60 series cruiser question

[rod baker]

hi all i have an 83 cruiser as my driver with a 302xr8 ihnjected motor in it im running the original 5 speed and it has been a a bit hard to change gears baulking on second and 3rd occasionaly has done this since before i put the v8 in and it has a slight whine under aceleration as well as bad oil leaks .
I have just bought a 1985 60 series cruiser for spares and it has a different 5 speed /transfer im told and in looking the 4wd selecter is on the dash .
Which box is the better box how hard to fit the later box and what would the pros n cons be .
mechanical work and electrical work are easy i have done 3 commodore v6 looms and the ford v8 myself dont belive in buyin of the shelf gear where i can help it
and i have a fully equiped workshop with 4 post hoist and gear box jack
so any advice would be great

[dumbdunce]

same gearbox. the 4Wd activation is by a vacuum servo instead of manually, you can mix and match parts to change it back to manual shift (requires disassembly of transfer and swapping the front case and shift mechanism) or you can wire up the dash switch. don't try and extricate the wiring, it is bound up in the loom, but it is not too difficult to replicate. there are two little vacuum solenoids up on the firewall, you will need them too, and the associated plumbing, which is a bit awkward to get out.

[rod baker]

it seems to be behaving itself to some extent will try a lighter grade oil and see what happens
rod

[dumbdunce]

also remember it's more truck than car - slow smooth shifts are the go. the stick is long so even if you think you're moving your hand pretty slow, the selector is moving pretty fast. good luck!

[rod baker]

yeah i realise that i am motor vehicle builder and i am used to trucks but the old just bualks you give up on the gear usualy 3rd and go to 4th instead .I do alot of towing of cars as a sideline hence the reason for the 302 i love it 4th gear at 40ks through a round a bout and just idle away
love the old girl

[Shadow]

also remember it's more truck than car - slow smooth shifts are the go. the stick is long so even if you think you're moving your hand pretty slow, the selector is moving pretty fast. good luck!

wouldnt a shorter stick move faster than a long stick?

[dumbdunce]

also remember it's more truck than car - slow smooth shifts are the go. the stick is long so even if you think you're moving your hand pretty slow, the selector is moving pretty fast. good luck!

wouldnt a shorter stick move faster than a long stick?

if you ignore mass, force and interia, yes. fast and slow were the wrong terms to use; the long stick gives a lot of leverage, so even though you don't feel like you're applying a lot of force, the force at the selector and through the synchro is quite high. force is what determines acceleration and ultimately drives velocity. A shorter stick will give you a faster shift if and only if you have the corresponding strength to drive the selector at the higher speed for the same hand speed - the shift mechanism and synchro hub are large and heavy, and moving them requires a fair amount of force.

so I should change the above to say, "even if you don't feel like you're pushing very hard, there is still a lot of force at the selector and through the synchro".