For those of you who have done the CA18DET conversion in a 1200 ute, I'd appreciate some help. I'm looking at doing the conversion but want to know which gearbox to run and what mods to the tunnel and diff are required. Can the tunnel be massaged or do you have to put in a different one. I was thinking of using the maddats xmember kit so if anyone has had any experience and comments about that set up then it would be appreciated.

Thanks.

you have a couple of options.
The 2 main gearboxes used is the standard S13 5 speed manual or the MR30 Syline 5speed (know as a stumpy skyline box). Now the S13 gearbox is a much stronger gearbox but is the easiest to put in.

To put the stumpy skyline box in you need to have an auto tunnel in your ute (did any utes come auto??) otherwise you will need to get a 1200 wreck with an automatic transmission tunnel and put out it's tunnel and transplant it into your ute. With this gearbox the shifter comes out the original hole. (some massaging of the tunnel is needed)

To install the S13 5 speed you still need an auto tunnel but the rear part of the tunnel (near and including the gearstick hole) needs to be cut out and a new part needs to be fabricated into a box like shape (as the silvia bos doesn't taper down like the other boxes do). But your gearstick comes out about 8" further back then the original gearstick does. Therefore you need to move your handbrake backwards as well.


Have a look at dattodudes or CA18DET_Man's conversions they are verterans at it and I regard them as the CA18DET conversion guru's

Cheers
Damo

Damo: NO Utes came with an Auto.

Choices:

L24 R30 Stumpy Skyline 5 speed with S3 Bluebird (CA20) or S13 bellhousing, needs different sized bearing in box to interface. $400-$500 (assembled by yourself)

S3 CA20 gearbox (weak) $100

Import Gazelle Gearbox (rare), but the best option for position of shifter and strength. Basically a shorter version of the S13 box. $500+

S13 Gearbox - Too far back in a ute. $200

The Auto Tunnel will fit the larger CA style bellhousing, but not the shifter end. A box section is required. The Manual tunnel will JUST fit the stumpy skyline box, you'll need to remove the STD gearbox mounts on the body. The same shifter end box section will be required. In a ute, the handbrake may need to be relocated, if any of the long gearbox options are used. In a Sedan, Coupe, Wagon, the handbrake is just moved backwards, and a Ute handbrake front cable is used. The Ute runs out of space.

If you can't make the crossmember yourself, you'll have little chance of success in doing the other more difficult facets of the conversion yourself.

I've seen 10 years of people asking about this conversion. I've seen many projects fall short due to excess of expectation with a deficiency in skills/budget.

A difficult conversion is like a bad girlfriend.. You can pour heaps of money into it, and end up unhappy, in debt, and find yourself driving a VN Commodore because thats all you can afford.

well said dattodude. if you don't think you can do a lot of the work yourself and have a welder grinder and misc. other tools (minimum) you'lll be in real trouble. getting the motor in there is not necessarilly the hardest part, infact all other facets of the conversion have a similar need to have custom fabrication performed.

if you have a large wallet you could always take it to a workshop to get a drive in drive out conversion done.

giving it a go yourself is rewarding, and definately a learning experience so i'm not discouraging anyone at having a go. but it needs to be looked at realisticly. we all started somewhere tho...

I'm doing a CA18DET conversion as we speak & my advice is to stick with the S13 box.
There's a fair bit of cutting & welding involved to get the S13 in but it's not too hard as long as you're pretty handy with a grinder.
1st you have to suit up (long sleeves) & crawl under the tranny tunnell with your trusty grinder & cut the original mounts out, then you have to cut a new hole in the transmission tunnel & spread it (a standard scissor jack will work o.k). Then it's just a matter of shutting up the hole & fitting a new cross-member - I've heard the ones from Maddat are pretty good, but I just made one up out of some 5mm angle.

Good Luck

im running the S13 box with a 180b auto tunnel the hole matched up just had to make it a bit bigger thats all. and im using the maddat fitting kit.