Hi,
I need to remove the manual overdrive transmission on my 4.2 Series 1 to switch the overdrive for another unit. When I did the conversion from BW12 to manual I installed engine and trans as a unit from the top.

I know that the various Jag books advise always removing them together on S1 but is it worth trying to pull the manual trans from below? It's no problem to get an auto box out because it doesn't need much room to move back... The problem I see with the manual transmission is the starter bump in the bellhousing fouling the trans tunnel and making it hard to re-install and align the input shaft if I get it out. Looks like no room to pull back without tilting the engine considerably which can't really happen without removing the steering rack.

Anyone have any first-hand experience with doing this?

BTW I’ve pulled transmissions from below dozens of times on other cars and have the necessary jack(s) and other equipment. I just don’t wanna do it like that if it’s gonna be a major problem - Just hoping someone who's tried/done-it can weigh in.

 

Can you just remove the overdrive itself with the transmission still bolted to the engine? When I replaced the solenoid and safety switch on a Volvo M41 overdrive, I realized later that I could have simply undone the 8 or 10 bolts holding the overdrive to the transmission and slid the overdrive off backwards.

 

Hi Adrian - You're right, it can most likely can come off reasonably easily but putting it back on is a fiddly pain even under the best conditions (transmission out, sitting vertically on the bell housing). Although I'm sure it could be done I'd rather have the tranny out to do it and I also want to know if the transmission will come out from underneath for clutch and gearbox rebuild purposes as well.

As you're probably aware, manual transmission equipped S1 XJ6's are rare in North America... In fact the only one I've ever seen in person is mine and it didn't start out that way. I was hoping someone in the UK or Australia or somewhere else where more of them exist would have some insight but it really doesn't look like it can happen because of the interference of the starter bump in the bell housing. It will probably be easier to pull engine/gearbox out as a unit. Either way you gotta take out the console, radio, etc... to get at the shift lever because that's gotta come out no matter what. Nothing is ever easy

 

Rare?! Non-existent!! I'd love to get my hands on a manual donor car and convert mine, like I did with an automatic Volvo 122s, but as far as I know, and like you wrote, the vast majority are RHD. If anyone in Washington or British Columbia has a LHD manual for sale, let me know!

Definitely it easier to work on the overdrive on a bench.

 

Totally agree - this conversion has been a dream of mine for YEARS... I finally managed to get all the bits and bobs together to do it which was not easy. Had to convert a RHD pedal box to LHD with some creative pedal bending and it took ages to find the right ski-slope.

I do know a guy on another forum who has a LHD manual in the US although the car came from another country -- might have been S Africa but I'm not sure. Pics of his car were extremely helpful for me to figure out how the clutch lines were supposed to run etc...

 

I have a laycock denormanville 4 speed overdrive I'm planning on inserting into my S1 after i've welded up the rear transmission mount on it which has a large piece missing, so very interested in this post! I'm dealing with a number of other issues (was putting rear end back in yet again this afternoon, exhaust issues) but planning on pulling engine this winter and attempting to get the 4 speed and pedal in there...
Would greatly appreciate any insights from your experiences...

 

Manual XJ6's are rare in Australia too, I have seen one in person and one for sale. There is a wreck car about 400km from here with one in but the guy wants $4500. More than double what I paid for mine driveable. Seen two manual trans for sale in the last 4 years with pedal box and everything needed, $2800 & $1800. Both sold in a couple of days. Not an economically viable conversion here unless you stumble across a good deal.

 

Hi Clarke, Mine definitely wasn't economically viable considering how much their worth. I'm sure I have much more into it than I could get. Last month a Series 1 that was converted like mine sold on US ebay for only $6000 and it had real wire wheels (S3 E-type hubs will work). Mine is prettier and has triple SU's but I doubt I'd get more than $7k unfortunately.

I'm surprised I haven't gotten any responses from any old school mechanics who worked on these cars when they were daily drivers. They would definitely know if it's possible to get that gearbox out without pulling the engine.

 

I have spent most of the weekend researching manual conversion options for XJ6. Frustrating! There's a guy a few miles down the road with a T5 World Class for sale, but I have no idea if it would work since there were so many different options. I'll keep researching and maybe email a few places for info. Getting my hands on a Jag 4 speed with overdrive seems unlikely at this point.

 

A T5 World Class will definitely work but will obviously need adapting - that's where it gets more complicated. There's a company here that makes a bellhousing to adapt that transmission to a Jag XK engine which is half the battle. But then of course, you need to be sure you have one who's shifter exits in a position that's close to correct, has gear ratio's that will work well with what is probably a 3.54 rear end in your Series 1... And then you need to deal with the driveshaft.

I looked at many options as well before I got the Jag MOD. You can also use a Toyota Supra gearbox - there is a company in Australia who's name escapes me at the moment that has a kit. Getrag's from old 5 series BMW's (the kind with the separate bellhousing) have also been installed and work well.

I know of a guy from the UK who lives in the US now that may have the correct Jag gearbox in stock but you're gonna probably pay around USD $2K for the whole set-up with correct bellhousing, matching flywheel, and the slave cylinder. One of my gearboxes came from him. Condition-wise they are just good-used. Not rebuilt or reconditioned in any way.

 

Not much of this thread of late makes sense to me. If you have a series 1 or 2 and want a manual conversion, the logical way would be to go for original Jaguar parts, so retaining some degree of authenticity for a car that is now approaching 50 years old. Otherwise just slot in a 4l engine and 4 speed auto box from the later XJ40 or X300 cars. Better performance all around and still 100% Jaguar. You just cannot claim to anyone riding in your car that this is how cars drove 50 years ago, the same can be said for T5 and Supra conversions.

 

Well this thread was originally about removing a MOD Jag transmission from a Series 1 without removing the engine but it got hi-jacked a little. I still would like to hear from someone about that...

I will say however, that many of us want XJ6's with manual transmissions and since they were originally pretty rare everywhere and incredibly rare in the US it's not easy to find the necessary Jaguar parts - Jaguar ain't making new ones. Definitely easier to do it with the original stuff but those parts are becoming 'unobtanium'. Personally I couldn't possibly care less what anyone riding in my car thinks about the 50-year-old originality of the experience. To each his own however.

 

Did you read the whole thread Mekon? Yes, the logical way to go is with a Jaguar manual transmission. Problem is, they ain't around. (And for what it's worth, I'd put in a Hyundai transmission if it worked)