up putting the seal in so I'll take it to a professional and get a new one put in.
I just wasn't sure because if the 3.5 litre mount is different I may have ended up with a 3.5 shaft which would still bolt on but but not go far enough into the gearbox but you've cleared that up.

If you have a 3.0 you need to use the 3.0 carrier bearing, if you use the 3.5 one the shaft will not alligned just the same as if you use the 3.0 carrier bearing on the 3.5 engine block, the mount on the engine is slightly different

The 3.0 can be modified to fit the 3.5 block but the 3.5 carrier can not be made to fit the 3.0 block

If you have a 3.0 you need to use the 3.0 carrier bearing, if you use the 3.5 one the shaft will not alligned just the same as if you use the 3.0 carrier bearing on the 3.5 engine block, the mount on the engine is slightly different

The 3.0 can be modified to fit the 3.5 block but the 3.5 carrier can not be made to fit the 3.0 block

Thanks.. Now I know for sure :)
I've replaced the seal twice and it still leaks around the shaft, I'm just going to take it to a mechanic and get them to do it coz I'm clearly doing something wrong or something is damaged..
In the mean time, I'll keep topping up the fluid..

Or bring it around here so I can look at it, I have seals here and also can tell you if you have the right set up or not as I know what to look for