Madkaw Posted September 29, 2019 Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 I’ve been reading until my eyes burn, but still have questions . I have a 5/83 4WD . Currently using a 2WD trans that works great , but leaks at the center plate. I have a chance to get a late 80’s 71c trans. It measures 30” approx. Of course my truck has the 26” trans. So I know these trucks ran both short and long trans. The floor hole is the easy part for the shifter. My understanding from reading is that I will have to: shorten the DS to the transfer case- but are the splines the same ? adapt the trans crossmember to use the 71C Should bolt straight up if the trans was from the Z motor?! Bell housing is interchange also if need be? Id be willing to make a custom DS to use the better trans . Being so short will it cause issues? Anyone have this combo? 1 Quote Link to comment
bottomwatcher Posted September 29, 2019 Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 Yep! Been running it 15 years no issue and that was after 4b failures. Splines the same. Shorten driveshaft, back in the day cost me $100. Did have to trim the shifter hole and make a simple adapter from 1/2" plate and 1/2" spacers to drop the crossmember so driveshaft was stock but that was basically it. 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted September 29, 2019 Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 25 minutes ago, Madkaw said: Should bolt straight up if the trans was from the Z motor?! Bell housing is interchange also if need be? It will 'bolt right up' if the 71C is from another Z24i or either KA series engines. Too much machine work to swap a front case unless desperate. Z and KA engines use the same bolt pattern and orientation. 1 Quote Link to comment
Madkaw Posted September 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 9 hours ago, bottomwatcher said: Yep! Been running it 15 years no issue and that was after 4b failures. Splines the same. Shorten driveshaft, back in the day cost me $100. Did have to trim the shifter hole and make a simple adapter from 1/2" plate and 1/2" spacers to drop the crossmember so driveshaft was stock but that was basically it. So the adapter was to lower crossmember because the trans is actually bigger in diameter ? I’m also figuring the non of the holes lined up for the crossmember ? I’m used to this process since I put a T-5 in my early Z . 1 Quote Link to comment
Madkaw Posted September 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 9 hours ago, datzenmike said: It will 'bolt right up' if the 71C is from another Z24i or either KA series engines. Too much machine work to swap a front case unless desperate. Z and KA engines use the same bolt pattern and orientation. That’s what I read , so that’s why I am jumping on this trans 71C 1 Quote Link to comment
Madkaw Posted September 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 9 hours ago, bottomwatcher said: Yep! Been running it 15 years no issue and that was after 4b failures. Splines the same. Shorten driveshaft, back in the day cost me $100. Did have to trim the shifter hole and make a simple adapter from 1/2" plate and 1/2" spacers to drop the crossmember so driveshaft was stock but that was basically it. Trimming shifter hole since the 71c is even longer than the long 71 B ? Can you use the long shifter console from the 720 ? 1 Quote Link to comment
bottomwatcher Posted September 29, 2019 Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 Shifter is fwd but new lever allows shifting without leaning forward. Console, steel adapter to line up trans mounting holes with trans crossmember. Then the spacers to drop crossmember so trans sits at stock level. I have pics but they won't upload right now. Will try later 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted September 29, 2019 Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 6 hours ago, Madkaw said: Trimming shifter hole since the 71c is even longer than the long 71 B ? Can you use the long shifter console from the 720 ? The 71C from a 240sx is longer than a long 71B but the truck 71C is slightly shorter than the 71B. S13 (240sx) top (34-35" long) and D21 Hardbody (30"?) bottom 1 Quote Link to comment
bottomwatcher Posted September 29, 2019 Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 1 Quote Link to comment
Madkaw Posted September 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 Thanks for the pics . It’s kind of a bummer that the shifter doesn’t fit better in the console . I actually thought it would the other way around . Hate to cut my console up but hate more to have transmission issues . It is a truck transmission so it will be the 30” type . 1 Quote Link to comment
Madkaw Posted September 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 6 hours ago, bottomwatcher said: Shifter is fwd but new lever allows shifting without leaning forward. Console, steel adapter to line up trans mounting holes with trans crossmember. Then the spacers to drop crossmember so trans sits at stock level. I have pics but they won't upload right now. Will try later Is that the long console you cut up? 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted September 29, 2019 Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 There is a console without that small package or coin tray ahead of the shifter hole. This.... is what you need. 1 Quote Link to comment
