Hey all, iv'e been reading the tech section and in the a15 conversion part and it says the following is necessary when doing an a15 conversion into a 1200 ute.

1. Leave existing crossmember mounts.

2. Leave existing A14/15 engine mounts.

3. Sit engine in bay using an engine hoist

4. Your mounts will not line up.

5. A14/15 engine mounts are approx 2" further back.

6. As your cross-member mounts lean forward, you will need to extend the top backwards 2"

7. Make measurments of steel needed.

8. Take engine out

9. Using 6-8mm flat steel about 2" wide, cut 2 peices approx 3" long and 2 supporting peices that will run down to the crossmember itself. This peice sits vertical.

9. Sit steel plates into position and only tack weld into position.

10. Sit engine in bay and make sure the engine mounts line up with your newly fabricated mounts.

11. Make sure extractors clear mounts.

12. Mark on the new steel mount where the rubber mount will bolt to.

13. Take engine out.

14. Weld mounts solid

15. Drill hole for rubber mounts.

16. Paint welds!

17. Drop in A14/15 onto new mounts.

18. Bolt up, wire up and start.

Does this procedure apply to all year makes of the 1200 ute ?

How good does a 1200 ute go with a stock a15?

Last but not least how much would a shop charge to do the conversion ?

Those instructions are for all 1200's up to 1973. [front distributor] The engine design was changed in 1974 & the new mounting positions were used on all A series engines after that. [mid distributor]

What model is your ute?

If your's is 1974 or newer, then.....
Lift out old engine
Transfer the engine mount brackets from old engine to new one.
Refit new engine.
Get conversion engineered by recognised $ignatory.
Go to rego office & update detail$.
Contact insurance company & update details.
Pay additional premium if required.
Enjoy.

OK, that oversimplifies it a little, but only a little. You may need to switch thermostat housings & some other small parts. Most people would fit the lighter A12 flywheel to the A15 engine, but do not flog it hard as the original ute gearbox is the small 56 series & the factory switched to a stronger box behind the A15 for a good reason.

If you have a late model ute(i think 75 onwards) the a15 should drop into place of the a12 with no modification. If its an early crossmember ie the crossmember has equal length towers, the modifications will need to be performed. As for what it will cost to get the transplant done, i suppose it depends on the workshop. Some will charge according to how long the job will take and some will charge according to how much they think they can get away with. Get a few quotes and go with the one that seems straight up. Going to a wicked, awsome, fully sic, performance shop will not always get the best result, rather leave a big dent in your wallet. Ive shopped around to get work done, and have found these type of shops are pretty expensive. even for simple jobs. I had one shop quote over 15000 (fifteen thousand!!) dollars to install a ca18det into a ute. Another quoted 6-7000. I decided to do it myself in the end. Good luck with the swap.

Quote:

i have a 56 seires box in my ute with an A14 motor attached and give it a bit of a flogging every now and then what box would bolt straight in with no mods and how much would one rouglhy cost

Quote:

do u want 5 spd or 4spd? 4spds go for about a slab or beer, 5spds can go for an arm and a leg.

the boxes that fit A series are 56, 60 and 63 series transmissions.
easiest is the 60A as this is cable clutch and needs no mods at all to fit in

I had an A15 that beat ET Pulsar's with a 56 box in a ute, the same motor in a Sunny broke the box, the extra 140?kg was too much, now have a 60 series box (4spd) got a 60L 5spd on the bench for about 7yrs needs bearings! One day maybe!
It's not just the box you have to look at, what weight it is asked to push and how hard?

The 60 series box was used behind the A14/15 engines & you can find these in Sunny Sportwagons. They will obviously fit up to your engine, but the rear mount is further back, so some work here is needed. I believe that the reversing light switch sticks out to the side & some 'massaging' of the tunnel in this location is required.

I have never done the conversion, but I also believe that the box is the same overall length as the 56 series, & if this is true, then your driveshaft will slip right in.

The 56 series box is a good one, but side steping the clutch at valve bounce with an A15 will surely test its limits.
Like 'Sunny' is saying, the lighter weight of the ute, particularly in the rear, has probably extended the life of many an abused gearbox.

Hey guys, yeah mine is a 75 model so hopefully it goes straight in, if this is so i might have a crack at doing it myself. I'll only learn from my mistakes i guess. Im hoping to put a 5 speed in as i will be doing alot of highway driving, or will a 4 speed hold up to 110km/h zones for long periods of time.

Thanx for all help.

With gearboxes it really is all about condition. I had a 56a behind a decent A14 and thrashed the hell out of it for near two years without one breakage.(apart from diffs)

The 4speed is fine but it does get to you on long drives of especially 110km/h where its stuck on near 4000rpm.

I was under the impression that the A-series gearboxes, 4 and 5 speeds all had the same final drive ratio? I thought it was just the distance between gears that altered.