Which transmission?

[link]

Ok, hypothetical situation..

You have a nearly complete D sitting in your garage, motor ready to go.
But you dont have a transmission. Ignoring stock trannys, what 5 speed tranny would be most easily adaptable to the frame/axles?

I'm looking at porsche but i dont have the ability to measure different trans axle/bellhousing distances.

[DMC-81]

Ok, hypothetical situation..

You have a nearly complete D sitting in your garage, motor ready to go.
But you dont have a transmission. Ignoring stock trannys, what 5 speed tranny would be most easily adaptable to the frame/axles?

I'm looking at porsche but i dont have the ability to measure different trans axle/bellhousing distances.

Is it a PRV engine?

[Ethan Rode]

Why would you ignore the stock transaxle?

It's an excellent gearbox, and there wouldn't be any adaptation needed, if you were using a PRV. Even some of the V8 guys are using a UN1. Doesn't seem likely that you'd save any money by going with a G96, or Subaru, and you'd end up with gearing that may not suit the car.

What are you trying to achieve?

[link]

Its any engine that might be accessible to me. Im shying away from prv and stock gearbox due to price and accessibility. I dont actually have this hypothetical car/engine so im looking for info that might lead to something I can achieve.

[Rich]

Trying to nail down your top 3 or 4 criteria.

So you don't have a transmission or an engine chosen yet. And you're on a tight budget.

Do you also need the car to pass any safety/emissions regs when this is done?

[link]

Trying to nail down your top 3 or 4 criteria.

So you don't have a transmission or an engine chosen yet. And you're on a tight budget.

Do you also need the car to pass any safety/emissions regs when this is done?

No. And im not worried about cost of fabricating custom mounts or adapters because I can do it myself.

[Nicholas R]

This question can't be answered without more information, like: What engine are you attaching to? Obviously the power you're trying to manage is the biggest consideration.

In general, these are your transmission options:
-Stock/Renault
-Porsche 915
-Porsche G50
-Porsche G96
-Subaru TY series

Stock is by far the easiest to work with for obvious reasons.

The others each have their own difficulties and considerations to be managed.

[link]

This question can't be answered without more information, like: What engine are you attaching to? Obviously the power you're trying to manage is the biggest consideration.

In general, these are your transmission options:
-Stock/Renault
-Porsche 915
-Porsche G50
-Porsche G96
-Subaru TY series

Stock is by far the easiest to work with for obvious reasons.

The others each have their own difficulties and considerations to be managed.

That is wonderful information. The only one near my price range seems to be the subaru. I was considering a nissan 4 cylinder, since im familiar with them, and own two. I would love a stock trans but I doubt anyone is selling one for like 300 bucks.

[link]

also, how would you go about reversing the subaru transmission? since it is initially a front engine, it would be backwards.

(sorry i tried to edit my other post but i cant find the button.)

[ramblinmike]

also, how would you go about reversing the subaru transmission? since it is initially a front engine, it would be backwards.

(sorry i tried to edit my other post but i cant find the button.)

Check out www.subarugears.com (http://subarugears.com/Pricing/Pricing.html)

[dn010]

The limited info you're providing in this thread is making it difficult to help you. Are you saying you want to use your Nissan engine and your budget for a transmission is ~$300? You realize aside from all the adapters that you'll need to make for mounting, shift cable mounting, etc you'll also need to figure out how to manage all the electronics on the engine in order to adapt it to the rest of the car. Wiring, coolant pipes, ECU, exhaust, air intake and filter, AC etc and then there are the driveshafts to figure out, clutch hydraulics and all that other fun stuff. $$$ and a car that will sit for a long time if you have a low budget.

[link]

The limited info you're providing in this thread is making it difficult to help you. Are you saying you want to use your Nissan engine and your budget for a transmission is ~$300? You realize aside from all the adapters that you'll need to make for mounting, shift cable mounting, etc you'll also need to figure out how to manage all the electronics on the engine in order to adapt it to the rest of the car. Wiring, coolant pipes, ECU, exhaust, air intake and filter, AC etc and then there are the driveshafts to figure out, clutch hydraulics and all that other fun stuff. $$$ and a car that will sit for a long time if you have a low budget.

Im being vague because im just trying to gather info on a potential drivetrain for a car i want to build in the future. Nothing is set in stone apart from that i can make anything i need and im not able to spend a ton of cash. If a usable trans cost me 800 bucks then ill be willing to do it. Regardless if its subaru or porsche or prv. Whatever it takes to have a functioning system.

[Josh]

Stay away from subarugears.

I am putting 314hp and 348 lbft to the wheels and I could not keep them in my car.
Over the course of just over a year the transmission failed three times.