bottomwatcher Posted September 29, 2019 Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 Yep that would be a lot better. What did that come out of Mike? I always intended to build something better. Someday! 1 Quote Link to comment
Madkaw Posted September 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 1 hour ago, datzenmike said: There is a console without that small package or coin tray ahead of the shifter hole. This.... is what you need. That what I have ! 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted September 29, 2019 Report Share Posted September 29, 2019 1 hour ago, bottomwatcher said: Yep that would be a lot better. What did that come out of Mike? I always intended to build something better. Someday! That is simply the short 720 console. It came in any 720 with the short trans, so its easily found in most 4x4. 1 Quote Link to comment
bottomwatcher Posted September 30, 2019 Report Share Posted September 30, 2019 Easily found! I hadn't seen another 720 like mine in 15 years in Florida. Now that I dragged the old girl up to Maine I can't get gas without someone running up and saying I had one but haven't seen one in 20yrs. My buddy has a junkyard where I got my KAe from. He keeps an eye out for anything 720. They are long gone! Nothing here on the east coast! No worries the old girl will spend the "salt days" snug as bug in my shop until spring! 1 Quote Link to comment
Madkaw Posted September 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2019 17 minutes ago, bottomwatcher said: Easily found! I hadn't seen another 720 like mine in 15 years in Florida. Now that I dragged the old girl up to Maine I can't get gas without someone running up and saying I had one but haven't seen one in 20yrs. My buddy has a junkyard where I got my KAe from. He keeps an eye out for anything 720. They are long gone! Nothing here on the east coast! No worries the old girl will spend the "salt days" snug as bug in my shop until spring! There’s a guy parting out one here that has the short console . I might grab it when I get some other stuff from him . 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted September 30, 2019 Report Share Posted September 30, 2019 What color short console do you need sir? Quote Link to comment
Madkaw Posted July 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2021 On 9/29/2019 at 9:20 AM, bottomwatcher said: Shifter is fwd but new lever allows shifting without leaning forward. Console, steel adapter to line up trans mounting holes with trans crossmember. Then the spacers to drop crossmember so trans sits at stock level. I have pics but they won't upload right now. Will try later Reviving this thread in hopes you can load up pics of your trans adapter mount ?! About ready to this swap . What’s odd is other research I’ve done has shown the shifter moving rear - not forward . Measuring the shifter is definitely further back on the C compared to B . Quote Link to comment
bottomwatcher Posted July 13, 2021 Report Share Posted July 13, 2021 Definitely fwd on mine. The shifter comes out of the top of the trans on the C not the end like the B. Quote Link to comment
bottomwatcher Posted July 13, 2021 Report Share Posted July 13, 2021 (edited) This is my spare C. Went through so many Bs I got nervous and grabbed a spare C. The C I put in probably about 18 years ago still going strong Edited July 13, 2021 by bottomwatcher Misspelling Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 13, 2021 Report Share Posted July 13, 2021 There are two lengths of 71c. D21 is shorter than 720 trans, 240sx is longer than 720 trans. Quote Link to comment
bottomwatcher Posted July 13, 2021 Report Share Posted July 13, 2021 Trans "adapter" was a piece of steel plate which I drilled to bolt to crossmember. Then drilled and bolted the trans to the plate. Then put spacers the same thickness between the crossmember on the frame dropping it so the trans ended up the exact elevation it started as. Hope this makes sense. Quote Link to comment
Madkaw Posted July 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2021 1 hour ago, bottomwatcher said: Trans "adapter" was a piece of steel plate which I drilled to bolt to crossmember. Then drilled and bolted the trans to the plate. Then put spacers the same thickness between the crossmember on the frame dropping it so the trans ended up the exact elevation it started as. Hope this makes sense. Thanks . So that pic is looking from the rear to front ? Quote Link to comment
Madkaw Posted July 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2021 1 hour ago, Lockleaf said: There are two lengths of 71c. D21 is shorter than 720 trans, 240sx is longer than 720 trans. This trans came from an 89 d21 Quote Link to comment
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