LUVTruck.com

phpBBV3 Message Board
It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 5:21 am

All times are UTC - 6 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:40 pm 
Offline
Junior Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:33 pm
Posts: 7
Hey everybody.
I have a 1982 Luv diesel 5 spd which I have owned for 21 years.
Going on the 3rd set of tranny bearings at 260K miles.
Having a hard time finding some of the bearings now.
What is the best tranny I can swap for as far as bolting up?
Cutting the driveshaft is not a problem.
I have a machine shop so I can do most anything.
This is a daily driver and I need to get it on the road ASAP.
I know I have seen a post about this before but couldn't find it.
Thanks for your help.
John


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 4:41 pm 
Offline
LUVTruck.com Regular

Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2010 1:13 pm
Posts: 112
Location: Oroville California
There is a guy on here who also runs the isuzu site, his name is Joeisuzu. I have a feeling he'd be able to give you some good info. You might be able to pm him if you search his name. Good luck.

_________________
1974 Mikado 4x4 50,000 orig. miles
Image


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:47 pm 
Offline
Addicted to LUV
User avatar

Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:54 am
Posts: 1696
Location: Germantown, TN (right next to ElvisTown)
Thanks for the "intro", raidersadie. :lol:

John,

I'm right in the middle of "the upgrade" on my '83 P'up. These transmissions were weak to begin with, and on top of that--they require motor oil instead of the usual 90w gear oil. That's a fact that most shops are ignorant of, so the bearings fail prematurely. I don't know if that's the case with yours, but I'm pretty certain that's what happened to mine at about 85k miles.

According to our resident Isuzu expert (on the IsuzuPup.com forum), if you use 5th gear below 45 mph, or lug it at all, it really contributes to early failure.

Isuzu redesigned this transmission for the '86 model year, and it's quite a bit stronger. The output shaft is noticeably larger, and some bearings are also larger. These later transmissions (diesel through '87, and gas all the way through '95 models) can be retrofitted to the earlier trucks with very minor modifications. I'm using one from an '87 Impulse RS Turbo, because it had a higher 5th gear.

We have a LONG topic on the transmission upgrade. It's in the "how-to" section of our forum, but it's really just a long topic that lots of people chimed in on. Eventually, I'll re-write it into one step-by-step "article". But that's AFTER I finish my own upgrade.

Basically, assuming your donor transmission comes from an '86 or later gas Iisuzu P'up or Pickup, you need 1) a good diesel 5-speed bell housing (you should have that already), and 2) a slip yoke that fits the new transmission's larger output shaft AND fits the old U-joint. There's a list of Isuzu vehicles this could come from, and we keep having to revise the list because we discover donors that we missed, or we learn that some do not fit. But I pulled three at a salvage yard, and I have two left to sell ($50 shipped). They're all from '86 P'ups and are guaranteed to fit.

I'm told the "upgrade" transmissions should last the life of the truck, if they haven't been abused.

Jack

_________________
'83 Isuzu P'up Diesel LS - Original Owner
JoeIsuzu@IsuzuPup.com
IsuzuPup.com


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 7:11 pm 
Offline
Junior Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:33 pm
Posts: 7
Thanks for the help!
I am calling the Junkyards tomorrow if I can get 2 seconds to rub together.
May need to hook up w/ you on one of the yokes.
I really appreciate all the help.
John


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 7:44 pm 
Offline
Addicted to LUV
User avatar

Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:54 am
Posts: 1696
Location: Germantown, TN (right next to ElvisTown)
Oops. When I said the transmission should come from "an '86 or later" I should have said "through '95.

And I meant P'ups and Pickups, and it has to be a diesel or a 2.3 gas engine. It could also come from an Impulse through '88, I think, but you're not likely to find one of those. Oh, and an early Amigo 2wd if it has a 2.3. But not an "Hombre" or anything else after '95.

Jack

_________________
'83 Isuzu P'up Diesel LS - Original Owner
JoeIsuzu@IsuzuPup.com
IsuzuPup.com


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 7:50 pm 
Offline
Junior Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:33 pm
Posts: 7
Found a tranny at the junkyard!
Suppossed to pull it Monday.
I'll keep you posted.
John


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:46 pm 
Offline
Junior Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:33 pm
Posts: 7
Got my tranny today! Finally.
Junkyard was muddy and couldn't get to it.
88 Isuzu w/ 2.3 Gas.
Pulling it apart now.
Thanks!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 4:44 pm 
Offline
Addicted to LUV
User avatar

Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:54 am
Posts: 1696
Location: Germantown, TN (right next to ElvisTown)
ACE Machine wrote:
Got my tranny today! Finally.
Junkyard was muddy and couldn't get to it.
88 Isuzu w/ 2.3 Gas.
Pulling it apart now.
Thanks!

Mine is in the shop getting a new bearing. Did you see the "how-to" article that shows step-by-step instructions?