I was in close contact with Todd from subarugears, and he could find no flaws with my rebuild practices. I even had the third rebuild professionally supervised and it still failed in about 1000 miles of easy, careful driving with a break in.
The ring and pinion were essentially disintegrating. I feel they are not hardened properly but I never had the chance to take them to the university to get tested.
I had to custom make shims to get the backlash to setup half-decent (was not possible to make it perfect with the Subaru gears design). I also had to do further machining on the Pinion Subarugears sent me because it simply would not fit otherwise. When I confronted Subaru gears about this they told me I was the only one with this problem, but yet I had a few second opinions on the matter and we all found the once step OD was so large it caused the bearings to bind, and another step was so large it did not allow the proper range of backlash adjustment. This was for the 6 speed kit. Im sure the 5 speeds are better sussed out but this shows poor quality control/design.
Furthermore, how they reverse these gearboxes required removing a lot of the structure of the case half on the one side and promotes flexing, something slit case transmissions are prone to at the best of times.
Another huge oversight with this setup is the ring gear is cut in the wrong direction. After rebuilding with the subarugears parts you are driving off the coast side of the ring gear. This is the weaker side and not common practice.

If you want to repower an old VW, subarugears is great. If you actually want to use it in a performance application you will have long term issues at the very least.

I STRONGLY discourage using a reversed subaru gearbox in our application, I have since moved onto a Porsche G96 which I feel is a great compromise of strength and cost if you are starting from scratch. With that being said, If your car is already a 5 speed, the stock renault transmission with an upgraded coupler can handle 300lb ft with some sensible driving and will not break the bank.

I have run the stock transmission, Subaru TY, and the G96 in my cars and others I have been involved with for many thousands of miles each. I have quite a bit of time and money invested into seeing what works. I hope you find my experiences helpful.
I will be pretty sad if another subaru gearbox finds its way into a delorean.

http://i.imgur.com/yRUpFTPh.jpg (https://imgur.com/yRUpFTP)
http://i.imgur.com/qvvrupKh.jpg (https://imgur.com/qvvrupK)

[Josh]

The limited info you're providing in this thread is making it difficult to help you. Are you saying you want to use your Nissan engine and your budget for a transmission is ~$300? You realize aside from all the adapters that you'll need to make for mounting, shift cable mounting, etc you'll also need to figure out how to manage all the electronics on the engine in order to adapt it to the rest of the car. Wiring, coolant pipes, ECU, exhaust, air intake and filter, AC etc and then there are the driveshafts to figure out, clutch hydraulics and all that other fun stuff. $$$ and a car that will sit for a long time if you have a low budget.

I also second this strongly.

[link]

Thats great, thanks for your input. Seeing as porsche trans are floating around 3k on ebay, i guess a stock trans would probably be my best bet. What would i be looking to spend on one? And why did you decide to not use stock with your LS? Im not looking for anything over 200hp btw. I just want to have a running daily.

[David T]

Say what you will about the Renault 5 speed but in a Lotus they handle over 300 HP and can live a long life as long as you don't flog it to death dropping the clutch to race it like a dragster. While you may pay more than you want to get one, once you do, you are a long way towards powering the car. Fitting any other transaxle will require a LOT of modifications. While you may be able to make a lot of the parts yourself it still takes time. I have seen all too many projects unfinished because it turned out to be a much bigger project then expected.

[dn010]

I dont actually have this hypothetical car

I think the least of your worries is what transmission will fit if this is your case.

[link]

I think the least of your worries is what transmission will fit if this is your case.

How incredibly unhelpful. Thanks.

[dn010]

How incredibly unhelpful. Thanks.

My point is if you don't even have a car to start with yet, you have no idea what you'll need. DeLoreans aren't like old mustangs where you can have your pick from dozens of them without drivetrains. Most times you find a "cheap" project D it will have everything you'll need as far as the drivetrain, just in poor condition or not running. If you don't have the car it is hard to plan ahead when you don't have anything to base your needs off of, nothing to measure, nothing to work with. I'm not trying to be an ass but it's like asking what color to paint your living room but you don't have a house yet.

[link]

Yes i understand. However the first step is to decide what engine and trans are accessible to me because i plan on making a frame from scratch and it would benefit me to know what drivetrain i need to fabricate for.

[dn010]

I can honestly say, I didn't see that one coming.

[white out]

The Subaru community regards the 5 speed as made of glass. Not sure why anyone would want to 'upgrade' to that transmission.

[David T]

The Subaru community regards the 5 speed as made of glass. Not sure why anyone would want to 'upgrade' to that transmission.

Maybe because it is cheap?

[link]

i guess ill just keep an eye out for a prv transmission on here.

[Nicholas R]

Thats great, thanks for your input. Seeing as porsche trans are floating around 3k on ebay, i guess a stock trans would probably be my best bet. What would i be looking to spend on one? And why did you decide to not use stock with your LS? Im not looking for anything over 200hp btw. I just want to have a running daily.


i guess ill just keep an eye out for a prv transmission on here.

I'm totally confused; why are you thinking you're going to need to buy a renault gearbox on its own? If the transmission is such a key part of this plan you're hatching, why cant you just be sure that whatever car you buy is a manual? The majority of cars had manual transmissions anyway so it shouldnt be that hard.


