why not just swap your 70 box for a 55 5 speed?

The shifter is in a better spot with the '70s g'box

 

Interesting, didnt have to do it when i put the KE70 5speed into my previously auto 78 KE30.

Interesting as well, because if i didn't do it the gearbox would have been banging on the tunnel as well as pushing the exhaust up through the floor.

 

Bloody hell what is it with my damn car.....

In a blatant hijack (sorry paulie) can you gearbox fundis tell me if-

 

The early boxes in KE55s had 1.383 ratio third gears??

 

and can we can swap third gear out and fit it into the KE70 K50 box??

 

It would be a great path to a cheap closer-ratio 5speed.

 

http://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/46474-gearboxes-anybody-swapped-gears-out/page__pid__480780#entry480780

Are the gear boxes them selvs the same length, ie. is there any modification needed to the drive shaft?

Yes same length.

As far as i know the tail shaft will be the same, so it'll slide into output side of the gearbox. Unless the auto is the trimatic, which will have a different output shaft.

Another variation can be the diff - the flange where the tail shaft bolts to the diff is different between the jap diff and the borg warner. The BW has a bigger flange then the jap.

 

Think the best thing to do is line the new g'box up near the car and pull the tail shaft out and check to see if it'll slide into the new g'box. Be able to keep the car on the road that way, if you've picked up some oddball box.

There shouldn't be any real dramas with the swap.