D21 Gearbox Help

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MWH78

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I have a 90 2.7 diesel Navara which has needed a new clutch for a while now. Sent it off to the mechanics and when pulled apart found that the front bearing of the gearbox is in a few pieces and the gearbox is pretty much stuffed. Got a rather scary quote to rebuild it so am now on the lookout for another box. Can i use a gearbox from a similar age petrol or does it have to be a diesel box? Can i use a later model gearbox in it or does it have to be from the early d21 shape?
Thanks for any help anyone can give me
 
G'day mate. You're in luck, the FS5W71C gearbox came in wheaties boxes for a while there. Here is a small selection of the vehicles which share it, and come to mind at the present second:
- D22 navara with the ZD30
- all petrol and diesel D21s except the V6
- Urvan
- WD21 pathfinder
- one of the pintaras
- I'm hazy on this one, but VL commodores I'm sure have a variant
There's more but I can't remember.

4x4 I assume?

What you will find is that the internals are common, but the casings can be different. Locate a box from one of the aforementioned and check if you can swap bellhousings, then you'll be sweet. What's your time frame?

These gearboxes suffer bearing damage when used to tow or haul a load in fifth gear.
 
Yes it is a 4x4 2inch lift, mud tyres, extractors all the usual stuff. Started leaking gearbox oil when it was pulled apart to change the seal most of the bearings from the front main input shaft bearing were missing and pretty much all the gears were pretty noisy so its pretty much stuffed. I am keen to get it on the road asap as my wife has to drive around my v8 fairlane at the moment which isnt the best. Found a D22 turbo diesel wrecking in the trading post (not sure what year though) would that box suit, also know of an earlier model petrol (late eighties) that by the sound of it might also suit. Sorry if these are stupid questions but I dont really know all that much about Navaras, pretty much had nothing but Hiluxs before this.
 
If you're in Victoria I have two sitting in storage, you can have one (I need to keep one for when the same happens to me :big_smile:) or at least check what will bolt together. Only problem is I'm away for work from tomorrow till Thursday night which doesn't suit your timeframe.

The ones you've found both share gearbox model numbers, but as I said, the bellhousing is always different so it's a matter of "will my bellhousing fit on that gearbox?", which you can only confirm by putting them side by side.
 
Thanks for your help mate, I am in Queensland so although it tempting its a bit of a long drive lol. So would my best bet be to unbolt my bellhousing and bring it with me when I go and have a look at the couple of gearboxes I have found and If my bellhousing bolts onto the replacement gearbox it should be ok?
 
Yeah mate. Also be aware of the bolt pattern where it mates with the transfer case. Good luck with finding what you need. :top:
 
Make sure it's a gearbox from a 4WD. A lot of 2WD cars (like pintaras, mentioned above, and the 300ZX) also used the gearbox, but the back is different - married transfer case.
And early Nissan 4WDs (like the 720) used the 2WD gear box, with an unmarried gear box. Also no good.
 
G'day mate. You're in luck, the FS5W71C gearbox came in wheaties boxes for a while there. Here is a small selection of the vehicles which share it, and come to mind at the present second:
- D22 navara with the ZD30
- all petrol and diesel D21s except the V6
- Urvan
- WD21 pathfinder
- one of the pintaras
- I'm hazy on this one, but VL commodores I'm sure have a variant
There's more but I can't remember.

4x4 I assume?

What you will find is that the internals are common, but the casings can be different. Locate a box from one of the aforementioned and check if you can swap bellhousings, then you'll be sweet. What's your time frame?

These gearboxes suffer bearing damage when used to tow or haul a load in fifth gear.

ZD30 gearbox is the 30 series, similar to a Patrol gearbox, ZD30DDT would destroy that gearbox above in no time. Same gearbox used with the VG30E, VG33E, QD32, TD27T and the YD25DDTI and the CRD varient.

TD25 and TD27 use the FS5W71C in non turbo form if my memory serves me right. KA24E/KA24DE, Z24, NA20 use this box aswell.

Dave.
 
Got a box today from 86 model petrol, both bellhousings have different numbers on them but the gearbox has the same number as my diesel gearbox. Removed the petrol bellhousing and swapped my diesel one onto it which bolted up perfectly. Gears and syncros all look heaps better than my box so hopefully will be all good. Going to try and fit it all up this week. Those torsion bars are a pain to unbolt from the front (especailly on the passenger side, lying in the dirt at the wreckers).
 
Box is in just need to put it all back together now (torsion bars, tail shaft exhaust, etc). What grade of gearbox oil should I run in it (I assume the gearbox has a few K's on it so I am thinking a little thicker might help quiet things down a bit)?
 
Now got a new problem, finished bolting everything together, went to strart it and motor wound over real slowly then flat battery. Put a new battery in and motor turns over but is doing so really slowly and sounds like its under alot of stain. I assume I have not installed something properly or something is not quite lined up right any ideas what it might be? Put it into 5th and hit the key and car jumps forwards like you would expect so I assume it cant be too far off. Any help would be greatly appreciated as its really starting to give me the shits (Been off the road all up for about a month now).
 
In gear, clutch in, give it a push. See if it is harder to push than out of gear clutch out.
 
Out of gear clutch out really easy to push
In gear clutch in really hard to push
I am guessing I have stuffed something up. When I try to start the car out of gear or with the clutch in as mentioned it turns over extremely slowly but doesnt move at all. If i start it in gear with the clutch out it jumps forwards like you would expect. If you have any idea what I have stuffed up I would be forever in your debt lol.
 
Did you try to turn the shaft of the gearbox before you put it in? Could you hand turn it? Did you have the gearbox open at any stage or just change transfer and bellhousing? I think you mentioned the internals looked good so I guess you've had it open? List any internals you undid/loosened/tightened?

If you didn't have it open and it turned before, you've got a clutch issue and I'd be thinking slave cylinder dodgy or hydraulics low on fluid, but in that case you'd be able to turn the engine over easily with the car out of gear.
 
The gearbox turned over smoothly before it was put into the car, I changed the front seal in the gearbox and bellhousing was chagned over. I was wondering if it wasnt lined up properly when the gearbox was bolted in if it may have forced the clutch against the flywheel, cause when it was bolted up tight is when it seemed to lock up . I am guessing its gotta come out again by the look of it.
 
Yep, bring it out again, make sure you can spin the shaft by hand, then reinstall aligned and double check the clutch is as it should be. Sorry you have to go through it again! :suicide:
 
making progress now, loosened the gearbox bolts and tried to start the motor and it started first kick. When i tighten it up again it gets really noisy from within the clutch. When the clutch is pushed in the noise goes away and when released it gets really noisy, so i assume something in not lined up or not in the right spot. Going to pull it out tomorrow and have a look.
 
Oh right. That's interesting.

Mine has a bit of gear rattle in neutral, clutch out, but it's not really noisy, you can just hear it from the cab. I'm told it's nothing to really worry about.
 

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