Hi all,

I've had it with my old Moss Box(ed) Mark 2. Keeps jumping outa 2nd and generally the shifting is a PITA.
Can anyone advise which 5 speed conversion is better? Choices I have are Getrag or Tremec. I realise a new bell housing is required.
Many thanks for any advice.

Pete.

 

There are two other options.

My subjective impression is that the Jaguar all sync with overdrive (from a Mk2, 240, or 340) is at least as pleasant in use as the Getrag and the Tremec. It can be installed without modifications to drive shafts or adaptor plates and it's OE. It has nice sporty ratios and a good action, especially if you shorten the gear stick a couple of inches. It should also work out much less costly. The gearboxes you'd want have prefixes JCN or KCN.

If I'm not going OE. I want something that's very good, which I think would be the Aisin W58 from the Toyota Supra, a superb change and it saves a lot of weight. They are becoming scarce here in Britain, but perhaps not in Aus. Be sure the box is a W58 as some suppliers are offering the very similar W59. The W59 is a truck gearbox with ratios that are, in my opinion, far too wide for a sports saloon.

 

Hello Pete and Peter (repeat ???),

I confess to being a trifle confused. Moss box in a MkII?
I thought the Moss box (no synchro on 1st) ended with the 2.4/3.4 as per my avatar.
Perhaps not all MIIs had the all-synchro box?
My '65 S Type certainly did . . .

In any event, rebuilding these boxes with new needle rollers, synchro rings, *****, springs and pins is an affordable, if fiddly, DIY job.

The first box rebuild I did back in late 60s was on the car in my avatar. Not simple; no short cuts, but easy-peasy! Advantages are return to silky smooth changes, positive engagements, OEM preservation of value, and minimal expense . . . added to which, unless car is a daily driver, it is a great couple of evenings' work that will boost your confidence in maintaining your special Jaguar.

Cheers and best wishes,

 

Hi there Peter & Ken, thanks for your suggestions.

Unfortunately, I have had no luck sourcing a JCN/ KCN. Jagwaar gearbox in Oz at a sensible price.
I was offered a reconditioned one @ $7,000, so with that in mind I figured an after-market box would be a better buy, hence Tremec etc.
And I'm getting picky & want synchro on first if I'm gonna go to all the trouble of replacement.
FYI my '62 model came with a slush-box, so there is plenty of room for the conversion.
I acquired the Moss box as a part of a package deal when I originally bought the car as a non-runner project for around $7 grand.
Since then, I've spent a motza on it, new wires, new upholstery, full respray etc etc.
The downside is I may have to sell the veehical, wifey says I have too many cars and I figure a divorce would cost slightly more.

Thanks again for the replies.

Pete

 

The all sync didn't arrive until the mid 1960s. The first E types and S types used the Moss box. The Mk2 was the last model to receive the all sync. I never had a problem with the lack of synchronisation of first gear in the Moss box. Sometimes I'd hit a notch going from second to third. I would have stuck with it but I saw a KCN at £400. The going rate in the UK for all sync boxes with o/d is more like £1200 on eBay. A Moss box is less than half that. I was lucky with the KCN because it was advertised as a 240 gearbox and people assume that it's weaker. In fact, it's an E type close ratio box with an overdrive added, which makes it very nice so long as you don't want to pull out tree stumps or tow a truck up hill. 😊

Incidentally, all sync boxes other than JCN or KCN can be used, but you have to either lengthen the prop shaft a little and maybe modify the rear mounting or swap the overdrive for the longer one from a Mk2 all sync.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2026!

 

E Types got the all syncro with the 4.2 in 1965, 3.8 E Types were all Moss.

If your car was built as automatic, be aware that the transmission tunnel is different between an automatic and a manual car. The automatic tunnel is wider and shorter. I have done a T5 conversion and had to do some cutting and welding at the rear of the tunnel to get the box to fit. That's partly due to the choice of transmission, I used a Ford version, and GM has the shifter in a different place. There are many version and application of the T5, it would take some research to get an appropriate one. I like the extra gear, I have a 3.77 axle and 0.73 OD, and I find that's the right combination. The T5 is a smoother and lighter box to shift than either a moss or all syncro, it can be shifted as fast as you can move the gearlever.

 

That T5 transmission is in my Mazda B3000 (Ford), and it does shift very nice.
I found the only thing that was better in my limited experience was the unit from my genuine Mazda B2200, very smooth shifting.

 

Thanks everyone for all that very useful info.
Looks like Tremec is the way to go, A firm here in Sydeney called Dellows manufacture a bell housing and supply reco'd. boxes at a reasonable price.
I acknowledge the tail shaft becomes an issue . The auto Mk2 uses a split shaft with a centre bearing. Not sure why the manual uses the normal one piece.

 

It may be that the Mexican made T5 is better than the Borg Warner versions in Mustangs and Camaros that I recall from the US in the 1990s. Apart from the extra ratio, they didn't seem nicer to use than the close ratio all sync in my friend's E type. For sure, I give all of them the edge on the Getrags in BMWs. Still, the Supra (and some other Toyotas) have the fastest, smoothest gearbox that I've come across. But all these things are subjective and come down to personal preference. Since Dellow produce conversions for several boxes and car combinations, it may be best to see what they advise and the costs involved.

 

Peter3442:
Who is "Dellow"? I want to convert my 1964 S Type BW auto to standard, preferably a T5,

 

Dellow Conversions https://share.google/191HkraSguxdGl1qC

https://dellowconversions.com.au/pro...al-bellhousing

https://dellowconversions.com.au/pro...uar-6-cylinder

Hope the links help.

 

I put a T5 in my BW automatic '66 Mk2. I took the easy but expensive route and bought the complete kit from a US company that did business as "The Driven Man" but they are really American Powertrain, a huge supplier of aftermarket gearbox conversions in the US. The kit came with the new gearbox, bell housing, flywheel (same a s 3.8). It fit perfectly and the shifter seems to be exactly where the stock would be. The center console has a cutout for the manual shifter under the plywood and leather on the automatic center console and my shifter matches that opening very nicely. The kit has a strengthened main shaft and you can pick the OD ratio. I think mine is 0.63 for very relaxed highway speeds with a 3.54 rear end.
Looking recently, the kit prices seem to be through the roof since I bought mine 6 or so years ago. Also, I was promised a gearbox mount that they never did supply. A friend helped me weld up a very sturdy bracket that use the auto box bracket mounting points. Given this, I'm not sure I can recommend the kit, especially pushing US $10k. I paid a little over half that.
HOWEVER, I am yet to actually drive the car. I took it down to a bare shell and it is nearly all back together and drivable at this point. I know first and reverse work since I back it in and out of the garage when necessary. I can't speak to the shift quality.

 

Over on the XJS forum there were not very complementary reviews of The Driven Man. Seems like they make parts to order and there were reports of quite lengthy delays with no communication.