AH 100 5 Speed conversion questions

[musme]

I am thinking about the smitty 5 speed conversion using the toyota gearbox.
I have a few questions.
1. Where does the gearbox lever finally rests ??
2. Does anyone has pictures of a AH 100 with the conversion ?
3. What is the final ratio of a AH 100 with overdrive in 4 th gear and wat is the final ratio with the 5 speed conversion ?
4. opinions in favor and against doing the conversion
5. other options different than the Smittys conversion
6.

Thanks

Jose Vargas
Bogota Colombia
South America

 

[dougie]

Hello Jose -

Smitty no longer exists. It's now "Healey 5-Speed", you should contact Pete
(704) 455-2585 or Healey5Speed@aol.com. He can answer all your questions. I have found their conversion to be the simplest and most cost effective here in the states considering you can purchase a good used Toyota 5-speed for about $300.00.

Dougie

 

[musme]

I was refering to Pete at Healey5speed.
But my concerns are more of kwnowing the experience of someone who has already installed the conversion.
Thanks,

 

[dougie]

Jose -

Many members of our local club the AHCO, as well as myself have installed this conversion. It's the only one I would recommend. The Toyota tranny is race proven and is as near 'bullet proof" as a tranny can be. Here's some further info. for you. https://www.austinhealeyclub.co.uk/index.html

Dougie

 

[musme]

Dougie
It seems you have installed the conversion on a 3000 ?
I am already convinced that the onley one I could install in the one from TN (Healey-5peed).
But I m not convinced about the final location of the gear lever... basically
I am looking for a Ah 100 owner who has installed the conversion. If you know of someone please let me know. Thanks.
The info from the AH club in the UK is great.
Thanks,
Jose

 

[HealeyPassion]

So I guess you are talking about a 100-4 not a 100-6?

 

[musme]

Yes I m talking about a 100-4 BN2 with overdrive

 

[dougie]

Jose,

I can't help with a 100-4 5-Speed install, but the Toyota W58 & W59 trans came with 4 different shift positions. Measured from the front face they're 18", 20", 21", 21.5". The 18" version fits into the BJ8 stock console within 1/2".

Dougie

 

[steveg]

Jose,
This (hopefully there's an image here) shows my BN6 setup with the forward-most Toyota shift lever position which is in front of the stock ashtray position. I believe this is identical to your BN2 setup as my car had the same sideshift transmission.

[img:left]https://www.pbase.com/image/115164110[/img]

 

[steveg]

I'm using the forum's tool for inserting a picture and can't for the life of me understand why it doesn't show. Oh well. Been through this every time.

 

[GregW]

Hi Steve,
Hmmm, worked for me. I followed your link, right clicked on the image and chose "copy image location". Then used "insert non-floating image" with a paste.

 

[Johnny]

Jose -

Many members of our local club the AHCO, as well as myself have installed this conversion. It's the only one I would recommend. The Toyota tranny is race proven and is as near 'bullet proof" as a tranny can be. Here's some further info. for you. https://www.austinhealeyclub.co.uk/index.html

I recall a fellow club member putting a Toyota 5 speed in a BT7 and didn't have any problems. However, after wanting to remove the flywheel later on did have a problem with the tranny not wanting to come out of the thrust bushing. Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[steveg]

OK, please bear with me as I try this again. Thanks in advance.

 

[steveg]

Greg,
OK - I was using the url for the image from the top of my gallery rather than copying the image location.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

 

[steveg]

When I did mine, the nose of the Toyota input shaft was too tight in the ball pilot bearing so I used wet-dry paper to sand a very small amount off the shaft so it would be a slip fit in the ball bearing. A small smear of anti-sieze would probably be good, too.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Jose--

Here are four pictures taken of my 100 in which I have the Smitty's conversion which I think will answer questions 1 and 2. As I remember Smitty sold the kit with options to install the gear shift lever in three positions--I chose the furtherest forward. My wife has a BN7 that came to us with the conversion already in place and her stick comes out where the ashtray should have been--aside from the loss of the ashtray the stick feels too far back for my liking.

I have no info on question #3 but as to #4 I am heartily in favor of the conversion. The Toyota box is strong and a pleasure to shift. I also have no info on #6 though I do think there is some European source for a similar conversion.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Jose--

Here are some sites with further info on the Toyota gearboxes. Browse through them and you will find lots of info, some useful and a lot not:

https://users.tpg.com.au/users/loats/technical/ma61/gearboxes.html

https://users.tpg.com.au/users/loats/index.html

https://www.austinhealeyclub.co.uk/ (go to "technical page" and then five-speed conversion)

https://users.tpg.com.au/users/loats/technical/ma61/gearboxes2.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_W_Transmission#W58

 

[musme]

Thanks to all.... the pictures... the ideas ... the advices....
I have a pretty good picture of the situation:
1 and 2. The pictures show the position where the shifter knob rests. Not exactly as the original but centered....
3. The final gear ratio of a BN2 gearbox with overdrive is 0.78. The Final ratio of the W58 Toyota gearbox is 0.78 = the same
4. Everyone is in favor because of the comfort and forgetting about the overdrive mess, Lucas electrics and how complicated it is.
5. Smittys is the only option.

Thanks to everyone

 

[busybrit]

All good stuff but your wrong when it comes to Smitty being the only option.

I did my BN-1 conversion using a Celica box, Flywheel, Centerforce clutch, Celica starter and clutch slave cylinder, TR3 master cylinder - same as the AH 3000 and a prop shaft made by Cline of Greenville S.C.

Oh!,, Bell housing,,,I used the Celica Bellhousing together with a 1" thick, 14" Dia Alloy disc, - $28 off eBay - for a back plate.

There's not much of a space between the block and the body of the starter. I didn't like the gear lever, so I used the bottom off the Celica welded to the top from a TR3 and had it rechromed.

This link shows my car, engine sounds horrid due to the low quality camera I used.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=austin+Healey+100&search_type=&aq=f

 

[TonyR]

Looks like a good conversion, nice car by the way.

Have you any dimensions for the hole centres on the 1"" plate?

I was thinking of doing a gearbox conversion for my BN1 and using a Triumph OD gearbox from a TR6 or the like.

Thanks,

Tony