Are 5sp L28 MK/MQ SWB's hard to find?

[adam.s]

Are they becoming a rarity ?

I am looking for one, and having a bit of trouble finding a 5sp petrol mk swb.

Maybe I am looking in the wrong places

Just curious if there was ever many made.

cheers

[berazafi]

never seen one, why not buy a td one, more common, cheaper to run, more power, ask big red toy if you want a comparison between mine and his (and mine is absolutly desperate for a rebuild)

[adam.s]

I've seen a few, 1985-86-87 they made 5sp L28 models.

The only reason I want a petrol is because I can convert it to LP gas and it will be cheap as to run.

Power doesn't really phase me, the L28 has enough grunt to get me places and if it doesn't a small block v8 will

[berazafi]

I think you will find the diesel about as expensive as a lpg petrol. I may be wrong, secondly you may regret that distrubuter when it gets wet, you can run a deisel underwater with a snokle, not so for a petrol

[Beastmavster]

5 speeds are very rare in MK shorties, and the prices people were trying to ask for them was actually higher than what I paid for my GQ.

The normal secondhand price for a petrol 5 speed box is about $1000-1500, so that should give you an idea.

There's threads on conversion from 4 speed to 5 speed and from 4 speed petrol to 5 speed diesel boxes.

To be honest the 5 speed turbo diesel would not be worth it based on the gearing ratios.

You can use Nissan Cabstar gearboxes too.

[adam.s]

That annoys me.

The first MK I looked at was L28 5sp, cheap too.

Had a bit of rust and few dodgy things here and there, but otherwise ok. And I would have bought it cept it was the first one I looked at.

I went back to place a deposit and it was sold.

:(

[Beastmavster]

Well now you know.

To be honest finding another shell is gonna probably be easier and cheaper than finding a good Petrol 5 speed.... espcially if it has the LSD/AC/PS too. If it has rust, so sad new shell.

As I said I wanted all these options and all the ones I saw for that price were like $7k which is ridiculous for a MQ/MK.

Id have to say that fitting the shell is probably about the same level of difficulty as swapping the gearbox... either way it's a lot of weight to shift at home.

[Justin_M]

Be prepared to skimp tho, i found an 85 mk, diesel, p/s, lsd, 5 speed, but no a/c. The body WAS perfect tho, literally no rust or rust repair. I put up with no a/c because the overall package was so good.

Pitty i crashed it and ****** the good body

[RMP&O]

just some FYI....

I bought a 86 MK Safari 5spd in NZ with bellhousing, transfer case and PTO box attached for $400usd. With shipping and everything else it is running me about $1000 to get it home. That is in USA bucks too. Not to bad IMHO but the truck the box is going in only cost me $1500!

Unless of course I decide to fit the tranny to my 1980 LG61 Patrol.

[adam.s]

even more annoyed now !

oh well, that is murphys law - when dad was buying his fourbie, he looked for 3 months and ended up buying the first one he looked at as well.

im now looking at bundera's, fj40's, mk/mq swb and sierra's.

of the lot, bundera or mq/mk is what I want - preferably an mk but like I said they are hard to find.

Might have to settle for a diesel

[Beastmavster]

Remember 5 speed, LSD, A/C and P/S is a common package in the Turbo Diesels.

It's one reason why I'd even consider a smoky old diesel when I wanted a MQ/MK.

But only a turbodiesel. I'm not that old and slow yet

[muddyperils]

If you are going to modify ya rig in the future (ie: spring lift and 33"s or 35")
I wouldn't bother looking for a L28 5speed, the only use for your fifth gear will be down hill, maybe go for the 3.3 turbo diesel, at least it might have the Torque to push the vehicle along. BTW mines been sold.

[Beastmavster]

Muddyperils,

The reason I was looking for the 5 speed was not overdrive (kinda irrelevant which is agreed on).

It was the lower 1st gear.

Remember there is no reduction gear available for MQ/MK and no huge reduction options for diffs. The lower 1st gear on the 5 speed is basically it.

[Screwy]

I think you will find the diesel about as expensive as a lpg petrol. I may be wrong, secondly you may regret that distrubuter when it gets wet, you can run a deisel underwater with a snokle, not so for a petrol

NO WAY IN LIVING HELL

LPG L28 will be loads and Loads cheaper to run than the diesel.
Still not super fantastic, but better than the diesel.

My TB42 GQ petrol on Gas is costing me Half wat my diesel did and its a 4.2 not a 2.8, they are both carbi nissan motors

screwy

[Screwy]

L28s Were Never brought out in 5 speed in the MQ series.

They were more common in the MKs, BUT in saying that.....

They are Nearly Impossible to find from standard. Most of the ones u would see would be Modded to fit it in ( ive seen a few like this, more modded to fit it, then stock with the 5 speed ).

L28 just wasnt brought out with the 5 speed in big supply.

Honestly, Turbo diesel is the way to go if u want a stock 5 speed MQ/MK...... and chances are u will get p/s and a/c with it.......
But u will be wanting to look 1985 and newer generally for this gear.....

screwy

[Beastmavster]

There was something like 5% of all of the SWB in 5 speed.


