Somewhere along the way I committed myself to maintaining 4AG power. Not only that… probably 16V 4AG power. NA as well of course. With this in mind, I’ve been browsing over the last few weeks for real gearing answers for the T50… or even for another similarly sized transmission (as committed as I am to 4AG, I am not nearly as committed to the T50). I have found nothing. Changing gear ratios is expensive.
Certain knowledgeable people have advertised that changing the input shaft ratio is an economical way to create a “close” ratio transmission. I did the math… and this claim is misleading. All that changing the input shaft ratio does is move 1-2-3 “closer” to 4th. It does nothing to move 1-2-3 closer together. At the very least however, it adds a few kmh to 1st and 2nd gear and makes the car a little more useful for auto-x, as well as creates a taller 5th gear for anyone who cares about highway cruising. This input shaft ratio change is what is pictured above in comparison to stock ratios.
It’s still not a real solution IMO. My eyes are open for a TRD set… and I fantasize that those who suggest that gears are interchangeable from one Toyota transmission to another might actually be right. Still… for all the time and energy that would cost, it might be easier just to throw the money down for a TRD 3set.
Then again… if we change the input shaft ratio as above, and then create a new 1st gear set (approx 2.7:1 ratio), we get something like this. Note that now I’m comparing to the TRD 3 Close set (top). Ultimately a shorter 3rd gear would also be desirable… but I think it’s a reasonable compromise. The 3 close TRD set changes 3 gears and the counter gears, where as my option changes only the counter gears and 1st. Furthermore… it has been suggested that a second 5th gear cog might work as the new counter gear. It should be close to the desired size… but will it fit in the correct spot on the main shaft? I’m not sure.
PS. I see about 120mm of room to move my SL-OW 4AG aft in the chassis.
Engine movement would put you firmly in Prepared, yes?
Well… it doesn’t force me out of SM either really… except that I’m going to mod the crossmember at the same time. That’s would push me out of SM.