RA23 Auto to Manual Conversion

[Night Rider-TA23]

Hey Guys i need some advice on an auto to manual conversion

I have been looking for a decent ra23, for quite some time, to put my time and money into and i have finally found one, the only problem is its an auto.

Could someone please advise me on what parts i will need (pedal box, xmember, master and slave cylider etc) and what is involed in the conversion.


Cheers
Jarrod

[o_man_ra23]

You need:
Flywheel, and flywheel bolts
clutch
spigot bearing
pedal box
clutch master cyl
clutch slave cyl
clutch fixed line
clutch flex line
clutch line mounting bracket (L shaped, available new from Toyota for about $6... get an RA40/60 one, or I could have a look at home at the part number)
reverse light switch cable
Bellhousing bolts

Aside from that, things that will fit are:
tailshaft
gearbox xmember and mount
starter motor

Things that need modifying:
transmission tunnel hole needs to be cut forward to allow the shifter through
Centre console will need a boot over it... the hole will be a bit forward, but the stick will still go through it and its liveable.
The two wires that go to the neutral start switch need to be plugged together.
Everything else which is connected somehow to the auto is superflous and can be left there unplugged (light for the shifter, pulley for the kickdown etc)

[Norbie]

It's just like any auto-manual conversion - acquire all the required bits then it's just a case of swapping parts. Not hard at all but can be time consuming if you've never done it before.

From the top of my head you will need the following:
- 18R flywheel
- spigot bearing
- clutch, throwout bearing, fork etc
- W50 with bellhousing, preferably from an RA23/28
- gearbox crossmember
- pedal box
- clutch hydraulics: master cyl, slave cyl, hard line

You will also need to extend the shifter a hole a bit, but a pair of tin snips will make short work of that.

EDIT: I type too slow.

[o_man_ra23]

Gearbox xmember is the same. Also yeah, you need to find out where the box comes from as the RA23/28 item has a different throwout bearing to the RA40, and a different clutch slave cyl. I would prefer the RA23/28 item as the clutch slave is adjustable, and the throwout fork is stronger.

[Night Rider-TA23]

Thanks guys thats really helpful

And on that note, do you guys have any of these parts or no of anyone that does?

EDIT - oh yea and i am going to be putting a new engine with gear box in, so which of those parts will i not need, sorry for not mentioning this earlyer.


Cheers
Jarrod

[o_man_ra23]

Depends what comes with the engine. Probably flywheel and bolts, would suggest getting the flywheel machined and putting in new clutch kit and spigot bearing for the sake of it (easier than finding out it fails after 6 months and having to rip it out again), and you will probably get the clutch slave cyl with the new motor/box combo, but again a new one will save a lot of hassle.

Easiest way, buy a manual RA40 thats rusted to the buggery, and pull all the bits from it Then sell all the parted out bits to get back the $100 the RA40 should cost.

[Night Rider-TA23]

The engine and gearbox combo will be either the 18RG/W50 or the 18RGEU/W50, not sure yet.

Thanks for all the helpful info

Cheers
Jarrod

[DQIKST]

hey i didnt have to cut the hole when i went from auto to w50, but i had to when i went 1G/W58, also the auto console will foul in 3rd, gear you wont be able to smash it in, hahahahah

im still on the search for a manual centre console insert if any one sees this hahaha

cyaz

[Night Rider-TA23]

hey i didnt have to cut the hole when i went from auto to w50, but i had to when i went 1G/W58, also the auto console will foul in 3rd, gear you wont be able to smash it in, hahahahah

im still on the search for a manual centre console insert if any one sees this hahaha

cyaz

So is that to say that i can put it in 3rd i just have to be gentle?? (with the auto console)

[o_man_ra23]

Thats right, but I think he is on drugs with the not having to cut the hole thing... it fouls by a good inch (if Ibz wants to debate it, I can take a photo )

[SilverRA23]

The first time I did my manual conversion on a RA23 i couldnt get 1st, 3rd or 5th with the auto console insert. I bought a new manual one from Toyota and it was all good from there.. that was in 1993 so I am tipping you can't do that any more

[DQIKST]

Thats right, but I think he is on drugs with the not having to cut the hole thing... it fouls by a good inch (if Ibz wants to debate it, I can take a photo )

owen check my members ride thread i think i still have a pic with the W50 in the interior and the hole should be visable

[o_man_ra23]

Now your gonna make me pull the centre console out of my RA28 and take a photo??

[Night Rider-TA23]

On the matter of cutting a hole or not id say it would be possible that the shifter is in different places, depending on what they were originally in. I have two T50's (one standard out of my ta23/2t and one off my 2tgeu) and all though they are the same box i had to cut a new hole for the 2tgeu box cause the shifter was like 3inch back from the 2t box. This may be the same case with your w50 boxes, im unsure though cause i have little to no exp with 18r and w50's

[DQIKST]

i dunno, i had my W50 behind my 18RG,

but i doubt that would make a difference, 18RC and RG use similar bottom ends,

owen im not going to argue because i have no photgraphic evidence of my W50 with out the hole cut, but im telling you i had it in ther e


cyaz