W50 Help

[Mr_Toyota]

Hey all,

Just like to say what a awesome site, can finally post on here now..woohoo!!

Bought myself a 1980 hilux 2wd...i belive its a RN31?..what it says on the complience plates anyhow.

Now the L40 is starting to play up alot lately, and am wanting to go from column shift to floor shift. first problem ive come across is that there is a few different types of W50 gearboxes...is that true or have i misread?...if so is it pretty much a straight swap to fit it in?...tailshaft clutch ect all can be used from the L40?

And if there is a few different W50 boxes, what model car would i be looking at getting it from?...dont mind if its 4 or 5...would prefer 5..By the way its a 18RC in the hilux.

Thanks
Dan

[twentyEight]

first problem ive come across is that there is a few different types of W50 gearboxes...is that true or have i misread

Sought of...

W50 - Celica 5 speed...

W55, W57, W58 - Supra 5 Speed... (Plus alot of other models)

This might help you a little bit... http://users.tpg.com.au/users/loats/...gearboxes.html

W50, would be the easiest option being you have a 18R-C

[pete05]

look here
http://forums.toymods.org.au/index.p...fba5e92d060950

[twentyEight]

look here
http://forums.toymods.org.au/index.p...fba5e92d060950

Alternatively, you can use that one!

[joecoolmk2]

W50's have a few different gearstick arrangements, though it probly won't matter in your case since you'll have to cut the hole in the floor anyhow.

W40's are the 4 speed version of a W50, either one will slot straight onto your 18R bellhousing

the easiest way to find one would be to look around in a wreckers at the coronas and celicas, and see what gearbox they have by checking the ID plate in the TRANS/AXLE section.

[joecoolmk2]

This site will help you out in identifying toyotas and what it's running

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...o/oldcodes.htm

[gianttomato]

W50 is the good old Celica steel case 5 speed.

Get one of those and fit it up. You'll be making a hole in the tranny tunnel so don't worry too much about the different shifter positions. I know my old man's RN41 has a plate covering a hole in the tranny tunnel - has an L40.

That said, there may be some issues with the gearbox mount and crossmember. Some of that really early stuff is quite different in that regard. For example the original W40 in my RT81 had a totally different crossmember and gearbox mount to the W50 I put in there - necessitated a new crossmember.

Happy fiddling.

[smokem1]

i got an RN41 had an 18RC and 5speed (not sure of model), but W50 was straight swap, fit existing crossmember perfectly .

Edit: had to get new rubber gearbox mount though, a supra one did the job.

[gianttomato]

What I am alluding to is that there are subtle differences. He has an RN31 - I wouldn't be at all surprised if the gearbox mount is different.

[smokem1]

What I am alluding to is that there are subtle differences. He has an RN31 - I wouldn't be at all surprised if the gearbox mount is different.

Fair comment, what i was "alluding" to is that there maybe stuff all difference between RN31 and RN41, hiluxes from 1979 to 1983 are all very similar, My RN41 is a 1980 like Mr Toytotas, so signs are good i reckon.

[gianttomato]

Fair comment, what i was "alluding" to is that there maybe stuff all difference between RN31 and RN41, hiluxes from 1979 to 1983 are all very similar, My RN41 is a 1980 like Mr Toytotas, so signs are good i reckon.

For sure, neither of us know for sure - we're just pointing out it could be easy, or maybe not quite so easy.

[RT104GT]

Hey all,

Just like to say what a awesome site, can finally post on here now..woohoo!!

Bought myself a 1980 hilux 2wd...i belive its a RN31?..what it says on the complience plates anyhow.

Now the L40 is starting to play up alot lately, and am wanting to go from column shift to floor shift. first problem ive come across is that there is a few different types of W50 gearboxes...is that true or have i misread?...if so is it pretty much a straight swap to fit it in?...tailshaft clutch ect all can be used from the L40?

And if there is a few different W50 boxes, what model car would i be looking at getting it from?...dont mind if its 4 or 5...would prefer 5..By the way its a 18RC in the hilux.

Thanks
Dan

For my money stick a late W58 in it from a TOYOTA CORONA AVANTI and ou wont be back. Stick a W50 in with the torque required and you will break it.

All W50's bar a few now are OLD and TIRED (Circa 1980's) 150,000 to 450,000 km by rough estimate.

Worth about $50 but people are asking $450 which will buy you a STRONG nice low k W58.

A gearbox mount is easy to change as is the bell hosuing. Anyone worth their salt will be able to advise.

2 cents.

[twentyEight]

smokem1 & gianttomato - At least you both seem to agree that the W50 is the way to go...

RT104GT does have a very valid 2 cents though!

[smokem1]

W58 for an 18RC? overkill?, ive read that W50 are good up to 250hp, my mate had one behind is 253 in a sandman. Stick with W50 i reckon, $50 vs $450 is a big difference. iF the W50 shits itself then maybe think bout something else.

[Norbie]

W50's are tough old things and won't have a problem with an 18R-C. Mine was bought second-hand out of an RA40 about 10 years ago and has been thrashed behind an 18R-GEU since then, still going strong.

It's worth noting the W40 is popular with the rotary drag boys because they're tough and cheap. Anything that can survive several 10-second passes with drag slicks and 6000rpm clutch dumps isn't going to fall apart with the massive onslaught of torque from an 18R-C.