W50 vs W58 - need info to do the swap on my RA28

[The Witzl]

Honestly i dont have the time to get under my car and start taking painstaking measurements and working out the comparisons...... i want to swap the g'boxes before easter!!!

Here's the deal:
I've got an 18RGE with W50 box. I also have a W58 box sitting on the floor, with forward selector housing next to it, and a W55->22R bellhousing nearby.

I want to put the W58 box in.

I've got some vaigue memory of 1ggte conversions mentioning that the tailshaft didnt need any modification to fit.... i'm wondering if this would also be true for the 18RG?

Does anyone have any dimensional comparisons of the two boxes? In particular the lengths and whatnot?

All help is appreciated, and will be rewarded with love.

[gianttomato]

Output shaft spline is the same between the two. Can't comment on the length but Iwould imagine they're bloody close. Not sure what happens with the crossmember in a Celica but in a Mk2 you have to make some small extensions with angle and mount the crossmember to that.

I wish to redeem the love offer for Jager bombs.....

[The Witzl]

I'll trade you the Jager bombs for some rep.....

Ok well if no one answers the length question, i'll have to use the bastard tape measure and somehow manage to crawl under the car and measure.....

FARK, im going to need some clutch bits too
Thank god i have a couple of days off work before easter....

[gianttomato]

GT ftw.

The length of the W40 I have from where the bellhousing bolts to the tip of the output shaft is approximately 550mm. Same for the W5xs I have here.

The 18R to W50 bellhousing is the same height as the 22R to W5x bellhousing I have here.

Call me slack but I'd run all the same clutch shit - I can't help but think it's all the same.

Now you have to give me Jager bombs. I suggest you read the numerous reader comments alluding to it being the best drink ever.

[wilbo666]

Yeh same lenght; when CrUZider (or however on earth you speel it) upgraded his W50 to a W57 yonks ago he kept the same tail shaft and has mentioned them being the same lenght.

Cheers
Wilbo

[TheStitt]

I swapped W50 to W58 in the wagon, tail shaft was same length and spline had no issues.

however I did have to move the cross memeber/mount bolts. The wagon already has a custom cross member, I had to drill the set of holes about 10mm back from where the W50 was mounted. I don't know 28's can you move the g/box xmember.

[rob]

with the 1GGE + W58 into my RA40 the tailshaft was perfect fit tho i had to move the W50 gearbox crossmember back a bit by welding on some steel plate


this all assumes wheelbase is same for RA28 and RA40

i only know for sure that track width is different between the 2

[ra_28]

There is no effort in fitting a w5x box to a 28 only need a bit of flat bar to move the gear box cross member back about 30mm the rest is bolt on.

[ra23celica]

Yes, weld the flat bar on top of the existing g/box crossmember mounting bolts and drill two new holes the same spacing as the original pair and you will have a near perfect fit.
Of course, drill out the existing holes that you covered with the flat bar that you need as well.
Now if you want to be really anal about it, get longer mounting bolts to account for the thickness of the flat bar you are welding on top, and to get really anal, this flat bar lowers the gearbox by its thickness and will ever so slightly, change the angle of the driveshaft from the g/box to the centre bearing. If you are keen to retain this driveshaft angle, weld some more of the same thickness flat bar to the bottom (on the inside) of the g/box x-member and you will have the angle and the g/box back up to where it all started.

[The Witzl]

You all rule

[stradlater]

I was going to confirm what you were thinking, but everyone has already done so. I've got some info on the modifications you'll need to do to your cross member if your interested, it's pretty easy.

[The Witzl]

OK... so i've gone ahead and done some of my own footwork now that the boxes are sitting on the floor next to each other....

• 21R/22R->W58/57/55 bellhousing is the same length as the 18R->W50 bellhousing.
• W50 and W58 boxes are the same length.
• W58 has the gearbox mount about 1" further rearwards than the W50.
• W50 has completely different speedo drive than W58
• 18R clutch fork and release bearing DO NOT work in a 22R bellhousing

... will get back to you all on the clutch fork, slave cylinder, release bearing and other questionable areas once i've sorted them out

Some piccies!!!

[rob]

im suprised u say its a different speedo drive, even the ones with the electronic speedo u can take the unit out and screw in the cable one

my RA40 speedo cable fit and worked fine in the W58

[Norbie]

I think he means the drive gear is different. As you say the cable should be compatible though.

[The Witzl]

ALL mechanical speedo cables are the same across toyotas (excluding the bog warmer gearbox models).

I meant the actual speedo drive gear assy that bolts into the box. The W58 has a ~33mm hole, and the W50 has around a ~25mm hole..... quite a difference!