i know this is dodgy but before you go cutting anything get a 6 point socket that fits the bolt and a cheap ratchet or one you dont care about. slide the longest peice of tubing you can over the handle and use that as leverage, you will be surprised how much more force you can get onto the bolt.
and I do realize space is an issue but all you need to do is crack it

IF YOU HAVNT ROUNDED THE BOLT dont resort to cutting

Ive had to use this method a few times when undoing diff bolts and the like, Ive always used a cheap ratchet and haven't broken it yet

hope that helps

you cannot get a socket in, you cant even get the round end of the spanner in, as the bolt head sits between the engine plate and the flywheel. there is just enough space to get an open end spanner in.

Until i get another spanner for the torque converter, ive finished off the plug swap. my soldering skills arnt the best, and its tricky to solder wires together underneath the bbm lol. still ive done the best I could.

started pulling out the old pedal box, and it doesnt want to come out either. Ford are f**k. the way the put s**t together is lunacy. its like the designers have spent their effort trying to make it so it will drive you mentally insane if you try and tinker with it. they have bolts in the stupidest places, and for some reason like to have an inch an a half of bolt with no thread after the nut so you cant get a socket onto a nut that has no spanner access. its really really frustrating that every single faccet of this swapover has been a struggle. nothing has gone right and everything has gone wrong lol!

Im writing an au series t5 swapover guide, titled "DONT: YOU CRAZY FOOL"

that would be awesome if you actually did write a conversion guide for AU's with pics

all i can say bout the bolt is you need to get leverage on the spanner some how even if that means welding an extension on it

i agree with you on ford being a**hole with the design, y the hell did they put the coil pack in such a fd up place

but ive got a crash repairer friend that i help out every now and then, he says fords are a lot easier to get apart and better quality than some other manufacturers (holden is one) and hes not biased.

its not all that different from the e-series, just a few bits here and there. for instance au2 use 1 piece sandwich plate instead of 2 piece, theres no engine brackets like the e series, the starter motor is, from the pics of e series ive seen, a lot harder to get to, as are the top bellhousing bolts.

I had success, got the torque converter off. the flywheel quickly followed suit. the auto flywheel weighs probably 1/3rd of what the manual one does lol. once the sandwich plate came off, i discovered something...

...something that has made me laugh at how easy it all could have been. Ive spent a lot of time and broken spanners trying to undo the toque converter bolts, by using a spanner in between the flywheel and engine block. since its a one piece sandwich plate, you cant see the engine block at all. but if you look just inbetween the sway bar and the back of the engine housing there is a little black plastic cover. it pops off in under a second flat, and there is a little square portal that you can then use to freely and very easily access the torque converter bolts with a socket and long handle. the sandwich plate has a corresponding hole with flared edges in the exact spot. something that has taken a long time, and almost had me give up and sell it in parts could have been done in 20 minutes had I known this little port existed. ideally you do this after removing the starter, and before you undo the bellhousing, so you can keep the thing from revolving. this would have also made the dropping of the auto box about 80% easier.

little tricks go a long way, I wish I had of known of this, i could be finished by now ><

Just looking at the picture, i hope you have adjusted those black forward/back movement limiters, i don't think you could select a gear like that lol.

its a super super short shifter lol

f**k if it selected gears like that it would be lol.


Grimketel,

Is the box out? If not, read this first, it will save you loads of mess. Tie the driveshaft to the end of the box and jack the engine up so it holds the weight, when you bring the box out, bring it out with the tail shaft and Torque converter connected, otherwise your going to have oil all over your lovely concrete floor. There is a s**t in there mate, and it comes out places you wouldn't think it came out lol, best to leave everything in place as it was then pull it out. I just did the conversion, well did it then had to take it all back out.

Also, you will most likely have to take those bolts off the short shifter to get it into the car, or else it will hit the trans tunnel and you will swear a s**t because you have to lower the box again to undo them. Also, if your using the manual, easiest option is to set the flywheel/clutch, then put the box in with the BH bolted up to the box, edge it along until it goes in and then do up each bolt.

dj is right it is very short. ive tested it and it feels like its engaging fine. you can get them a lot closer, but the engagement feels iffy. i didnt test it too much as theres no fluid in there and you can feel everything going on.

my brother (who's last car was a t5 EF) when he came over had a quick play with it. I has to tear him away from it, because he was making weird noises like PHWOAR, JEEEZ, and ARFGGRDSAA. I think it was getting personal real quick. yeah i have to pull the stick off to get it under the dog arm has 2 bolt points, so it chops down short enough in just 2 allen key movements . its made for the mustang t5's, and you know how short those yanks like their throw....

the box is out. I drained it as much as I could first, by dropping the pan. there was still heaps in the TC which was problematic, but contollable. I went very slowly past a certain point due to my lack of mechanical knowledge.

Yeah, i have the same shifter, Bought it off 360 infinite or something on eBay and let some fella's on here know about it. Bloody good deal hey! by the way, before you put it into the car, take the shifter off and run a bead of silicone on the top, then bolt the shifter back on, will seal it up and also keep the vibrations down a bit. Good idea too is to make the standard rubber boot fit over the bolts by cutting a hole in each end, it's a tight fit but works a treat and will keep all the crap out of it.

yeah its a bloody good buy, $115 posted to my door with postal insurance is too damn good. compared to 300-400 for a billet shifter... no contest.

I was wondering about some sealant under the edge, as the factory item had some. I asked the question last page i think but your the first to answer it.

WOW are you serious thats an awsome price what was the name of the listing?
ill keep it in mind for when i do mein

It is Billet, so no reason why it's not as good as any other, just cheaper. Does the same thing and made out of T6 Billet
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/83-03-MU ... 240%3A1318

FINALLY got the pedal box out. They really dont want you taking your car apart. I mentioned the struggle to the old man, and he recalls that in the very late 90's that in the US ford and GM were getting hit with court cases against them, when backyard mechanics tinkered with stuff then the car crashed. So they had to try to ensure that they then made them difficult for anyone but factory qualified mechanics to work on with special tools.

This is great, coz i dont think in a million years this car would have fallen apart, its that well put together, but its a great pain in the azzholes when you try and swap gearboxes

hoping to get the manual pedalbox setup today, and get the starter back on.

starter on, clutch pedal and cable setup, battery back in and intake back on.

think im ready to try and slot the box in