v8nova64

hi guys,

i have been looking around for a t56 for an lQ9 i think i might buy but i dont think i can afford one. I have read about people using R154 transmissions on these engines they are apparently rated for 700 ft/Ibs torque and apparently alot cheaper!

anyone care to shed some light on it? I would also like to keep a hydraulic clutch so maybe i can use the t5 bellhousing i have and an adapter?
what kind of vehicles did these come in? i would need a 2wd version. going in a 64 nova

thanks in advance

stevieturbo

The R-154 is a good box, not sure how easy they are to find over there though. But bellhousings are available for them for a wide variety of engines.
It will not handle 700lbft though

R-154 came in a 85-94 Toyota Supra 5 speed single turbo. There may be other similar variants in other Toyota vehicles though, but do not confuse it with the W-series n/a version.
The R-154 is in no way compatible with anything T5 related.

Given the money you'll spend to buy and adapt one, a Tremec will be a much easier option, and probably much cheaper.

v8nova64

thanks for the reply. I regularily see supras in my local scrap yard that the main reason i ask I could probly pick up a trans for 200 bucks. DO you have any links to these adapters? I have a cnc plasma cutter, and cnc mill at my school and can make pretty much anything do you think it would be possible to make such adapter if i had dimensions?

stevieturbo

Dellow in Australia, Castlemaine Rod Shop in Aus make conversion kits. But they will not be cheap.

When I used one on my twin turbo Rover V8 a few years back, I bought it from this guy in New Zealand. It was a very good kit and worked very well. Given exchange rates these days, it is very expensive though.

http://www.conversioncomp.co.nz/installation.php

But it will not handle 700lbft.

At that time my car weighed around 3550lbs and maybe made about 500/500 at a push. I did break a tooth of 3rd gear once, but other than that the box was very reliable.

But dont forget you'll also need to source a suitable clutch, and will the output yoke be as strong as a Tremec unit ?

A Tremec will simply bolt in place and work with no effort whatsoever.

Search google images for "r154 gearbox" and you'll get plenty if hits

v8nova64

this guy has an Lq4 mated to a r154 in his lexus

stevieturbo

It might make 400lbft though, not 700.

At 400lbft then yes it is a viable option. Is he suggesting there is an off the shelf adaptor in the US for them already ?

If so then it may be worth trying.

But the people who know what a R154 is, also know what they are worth. I bought mine some 13 years ago for around £50-100 each, and ended up with 3 of them, as was buying all I could find for spares lol

Roll forward to today, and these can fetch 5-8x that price.

v8nova64

he says novak adapters makes an adapter

v8nova64

the adapters they make bolt the r154 to a sbc using a muncie style bellhousing. So i was thinking the 80's trucks are plentiful and have the sbc/muncie stle bellhousing but with a huydraulic slave mount. does the muncie style bell bolt to the LS style engines? if so i could probly use that bellhousing and the adapter then just figure something out for the clutch disc and clutch slave and master

stevieturbo

Ive no idea about any of the US stuff and what it fits.

The only US engine Ive ever used is the LS, and I just use the T56

But googling does seem to see lots of people using the R-154 and it's variants, google Novak adaptor, and again plenty of different hits come up.

I still see buying a complete Tremec T56 or similar will be the best all round option, simply because it bolts straight up with no effort involved, and any replacement parts are all off the shelf too.
Surely a complete setup would be less than $1k ?

I dont see how you could ever piece together a conversion for less than that ?

v8nova64

i was veiwing this thread here

the ax15 is the same trans as the r154 just the r154 has better gearing and the input shaft is 21 spline rather than 10 and it is 1/4" shorter so i think it should still work.

so i think i could use this adapter to do the swap. since this adapter mounts the trans to the standard chevy pattern bellhousing i think i may be able to use my t5 bell and maybe utilize the hydraulic clutch slave. If not i will get one from an 80's chevy truck that has the mounts for a slave. Just unsure what slave would work there and if i could use my line coming from the camaro t5 master?

I am just unsure about which clutch, flywheel, and flexplate i will have to use?

I have a brand new starter i bought from summit that can be clocked 360 degrees, inline pattern and 168 or 153 tooth flywheel hope i can use it. does the ls engines lq9 specifically use the same inline mount as other sbc?

I hope i can make it work any input is great. I see there are a few guys who have done it on this forum hopefully they can chime in and share!!

snyousef

iTrader: (11)

I looked into this as well for my swap.....the T56 required too much fab work for my car (I would have to cut the firewall and trans tunnel) the T5 was the next best option I found IMO that wouldn't break the bank. Basically any trans that bolts up to a SBC will bolt up to the LSx motors.

I ended up deciding on a TH350 with a manual valve body....my decision was based on application, simplicity, and just my personal preference.

R-154 seems to be very popular and many make adapters....there is even an eBay seller that sells adapters for all types of swaps and has one for the LSx/R-154 swap....my preference was having "off the shelf" parts and the least customization and using an SBC trans only requires a spacer (that's readily available) and a flywheel/flexplate at most.

For mating my TH350 to my LS1 it's less then a $100 for a spacer and longer flexplate bolts FWIW.

Just my $0.02....

v8nova64

i understand if it doesn't work out i guess il be left with no choice. would you happen to have a link to the seller you speak of. I am trying to find it but am having a hard time

snyousef

iTrader: (11)

This is the guy I remember talking to http://myworld.ebay.com/snomagt1/ just send him a message.

But I'm not 100% sure he was the one that had the adapter you are looking for...I wasn't comfortable with an adapter and flywheel spacer all being custom products hence why I rather use a SBC trans.