Yes i understand. However the first step is to decide what engine and trans are accessible to me because i plan on making a frame from scratch and it would benefit me to know what drivetrain i need to fabricate for.

What?? I'm not even sure what to ask at this point. What is wrong with the original frame? And you've repeatedly said you dont want to spend a lot of money, yet you want to spend the time and money building a custom frame? Nothing about this plan is adding up.

Do you have a line on a DeLorean body somewhere that has no chassis at all that you're hoping to turn into a car? Because that's about the only possible explanation I can think of. Even still, you'd be better off using original parts, especially if your target is a drivetrain with 200hp. I've put down 424hp at the rear wheels with my original (and unmodified) framed car with a modified original gearbox connected to my LS1. I'm in the territory where I should really be considering using a porsche gearbox, but even still, I have had no issue pulling full throttle on the dyno.

[Mark D]

The Subaru community regards the 5 speed as made of glass. Not sure why anyone would want to 'upgrade' to that transmission.

This video comes to mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxNZFFdgfac

[CFI]

This video comes to mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxNZFFdgfac

I know that for some people, tinkering is their hobby. They are perfectly content spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to “improve” their cars. I am so glad I find none of that interesting. I much prefer driving my car, however “slow” it may be.

[Mark D]

Even if you're not into tinkering with your own car it's still entertaining to watch. Mighty Car Mods has been one of my favorite youtube channels for about 10 years now. Speaking of subaru gearbox explosions...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26D_r3urzN4?t=1088

[Josh]

Maybe because it is cheap?

Its not cheap when you need to rebuild it with $1900 worth of parts not including seals and labor.

[at88mph]

I Haven't read EVERYTHING in the thread bc I'm lazy like that but, I have a 915 in mine and if you're mating it to the stock PRV, it will easily handle it however, I don't know of anyone who makes a bellhousing for a Porsche/Volvo setup so you'd have to more than likely custom make that. If you're looking to do a engine swap, the Chevy 4.3 and 915 are a good reliable combo and you can find bellhousings. If you're wanting to go LSx I would recommend looking at the G50 instead of the 915. You can also find bellhousings for this swap as well. ALL that to say, without any other info, my suggestion is go with a Porsche transaxle.

[Josh]

Since we are pitching opinions.

the 4.3L is not a great engine. (unless we are talking GenV 2014 or newer)
The 915 is a very dated transaxle.
the G50 is also dated, but a good transaxle. However they are extremely expensive.

[at88mph]

Since we are pitching opinions.

the 4.3L is not a great engine. (unless we are talking GenV 2014 or newer)
The 915 is a very dated transaxle..

Easy now!! :cheers: Yea, I know the 4.3 isn't a power house BUT it is dependable (believe me,when I did my swap, I wanted so bad to put in the spare LS6 I had in it but) at the time my DMC was an auto so NO WAY it was fitting with the massive bellhousing. My goal AT THAT TIME tho was dependability more so than power (at least that's what I told myself at the time bc I couldn't get the LS6 in there :rofl: ) and back in 2001 there weren't any LSx swaps done. Just one other older 4.3, Buick, and an old carb Chevy V8 swap which were all done in manual cars. If/when the 4.3 dies, I will convert to a G50/LSx but I've been saying that for over 18 years now and the 4.3 is still strong and dependable and I actually get to drive and enjoy the car.200hp in a D is fun....granted not as fun as 400+ but....still...also another point about the lesser 4.3 is if I was to blow it up, I could pick up a vin Z or W for easily under $1k where even the used good LSx's are still going for $2.5k+.

[link]

I Haven't read EVERYTHING in the thread bc I'm lazy like that but, I have a 915 in mine and if you're mating it to the stock PRV, it will easily handle it however, I don't know of anyone who makes a bellhousing for a Porsche/Volvo setup so you'd have to more than likely custom make that. If you're looking to do a engine swap, the Chevy 4.3 and 915 are a good reliable combo and you can find bellhousings. If you're wanting to go LSx I would recommend looking at the G50 instead of the 915. You can also find bellhousings for this swap as well. ALL that to say, without any other info, my suggestion is go with a Porsche transaxle.

thank you, i'll take that into consideration. i'm trying to go as cheap as i can, cause if i wasn't i would just straight up buy a running D, but i don't have that luxury.

[David T]

thank you, i'll take that into consideration. i'm trying to go as cheap as i can, cause if i wasn't i would just straight up buy a running D, but i don't have that luxury.

After all is said and done, buying a running "D" will be the cheapest way to go to get a running car. Once you start modifying, any budget goes "out the window". 1/2 way through you don't have the option to quit because you blew the budget.

[steve]

Its like beating a dead horse.:8ball:

[link]

Its like beating a dead horse.:8ball:

what is?

[Ron]

After all is said and done, buying a running "D" will be the cheapest way to go to get a running car. Once you start modifying, any budget goes "out the window". 1/2 way through you don't have the option to quit because you blew the budget.
:hihi2: