Originally Posted by suprakidxx

well there is hope then
also i have a 3.91---thinking about going to a 3.73

Originally Posted by KahnBB6

How do you like drivability on the 3.92? How much power are you running?

I have the 3.77 r&p that came with my LSD diff waiting in a box but I'm strongly considering going with 3.92 when I get to my engine swap.

Originally Posted by LEXXIUM

Do you have any pics of the shifter in the console? I wanted to see his far forward it sits compared to mk3 shifter

Originally Posted by KahnBB6

As promised, I finally took some pictures of the SupraSport V3 shifter in the car. Here is every gear change. I will post a video next.

This will work for an early 92-94 W58 transmission as well.

Neutral

Send a link for that brand shifter


First


Second


Third


Fourth


Fifth


Reverse

Originally Posted by Bksc718

Send a link for that brand shifter please

Originally Posted by KahnBB6

Bksc718, the V3 shifter is on Suprasport's website in the "transmissions" section.

Originally Posted by KahnBB6

I just had the guys at SpeedForSale in Alpharetta rebuild my JZ/SC converted Supra MKIII R154 transmission using all the Marlin Crawler parts and the Driftmotion 3-4 shift fork and install my setup for me. Jared and Brett are awesome and I highly recommend them. Thought I'd share some early impressions:

I'm still breaking in the clutch and synchros so I haven't taken it over 4,000RPM or really gotten into it. Yet. Probably by the time I get home tomorrow.

In 85 miles of driving the synchros are wearing in nicely but man, what a difference! It's a completely different feel from the W58 in a good way. Where the W58 is certainly an easier transmission to go through the gears in, I think the R154 has far more confidence. There is zero play in my shifter (a SupraSport V3) and it's like shifting a bolt-action rifle compared to the NA transmission. The sound coming from the gearbox is fantastic.

If there is one thing negative I can say about it it's that I now realize what people mean when they say you have to learn how to shift this bigger transmission. It requires a precise hand or it won't go into gear but I rather like it-- much more the muscle car gearbox the SC deserves. Actually I need to reserve judgement on that until I've gone through a few hundred miles. I'd compare it to a T-56 in general feel. Or maybe the general feel of how "precise" an S2000 6-speed is when shifting. Yes, I've driven both of those. The R154 has taken the feel and balance of my car even farther into GT muscle car territory and far, far, far away from whatever Lexus wanted it to be in the USA.

Overall I love it. I'm still on my original NA engine so it's definitely overkill without a turbo but that will come later.

Some specifics:

--The 82-85 Celica crossmember I used for my swap (being an MKIII box) was actually not a bolt-in affair as I'd hoped and required extension and welding on the passenger side of it but it was still far more of a "factory-like" solution than drilling the SC W58 crossmember or only using two bolts from the SC trans mount.

--The SupraSport V3 short shifter is FANTASTIC, however, it truly is slightly too far forward. Everything clears (I'm using a Soarer extension housing) but it doesn't sit in the same position as the SC's OEM shifter and pulls the leather of the console boot a bit in 1st and 3rd. Still, I love how it feels.

--The "Soarer" or "MKIII" front driveshaft I have works but clearly isn't the right part. I'm going to need to look for yet another "MKIII R154" front driveshaft. I'll have pictures up in a couple of days to show what I mean.

I will post some pictures after tomorrow. I can't wait for the clutch to be broken in (OEM Toyota 7MGTE parts) so I can really put it through its paces.

Originally Posted by supragt35

OK how about the price$$$ You never did mention it?

Originally Posted by KahnBB6

supragt,

I guess I didn't? Sorry, it's been a while since I made this thread a couple of years back.

What specific part of the transmission conversion/rebuild/swap were you interested in? Or was it a rundown for all the costs I incurred that you wanted?

Originally Posted by supragt35

Just brake it down if you can or total price

Originally Posted by KahnBB6

This is a combination of ballpark prices and actual prices for the entire R154 rebuild/upgrade/swap I did. Keep in mind, I didn't make much effort to cut corners other than starting with an MKIII R154 rather than a 91-93 Soarer version (which is the same thing apart from the transmission mount).

--MKIII R154 from 111k mile stock Supra Turbo — $850
--JDM OEM 91-93 Soarer extension housing and shift arm (discontinued worldwide now AFAIK) — $350
--R154 full rebuild labor — $550
--R154 installation and clutch job, plus new rear main seal for 2JZ — About $500-$600
--MC cable-drive-to-VSS convertor — $50
--Marlin Crawler/Driftmotion HD bearing & syncro rebuild kit, upgraded shift forks, front bearing retainer, chomeoly 1st gear thrust washer, etc — $650-$700
--1982-85 Celica Crossmember (used from ebay) — $80
--Reconditioning, extension and welding of Celica crossmember — $400-$450? (I’d have to check my receipts honestly. I’m over-estimating)
--New MKIII Supra R154 transmission rubber mount — $50-$60??
--1JZ R154 OEM flywheel (new)— $350
--1JZ R154 bellhousing (new)— $270? (I’m guessing)
--MKIII R154 front driveshaft — $200-250
--ARP 1JZ R154 flywheel bolts — ??
--Stock 7MGTE clutch and pressure plate kit (since I have no boost) — $260
--Suprasport V3 short shifter — $330
--Redline MT90 transmission oil (4 qts)— $60

And there are other random hidden costs such as a new R154 transmission seal, MC shifter bushings, FIPG, etc.

Not a cheap swap overall. It can be done for less money. Arguably since I don't even have a turbo setup yet and I don't plan to boost over 400whp ever, the full upgrade and rebuild might have been overkill for a 111k mile transmission only ever having seen stock or BPU boost from the original CT26 turbo.

Still, I'm happy with my decision and I love the gearbox. If I could change any aspects of it it would have been to wait for the Driftmotion 5th & Reverse billet shift fork to be available (it wasn't when I did my rebuild). I might buy one of those and keep it set aside for later installation if there is a reason the gearbox ever needs to be internally inspected.

Originally Posted by supragt35

So a quick calculation got me $3280? for a r154 with a stock clutch set up

Originally Posted by KahnBB6

$3280 for an R154 rebuilt to handle about 750whp maximum that would bolt into my car exactly like a JDM Soarer R154 using my original 92-94 SC 5-speed trans tunnel opening and W58 sealing boots. Plus a short shifter, which was also optional as I have my original 5-speed shifter.

The completely stock 7MGTE clutch was selected just because a beefier one would have been wasteful while I'm still putting out 180whp. I plan to go with a Southbend Stage 2 (365ft-lbs to the wheels) when I go turbo. The SB Stage 3 is the next step up for 400-450ft-lbs to the wheels. I could have bought a lighter weight aftermarket flywheel for less than a new OEM 1JZ steel flywheel. The transmission will handle more if I ever need it to.

Yeah, definitely not inexpensive but I don't regret doing it all this way. I suppose $1k could be knocked off by not upgrading the transmission, not rebuilding it and getting more parts used. I was also on a deadline to have it installed into my car by a certain month.

This is all still cheaper than a V160 which is now becoming rarer, even more expensive and frankly overkill for most people's goals. A Soarer or Chaser R154 would require less work to adapt to your SC but I felt $850 for the unmolested MKIII gearbox was a good deal at the time

Then there are the Aisin AR5 and this newer R155 conversion I've just learned about. However you'll still end up encountering *some* of the costs I did with either of them (again, depending on whether you choose to fully upgrade and build the gearbox or just swap it in as is).