Does anyone in my area have a manual LC that they will let..

[TobyJug]

me drive..??

I am a class 1 driver and fully insured...

I know I swear by the auto and all that but I would like to drive a manual 80 again to see what it's like as I am toying with the idea to convert mine to manual.

Just to save some juice really.... and with the whole strip down and overland build up of the truck soon in mind too....


so anyone?

what do people think of the idea to convert it?

 

[adrianr]

Hey Toby

Am in Salford, end of the M62 / M602 - happy for you to have a go in my manual if it helps.

Ill pm you my number.

 

[Lorin]

Not sure it'd be economically viable given the time and costs involved in obtaining and installing. I get average 20-22mpg out of my manual. However, 24v manuals do seem able to get up to 30mpg. Also AFAIK the 80 was initially designed to be auto only which may explain why the autos tend to be better reviewed. Manuals do have their issues too, like jumping out of gear and poor synchros. With hindsight I wish I'd got an auto..

 

[Dave Burgess]

I had an auto and deliberately bought a manual when it needed replacing. It will depend for how much you can get the conversion done, but I would suggest it will not be worth it. The gain from the manual was possibly only 2mpg at best on a 12 valve.

If you want to drive mine I'll be passing your way on Saturday... PM if interested.

 

[karl webster]

I have had both m8. In my opinion the man has a better power delivery but as you said the auto is nice on long runs. In my auto cruiser now i can get around 360 on a run and my pump is turned up.When i had my man i could get 420ish. I run on cooking oil now so it doesnt make much difference. I have just had a 12v engine droped into a 100 series and went for the man box. I have sold man boxes to people who have converted from auto and there happy. I like both. they both have there for and againsts.
karl

 

[Dave Docwra]

Right I shall put my head down after the next line.

I beleive if you are building for an overland trip with lots of pot holed roads the auto will be more reliable..

Take cover

 

[Crispin]

I beleive if you are building for an overland trip with lots of pot holed roads the auto will be more reliable..

Curious? Why? shock on drive train absorbed by TC and other gubbins?

 

[Dave Docwra]

Hi Crispin, Spot on.

 

[Brett]

I don't understand

How can a pothole shock the drive train, I thought shockloading the drivetrain was done, for example, on a loose surface spinning a wheel then suddenly finding grip. or by constant taking up & letting off drive.

Surely potholes/undulations in a road surface will be absorbed by the supension/bushes/engine & transmission mounts?

 

[TobyJug]

well that is decided then..

Manual is the way forward...

Not just any manual box though...
It will be a 8 speed 14 tonner 4x4 box.. if all goes well...


Thanks heaps for letting me drive your truck today adrian... Nice meeting you...
Coffee is always on if your in the area..

 

[Dave Docwra]

Hi Brett, All depends how well you can balance the throttle when the vehicle is moving through difficult terrain, I was also thinking more of unmade roads when you are having to change gears quickly to keep forward movement, this is when the TC comes into own.

Hi Toby, Who makes a straight eight gear box?

 

[TobyJug]

Hi Toby, Who makes a straight eight gear box?

Isuzu
Daf
Iveco (actually most Iveco ones are slab over ones)
Audi
Volvo, (most volvo ones are splitter boxes)
Hino,

etc...

They are LGV/ HGV boxes...

I am most likely going with a daf or Isuzu gearbox..
Maybe Hino as they share many Toyota parts but not sure I rather have a Isuzu or Daf...

The Isuzu one is fitted in 14 ton 4x4 trucks in Aussie and I have found it to perform very well...

 

[Dave Docwra]

I see you are going to fit a range change box, all very heavy & complex boxes for a Landcruiser, the 8 speed box fitted to a volvo will probaly be heavier then engine fitted in your cruiser.

 

[pugwash]

I beleive if you are building for an overland trip with lots of pot holed roads the auto will be more reliable..

Fully agree- significantly better off road too- at low speed, high speed and in climbs. THe only place its worst is on descents where you are realistically forced to cadence brake.

A well cooled auto really will never go wrong and should last hundreds of thousands of miles.

Tom Sheppard (he of Vehicle Dependant Expedition Guide) is also an auto convert for overlanding.

 

[Ian Rubie]

I always find peoples gearbox views interesting, it usually seems about 50:50 on the auto:man split. I have both an auto and a manual 80. The auto has an extreme valve body kit fitted. I have taken both on overland trips to Libya and prefer the manual.

Ian

 

[Brett]

I've never owned an auto Landcruiser but have driven them & also previously owned an auto discovery, wife has got an auto Range Rover as well. I specifically wanted a 24 valve manual when I bought the 80.

The thing that puts me off using an auto for overlanding is if it does go wrong, what are the chances of getting it fixed if you are somewhere remote? At least with a manual box you'd have a chance of getting it repaired by a village mechanic.

 

[Julian Voelcker]

At least with a manual box you'd have a chance of getting it repaired by a village mechanic.

That is good in theory, but in reality would a village mechanic be able to fix it? - if the gearbox decided to shred some teeth you are just as stuck with the manual as you would be with an Auto.

Gearboxes aren't the sort of thing that you can fix with a hammer and a bit of baler twine, to get them fixed properly you would need a specialist.

 

[Brett]

At least with a manual box you'd have a chance of getting it repaired by a village mechanic.

That is good in theory, but in reality would a village mechanic be able to fix it? - if the gearbox decided to shred some teeth you are just as stuck with the manual as you would be with an Auto.

Gearboxes aren't the sort of thing that you can fix with a hammer and a bit of baler twine, to get them fixed properly you would need a specialist.

True, but the odds are that any bush mechanic would be more likely able to repair a manual gearbox than an auto as long as you could get hold of parts.