Jack

_________________
'83 Isuzu P'up Diesel LS - Original Owner
JoeIsuzu@IsuzuPup.com
IsuzuPup.com


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 6:06 pm 
Offline
Junior Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:33 pm
Posts: 7
I did. Thanks!
I split the cases and cleaned everything.
It looked great, especially compared to my old one.
What type of lube do the new ones use?
I noticed some of the links were disabled about workong on the tranny.
Still a big help, though.
John


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 7:46 pm 
Offline
Addicted to LUV
User avatar

Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:54 am
Posts: 1696
Location: Germantown, TN (right next to ElvisTown)
ACE Machine wrote:
I noticed some of the links were disabled about workong on the tranny

I was working on it today. Those links will point to the separate articles in the topic. Some have yet to be written (Speedometer Correction, for one).

Your speedometer will now read low, if you don't correct it some way. Your original speedometer gearing should have been 6x18, but the replacement transmission's speedometer gearing would have a 5x16 ratio. To correct it, you need to speed up the reading by 6.6666667%. I bought a ratio adapter for mine. My transmission came from an Impulse, and it had different gearing. I needed to speed mine up by 12%, and I found a +11% adapter. That's good, because it was already reading a little high anyway. The seller doesn't seem to have any +6% adapters at the moment. I'll let you know how mine works out.

Jack

_________________
'83 Isuzu P'up Diesel LS - Original Owner
JoeIsuzu@IsuzuPup.com
IsuzuPup.com


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:23 am 
Offline
Member

Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:36 pm
Posts: 31
Let me tell you, I am glad I read this post about engine oil in the transmission.
I had planned on changing the fluids in my transmission due to a sort of high whining noise in fifth gear. I was going to put regular 80-90 gear lube in the transmission until I read this post. This sent me to the Luv manual which CLEARLY states to put ONLY 5W30 motor oil in the transmission, and change every 30,000 miles. I must assume this oil had never been changed from the looks of it.
I put fully synthetic 5W30 in the transmission, and there is no more whine coming from the fifth gear whatsoever.
I suggest this information be posted in a more accessible place for everyone to read. This may have saved my transmission.
Thanks guys, for posting this info.
Dennis F.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:19 am 
Offline
Addicted to LUV
User avatar

Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:54 am
Posts: 1696
Location: Germantown, TN (right next to ElvisTown)
Dennis,

That's one reason for frequent failures in this transmission. I'm pretty certain that's why mine failed at about 80k miles. Jiffy Lube had done the transmission oil change several months earlier. When it went out, I failed to connect the dots, and I paid for my overhaul. Later, when I asked them to change the oil in it again, and I told them to use 5w30, they told me the couldn't do that, their computer called for 90w gear oil. That's when I decided to do it myself.

Jack

_________________
'83 Isuzu P'up Diesel LS - Original Owner
JoeIsuzu@IsuzuPup.com
IsuzuPup.com


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 11:39 am 
Offline
Junior Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:33 pm
Posts: 7
I am doing the tranny swap. 82 Diesel to 89 gas 2.3L donor.
Got everything apart, and was going back together today, finally!
The input shaft front bearing on my new tranny is 90 MM OD.
My old one was 80MM OD.
I can bore the housing, but hate to do that if it is not necessary.
The guy at the junkyard assured me that the engine in the truck was a 2.3.
Please help if you know anything.
Thanks,
John


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: 1982 Luv tranny swap
PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 6:44 pm 
Offline
Junior Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:33 pm
Posts: 7
Hey Guys.
Just got this info from another member.
Wish I had it when I was pulling the tranny in the junkyard.
1/2 day of work for me and a helper.
Hope it will save someone from the grief I have had.
John

THE 90 MM BEARING IS FROM THE 2.6 MUA TRANS. ALL 2.3 AND SMALLER ENGS USED THE 80 MM INPUT MAIN SHAFT BEARING, ONE WAY TO TELL IS THE LOCATION OF THE THROWOUT ARM, ALL MUA'S HAVE THE THROW OUT ARM ON THE PASS SIDE UNDER THE STARTER AND THE MSG IS ON THE DRIVER SIDE. AND ALSO, THE MUA TRANS HAS A ROUND HOLE IN THE END OF THE THROW OUT ARM AND ALL MSG TRANS HAVE A HOOK ON THE END

ANOTHER WAY TO TELL IF THE TRUCK IS STILL THERE ALL 2.3 TRUCKS CAME WITH THE MSG TRANS, AND ALL HAD CARB,S EXCEPT THE 94 IT HAD FUEL INJ, BUT ALL 2.6 ENGS NO MATTER WHAT YEAR USED THE MUA TRANS AND HAD FUEL INJ. AND HYDRAULIC OPERATED CLUTCHS AND ALL 2.3 TRUCK ENGS HAD CABLE OPERATED CLUTCHES.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 6 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group