GTX gear swap project (25+ pics)

505zoom · Apr 16, 2006

I broke my diff at 38k, and partly because of how quick I got the car stopped, I was able to salvage it. Since the trans was open, I decided to pick up 3rd and 5th from Ken at ProtegeGarage. Here are the pics from the project...

Prepping to rip it open:

Drivers side axle seal had been leaking fluid:

Big ol' Thumper IC:

Battery, tray and all piping out:

Trans out, the SPEC clutch surface looked brand new with only ~6k miles:

Trans out:

We tore it down at my buddy Dave's garage:

The workbench, with the essentials... Rolling Rock, and Family Guy:

Tight quarters for the 280z (with a custom built high compression 350 corvette motor):

Back of the truck with my trans parts and the turbo 'yota's engine parts:

Various shots of the gears/shafts before removing them:

The flash on the above pic killed my camera battery, so I never got any pics of the busted diff before it got dropped off to be welded.

LSD welded up:

We used a 12 ton hydraulic press to get the gears off of the shafts:

Stock shafts and gearing:

1/2 primary shaft, partially stripped down:

3/4 primary shaft, almost completely stripped down:

3rd gear, GTX on left, Protege on right:

Backside of same gears from above:

Almost ready to reassemble:

Diff back in:

Everything lined up with new gears on:

I will add the rest of the pics later this afternoon after I get them uploaded. I was scrambling to get everything back together yesterday so I didn't take many of the re-installation, but I have a couple of the totally cleaned up bay now that it is back together.

Bigg Tim · Apr 16, 2006

Did you re-use the bearings or replace them? I have my spare tranny all disassembled right now. I don't know what I'm doing with it yet, but if I swap the gears I don't know if I have to replace the bearings or not. They can get a bit pricey to replace them all.

505zoom · Apr 16, 2006

I did not get new bearings... my old ones were in great shape.

505zoom · Apr 16, 2006

I need a coolant bottle, badly.

vindication · Apr 16, 2006

wow cool. you must tell us your thoughts once you have driven your car again. Also, change in rpm vs. speed in those gears also.

505zoom · Apr 16, 2006

The car has about 125 miles so far on the new gears. I forgot my notebook back where I did all the work, and it has all of my stock readings for RPM/MPH in each gear. I will get that later this week and do a comparo, but from what I remember, 5th has dropped 300RPM at 80MPH. 3rd feels a little taller, but I don't remember the old readings well enough to know for sure. I will post up the definite numbers when I get them, so far so good though.

Greensleeper · Apr 16, 2006

505: Sorry for the newbie question, but for pulling the tranny out, did you suspend the motor (appears not) or just let it sit on the front/rear right motor mounts?

Thanx and sorry again!

PS: BTW you car is awesome, as always!

CustomMSP · Apr 16, 2006

Rich,

So you just put the original LSD back together and welded it up?

505zoom · Apr 16, 2006

Greensleeper said:
505: Sorry for the newbie question, but for pulling the tranny out, did you suspend the motor (appears not) or just let it sit on the front/rear right motor mounts?

Thanx and sorry again!

PS: BTW you car is awesome, as always!

Thanks man, and it is a good question. To get the trans out without pulling the motor, you have to leave the passenger side mount attached, and remove the other 3. When you do that, you can lower the drivers side of the motor/trans down, and get the angle needed to pull the trans off. So to answer your question, I used a jackstand and the passenger side mount to support the motor during the project.

CustomMSP said:
Rich,

So you just put the original LSD back together and welded it up?

Yessir, and so far so good... just got back from beating on it a little and everything is holding up.

Captain KRM P5 · Apr 16, 2006

just caught this thread, good to know all is working out, rich

tekkie · Apr 16, 2006

nice Rich, that will help me out alot

Captain KRM P5 · Apr 16, 2006

so the revs actually drop down a bit while cruising in fifth? thats nice to know

CustomMSP · Apr 16, 2006

I'm glad it worked for you Rich.

Bala · Apr 16, 2006

Those are some great looking welds on the LSD.

Greensleeper · Apr 16, 2006

Thanx A Lot 505!

YelloTerbo5 · Apr 16, 2006

Lookin good! Has anyone else done this swap yet? I'm goin to start lookin into it.

duMb KeoLa · Apr 18, 2006

howmuch did the gears cost you?

505zoom · Apr 18, 2006

duMb KeoLa said:
howmuch did the gears cost you?

I don't remember exactly what it came out to for the gears by themselves... I ordered several things from Ken at ProtegeGarage along with the gears. Shoot him a PM for the price.

505zoom · Apr 18, 2006

YelloTerbo5 said:
Lookin good! Has anyone else done this swap yet? I'm goin to start lookin into it.

There is apparently a dude in Puerto Rico that is using them with some luck, and a few other guys that post here have done it... CWILL and CaptainKRM. There could be others, but they are the only ones on this board that I know of for sure.

vindication · Apr 18, 2006

yeah, apparently this is the thing to do amoung the protege cround in Puerto Rico

GTX gear swap project (25+ pics)

Breathe

Member

Breathe

Breathe

Missing my Protege

Breathe

Member

Member

Breathe

Member

Member

Member

quitas Veritas

Member

Member

Member

Breathe

Breathe

Missing my Protege

Similar threads