Ode to the Aussie 4 Speed

**Nigelk777** · 05-04-2011, 08:31 PM

Original would be ideal, but sometimes we just need to make sacrifices for the sake of driveability ... (but don't tell anyone I said that or I'll be crucified)

**stickthis** · 05-04-2011, 08:42 PM

doing pizza deliveries! Yes in my HZ sandman ute! Countless times getting asked to smoke it up buy they guys who had already been smoking it up and have the munchies!

Popping it out of 2nd gear. Snapping the little tab off the shifter shaft! And using the screwdriver for the rest of the nights deliveries!

Come to think of it. V8 doing deliveries. Tyres... hmmm dont think I made much $$ but would not have been the same with any other gearbox haha!

**Nigelk777** · 05-04-2011, 08:48 PM

And how long did it take us to realise how to unlock it when jammed between reverse and first... I've kept the gear knob and put it on the supra box. Looks the same to the average punter. Only difference is when it magically goes into 5th

**GNW1974** · 05-04-2011, 08:54 PM

Didn't realise they were so bad, blew mine up in the middle of harvest in 1984, had to push it over a drain to get it out for repair as I was out in the bush. Was desperate for a car for work so had to buy an old XA Falcon for 2 weeks.

**Vombil** · 05-04-2011, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by HZSandman

have a supra box and it still proves hard to get into 2nd when cold. I just go from 1st to 3rd until it warms up a bit.

I love the little nuances of old cars.

I have supra box too. Much better than an All "jam up" Aussie. Shame about the last owner who ignored the leaking rear seal which resulted in noisy bearings

**playwme** · 05-04-2011, 09:57 PM

I never really had any shifting problems with mine. It was starting to sound a bit noisy so we pulled it out and took it into the local mechanic. He replaced the cluster gears and some bearings, took it home and put it back in. Drove it into town and noticed an oil puddle under the flywheel cover. Ripped off the cover and discovered that of the 4 bolts holding on the front bearing retainer, 2 were sitting in the flywheel cover and 2 were fingertight. Tightened them up , refilled with oil and went on my way.
6 months later I've just shifted into 3rd and everything locks up sending me into a skid. I quickly discover that any gear but 1st causes the gearbox to be completely locked. Upon disassembly it's discovered that 1st gear is fused to the main shaft. Whether it was to do with the earlier oil loss or not I'm not sure. I had a burnt van with a single rail/9 inch conversion so rather than spending more money I just swapped over the bits I already had. The M21 is still in pieces in a plastic tub at the farm. I got another main shaft for $10 when picking up some Ebay Statesman doors so one day I'll put it all back together.

**Absinth** · 05-04-2011, 10:35 PM

Funny..... back in the 80's when all I would own was a four speed I never once had problems with the M20/M21 sticking or problems changing gears. Sure I blew the odd one up along with the odd diff but that was mostly due to my agressive teenage/early 20's driving style...:knockout:

I think you pussies are just too used to late model smooth shifting boxes

**rallyvan** · 06-04-2011, 12:18 AM

I've broken the silly plasticy shift links on 3rd-4th one evening when coming back from running in an engine over Bell's Line of Road. Went for the big down shift to third and punched the ash tray in my 308 VB Commodore. Was only 5 km from home so hoped under the car with shifter and disengaged 3rd and drove the remaining distance home in 2nd. The poor car had been coping a pounding all night so I was lucky it broke so close to home. Next week me mate machined up some solid steel blocks to replace the plastic items problem solved!

Anthony

**HK1837** · 06-04-2011, 06:43 AM

One thing i'll give them is they are easy to rebuild, I used to do a few of them. At least I thought they were easy, till I built a Muncie. Then I realised that the aussie 4spd is like a scale model of a real gearbox. On a muncie you stick 2 fingers down the layshaft tunnel to put the needle rollers in place, and the needle rollers are like pencil size. You could break someone's skull with 1st gear rather than give someone a nasty scratch with an Aussie 1st. And the layshaft belongs in a porno, or on a donkey.

**wbute** · 06-04-2011, 07:00 AM

Originally Posted by Absinth

Funny..... back in the 80's when all I would own was a four speed I never once had problems with the M20/M21 sticking or problems changing gears. Sure I blew the odd one up along with the odd diff but that was mostly due to my agressive teenage/early 20's driving style...:knockout:

I think you pussies are just too used to late model smooth shifting boxes

Yeah, maybe a pussy, but have had plenty of time on true crash boxs to appreciate a nice shifting synchro one! Without a doubt the most amazing gearboxs are motorbike dog boxs that shift under full power up and down without the clutch and never break.

I love the Aussie 4 speed and dont reckon you have lived unless you have been bailed up by one

Even brand new rebuilt Sandman vans are suffering from the great ballsups of the Aussie 4 Speed Demons in 2011!

I have considered the 5 speed celica/supra conversion or even a tremec but in the end its not meant to be there so when the M20 gives up the ghost I might give an M21 a go to see how much different the ratios make it to drive.