AMC 360 manual gearbox

Could anyone please tell me what manual gearbox will mate up to an AMC 360, I have found an engine but want to know what to look for when buying a box, its going to be used offroad 90% time and in mud. Any suggestions

 

Not sure about the box, but I can definately recommend a heavy duty bracket and make sure your frame is strong enough to hold it...especially if she's going to see some lockers or heavy off-roading.

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82734

 

Pretty sure he meant transmission...

 

What transmission and transfer case do you have now?

 

T18, they came behind Wagoneers and PU's. The factory T18 had an extention between the bellhousing and Trans which is way to long for a CJ. It would put the shifters to far back and make the drive shaft to short. There are factory t18's out of cj's that are direct fit but I have never seen one, pretty rare. I think there a couple of T18/D20 s in the classifieds. T15 3 speeds are prety commonally available if you want to go that route. A common swap is a ford T18 out of a 2wd PU converted to a 4 WD application. You need a bellhousing that was behind either a 6 cyl or V8 amc engine that mated to a T150 or T176 trans

 

What transmission and transfer case do you have now?

Unfortunatley when I brought the Jeep someone had done a nasty engine conversion with a Mercedes Diesel and box, however they left me with the Dana 20.

T18, they came behind Wagoneers and PU's. The factory T18 had an extention between the bellhousing and Trans which is way to long for a CJ. It would put the shifters to far back and make the drive shaft to short. There are factory t18's out of cj's that are direct fit but I have never seen one, pretty rare. I think there a couple of T18/D20 s in the classifieds. T15 3 speeds are prety commonally available if you want to go that route. A common swap is a ford T18 out of a 2wd PU converted to a 4 WD application. You need a bellhousing that was behind either a 6 cyl or V8 amc engine that mated to a T150 or T176 trans

why can't I just use the T150 or T176 if it was oringinaly mated to the V8's ?, I really am trying to find the easiest solution, if there is one.

 

really any transmission that bolts to an AMC v8 or inline engine can be fairly easily mated to the 360. However, many of them will not last long behind the more powerful v8. An original Jeep t-15, or t-18 would be the easiest and most reliable choices. The t-176 or t-150 would probably be the lightest-duty tranmissions I would try to use behind the 360.

 

If you want a granny first, get a T-18 with a 6.32 first. If you don't need a granny first, a 4.xx ratio T-18 is a good choice. The T-150 is a good 3 speed.

All are very easy to adapt. All can be a direct bolt in. I have a T-18 out of a 77-79 CJ. It is basically a bolt in.

 

Not sure you'll have much luck finding these transmissions in Ireland. Were fullsized Jeeps even imported there? (Wagoneers, Cherokees, J-trucks?) If not then finding a T18 is not going to be that easy, as they were pretty rare in CJ's. What about Ford pickups? The T18 was used in Fords as well. You could also adapt an NP435 from a Dodge or Chevy pickup if they are obtainable. Some delivery vans used Chevrolet drivetrains and had NP435 transmissions. What was the 360 you found out of? Any chance on getting the transmission with it? Even if it was an automatic it would be easier than trying to find the needle in the haystack.

 

Not sure you'll have much luck finding these transmissions in Ireland. Were fullsized Jeeps even imported there? (Wagoneers, Cherokees, J-trucks?) If not then finding a T18 is not going to be that easy, as they were pretty rare in CJ's. What about Ford pickups? The T18 was used in Fords as well. You could also adapt an NP435 from a Dodge or Chevy pickup if they are obtainable. Some delivery vans used Chevrolet drivetrains and had NP435 transmissions. What was the 360 you found out of? Any chance on getting the transmission with it? Even if it was an automatic it would be easier than trying to find the needle in the haystack.

Your right about the lack of US vehicles in Ireland, big vehicles are whatyou would say a no goer, I have a couple of guys looking for me in Europe, the AMC 360 comes with a TH400 and Quadra Trac transfer, as you say it may be the way to go, I thought i may grab this and then in the future look for a manual box, I would keep all the setup for the manual and then change it if and when required. I was just never a fan of autos and worried about rebuilds and servcing as again autos in ireland are a bit of a novelty. I would appreciate you thoughts on the TH400 and Quadra trac transfer. Its a complete unit that was in a good Wagoneer, comes with all the auxillaries etc etc.

 

HAHAHA!!! I have to stop drinking on the job.

 

The TH400 is an excellent heavy duty automatic transmission and would be a great choice behind a 360 in your CJ6. The Quadratrac has its pluses and minuses. For a purely off road Jeep that sees a lot of mud it wouldn't be my first choice. It is excellent for a road driven Jeep that sees a lot of snow/ice/dry pavement mixed conditions. It provides great traction and stability on slippery surfaces. It sends power to the axle with the most traction, up to 75/25 front/rear or 25/75 front/rear. But it can also be locked (called Emergency Drive) to split power 50/50 front/rear. Unfortunately the Quadratrac has an offset output shaft on the rear, requiring an offset rear axle (think Land Rover axles, the way the center diff is offset to one side). So your stock axle is centered and wouldn't work well as the driveshaft would be running at a compound angle (both down and to the side).

The good news is that your TH400 can be adapted to fit your D20 with a swap of the transmission tail shaft and an adapter. The bad news is the adapter itself is a bit expensive. Read Novak Adapters information on this setup: http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/th400.htm

 

Oh, if you have access to a TH400, use it. The TH400 is an excellent transmission. I would adapt the Dana 20... the BW1339 (Quadratrac) has an offset output, in-line with the front driveshaft, and I predict you would have driveshaft angle problems with your existing axle.

Here's more info about the Quadratrac: http://jubileejeeps.org/quadratrac/index.htm

The Quadratrac is a great transfer case, and was revolutionary in its day. Today it suffers from a crippling lack of service parts. Typically, if your Quadratrac is broken, you need to find a few junk ones to put together a working example.

I think that once you fix up the Quadratrac (new chain, maybe some other parts, possibly a part-time kit) you'll have as much in it as if you converted the TH400 to the Dana 20. I'd use the Dana 20 in your case. D20s are common as dirt in the USA, and parts are cheap and widely available.

The 360/TH400/D20 combo in a CJ-6 will be really great - you'll like it. Think about upgrading the brakes though ... the factory 11" brakes are fine, but with an automatic transmission, you'll probably want a little more stopping power.

 

Also, with the TH400, I would advise that you refresh the transmission when you swap in the tail shaft for the D20 adapter. The transmission will have to come completely apart for the swap (the tail shaft is the last thing to come out of the case), and putting new wear parts in the transmission seems an obvious step.

Don't be too negative about automatic transmissions... the TH400 is very very rugged and will last a long time if serviced properly. Servicing an automatic transmission requires no great insight ... just take it apart and put it back together the same way. Keep everything scrupulously clean, and keep track of what goes where. Piece of cake.

 

Also, there is a complete 1976 Jeep factory service manual here: http://oljeep.com/edge_parts_man.html

The '76 manual covers the 360, TH400, Quadratrac, and the Dana 20. This will give you an idea of what these parts look like and how they go together.