Volumes before 86 were very small, officially it was a factory option in about 83 on (it's even listed in redbook) to my knowledge but ones at that age are so rare you think they've gotta be homebuilt.

I think at the time the 5 speed option was like about 20% of the price of the car so it just didnt happen.

Most of them are 86-87 and at that age are near GQ age. Unfortunately they're also GQ price.

[adam.s]

man this sucks.

first mq/mk I look at I figure "hey this can't be the best of them, I will look around and see what else is for sale"

it was an swb 86 5sp manual l28, power steering and aircon from the factory.

whoever bought it - I am cut

[muddyperils]

Muddyperils,

The reason I was looking for the 5 speed was not overdrive (kinda irrelevant which is agreed on).

It was the lower 1st gear.

Remember there is no reduction gear available for MQ/MK and no huge reduction options for diffs. The lower 1st gear on the 5 speed is basically it.

______________________________________________________
The lower first gear is basically not worth ya wasting ya time on em...
I got a price from marks 4WD adapters years ago, was $2500 then, considering the sale prices of the MK's I decided it was a joke to go through with it. As Screwy once said if ya want a well set up MQ/MK go the auto and put some other transfer case on it that have reduction gears available.... its only money... That is the main reason I just sold my OLD TREASURE, GQ's have everything available for them and ya pick a shorty up really cheap..

[Screwy]

Muddyperils,

The reason I was looking for the 5 speed was not overdrive (kinda irrelevant which is agreed on).

It was the lower 1st gear.

Remember there is no reduction gear available for MQ/MK and no huge reduction options for diffs. The lower 1st gear on the 5 speed is basically it.

______________________________________________________
The lower first gear is basically not worth ya wasting ya time on em...
I got a price from marks 4WD adapters years ago, was $2500 then, considering the sale prices of the MK's I decided it was a joke to go through with it. As Screwy once said if ya want a well set up MQ/MK go the auto and put some other transfer case on it that have reduction gears available.... its only money... That is the main reason I just sold my OLD TREASURE, GQ's have everything available for them and ya pick a shorty up really cheap..

The Auto with the transfer of a cruiser with rockhoppers in it is the most obvious and easy way to get lower gearing in an mq...

BUT

There is one other way, and its with a manuel, BUT IM NOT TELLING
Ill put it in then let ya guess


Yeh dude, that first one u looked at was gold mate. How much was it up for? U shoulda taken it, or asked these questions on here before u looked at it

screwy

[stool]

I was just thinking is their a adaptor to fit duel transfer`s to mk mq
that would fix the low range prob

[Beastmavster]

A different engine, or gearbox, or transfer case is ALWAYS possible.

The amount of work just varies.

Personally I'd think a V8 conversion has more value than a 5 speed anyway.

[adam.s]

what gearbox do you match up to the v8's ?

and how do they go on the highway ?

or I guess it still comes back to just getting some massive rubber under the wheel arches so it lowers the gearing enough.

[Screwy]

I was just thinking is their a adaptor to fit duel transfer`s to mk mq
that would fix the low range prob

No kits for any of that sorta stuff for MQ/MK.
No lower diff gears
No rockhoppers

[Screwy]

A different engine, or gearbox, or transfer case is ALWAYS possible.

The amount of work just varies.

Personally I'd think a V8 conversion has more value than a 5 speed anyway.

Motors and Boxes are interchangeable ofcourse.
If changing to another manual box. the transfer would want to be offset to drivers side. Which means the only boxes u can use are 40 / 60 / 80 series cruiser boxes.
And of those the 40 and 60 series can have rockhoppers which solves gearing.

On the same note, U can put a Turbo 700 Auto in ( only on the back of a V8 ) and put a 40 or 60 series transfer with rockhoppers in it on the back.

But wat if you dont want auto? Like me
And dont want to put a 40 / 60 gearbox in as the are hell wide and dont fit with out massive mods.....

How do u get lower gearing???
Custom stuff is the only way. Marks will do a Rockhopper for them, but it doesnt give a large reduction and they need an order of 5 for a total of $2000 each ( $10 000 ) to attept it.

screwy

[Screwy]

what gearbox do you match up to the v8's ?

and how do they go on the highway ?

or I guess it still comes back to just getting some massive rubber under the wheel arches so it lowers the gearing enough.

You have to choise of the 4/5 speed MQ/MK box which u can buy adapters for Chev, Holden and Ford V8's.....................

Or u can go The Turbo 350, 400 , 700 AUTOS etc which u can mount ur transfer to the back of ( OR A 40 / 60 series cruiser one for rockhopper gearing )...

I can easily do 140kms down the free way on 35's with my 308 and the 5 speed box ( ive put it in, it didnt come with it ) so on highways not too bad at all.

BTW: Massive rubbers are worse on gearing. because u need to Idle faster to avoid stalling, and therefore u crawl faster
U need lower gears for bigger tyres.

screwy