VK 4 speed

[jakbob]

According to the book "How to restore your commodore", the only 4 speed box to come out in the vk is the mc6 torquemaster. I believe this to be the 'Filipino box' However the bloke who sold me my vk told me it had the aussie 4 speed, which i believe is the m20/m21/m22. I have since seen several other vks for sale and such, claiming to have aussie 4 speeds. So is the mc6 an aussie box too, or have people just swapped m20s into their vks? I'd crawl under mine and check, only its 200kms away at the moment at my folks place.
Cheers

[DANNY8]

I'd assume the only VK's with the aussie 4 speed boxes are the manual 5.0L's. All the manual 6's used the borg warner M76 5spd I rekon.

[Pav]

My old VK 6cyl manual had a 4 speed box in it, so what does it mean whether it is aussie or filipino?

[DANNY8]

The aussies have the linkages on the side of the box, the MC6 (torquemaster/filipino) just have the shifter which goes in the top of the box.

[Tom_1569]

The manual 6cyl boxes were the mc6 (4 speed, philipino box) and the m76 (5speed), both boxes are weak as shit.
The confusion of calling them an Aussie 4-speed is from the shift pattern i believe, as they share the same shift pattern as an Aussie 4-speed, but thats about it. The shifters themselves are different as Danny said, the VK boxes both go straight into the box (note the mc6 and m76 use different style of shifters, just similar design) where the aussie use linkages.

I would bet your box is an MC6, I doubt anyone would change it, but its quite possible. Chuck up some photos of the box and we will soon tell you, or if you pull the rubber bits off the shifter, see if its goes straight into the box or has linkages. If its goes straight into the box but has a spring design then its a Borg warner box (but I think these were only available as a 5 speed.)

[jakbob]

Thanks for your replies
Well it is a 4 speed, I can say that with certainty, so I guess it is a torquemaster, but like i said, the car is 200kms away so i can't check right now, but i am going up there this weekend so I will check and maybe take some photos.

[Pav]

So is the 5L manual gearbox any different to the 6cyl one?

[DANNY8]

Yeah, coz the 5.0L would prolly blow the MC6 and M76 to bits pretty easilly. The manual 5.0L's would run the aussie 4spd.

[vkberlina]

If you check your complience plate for transmission you will find out what it left holden with.
Due to the fact the MC6 & M76 boxes are so weak when they break it has been common practice to replace them with an Aussie 4 speed usually an M20 for the 6cyl boxes.

Easy way to tell what you have...
Inside car the MC6 & M76 (obvious you have a 5th gear on that one) usually have a tapered shifter with rubber dampener inside. The Aussie 4 speed have a straight shifter not tapered with a metal barrel with a rubber in it as a dampener where the shifter fits the linkages.

Under car
The Aussie 4 speed has external linkages the Mc6 & M76 have internal.

cheers
Scott

[Pav]

Damn, so what you reckon would be a good box (cheap and easy to find) for a manual conversion for the 5L?

[jakbob]

Well I crawled under my car and sure enough its a crappy old MC6. I'll just have to find a supra or celica box for it.

[vkberlina]

Berfore you look at the supra or celica box consider a T5 they are getting cheap now esp out of 6cyl falcons and ate pretty well the same box and the holden T5.

cheers
Scott

[jakbob]

So would fitting a ford t5 be as easy as getting the conversion kit from CRS for the holden t5? Or would I need anything different?

[vkberlina]

I know someone who is fitting a ford 6cyl 5 speed behind a 5L. They are similar to the old aussie 4 speed when the gearbox bolts up to a separate bellhousing to talk to dellows or CRS about an adapter plate or complete bellhousing. The are basically the same box with many interchangable parts.
The big advantage IMO is that you will keep a cable clutch and the leverage on the clutch fork will feel just like it was put in from factory.

Personally I prefer a cable unassisted clutch over the hydrolic ones on the supra boxes.

cheers
Scott

[Amped]

i bought a vk years ago with a four speed box when i pulled the motor and box out i found out it was an aussie 4 with a castlemain rod shop bell housing on it