Technical 131 Gearbox swap

[Twink80]

I stumbled on this and its a really well article on swapping the std 124 gearbox for a 131/Brava 5 speed
It also turns out this mod had been done to my car before I bought it. The good points were the rare Abarth shifter was fitted, the bad points were the sheet metal mods to the trans tunnel weren’t!! The carpet was just flopped over an open hole above the transmission so you could see the gearbox when the flap was lifted!

Great article well worth a read on the Fiat Mirafiori site. Finding a 131 gearbox on the other hand……..good luck!

Fiat 124-131 Transmission Swap FAQ

Date: 10/07/2005
Subject: Fiat 124, Installing a 131/Brava 5 speed transmission.
Resources: Mirafiori forum members and first hand experience.

 

[bugsymike]

I stumbled on this and its a really well article on swapping the std 124 gearbox for a 131/Brava 5 speed
It also turns out this mod had been done to my car before I bought it. The good points were the rare Abarth shifter was fitted, the bad points were the sheet metal mods to the trans tunnel weren’t!! The carpet was just flopped over an open hole above the transmission so you could see the gearbox when the flap was lifted!

Great article well worth a read on the Fiat Mirafiori site. Finding a 131 gearbox on the other hand……..good luck!

Fiat 124-131 Transmission Swap FAQ

Date: 10/07/2005
Subject: Fiat 124, Installing a 131/Brava 5 speed transmission.
Resources: Mirafiori forum members and first hand experience.

I can't remember if they did a five speed RWD Lada gearbox which may be still available, as most of it was Fiat 124 based.I rebuilt a few whilst working at a Lada Dealership, but I don't recall any major engineering flaws, but it was a long time ago.

 

[124BC1]

I stumbled on this and its a really well article on swapping the std 124 gearbox for a 131/Brava 5 speed
It also turns out this mod had been done to my car before I bought it. The good points were the rare Abarth shifter was fitted, the bad points were the sheet metal mods to the trans tunnel weren’t!!

If I am remembering correctly, only the 131 Sport/Racing 2 litre version of the 131 had the Abarth shifter as standard.
But iirc this was almost the same design as the extension housing and it's gearchange internals as used on the 124 Sport/Spider 5 speed transmission in the 1970's to early '80's. (afaik, the 2 extension housings are not interchangeable, 131 gearboxes are very different to 124 'boxes, Pininfarina Spiders from c.'83? to '85 used 131 type 'boxes).

A useful mod to do on the 124 Sport/Spider transmission is to reduce the height of the standard/stock gear lever/stick by iirc approx 50mm - this makes it feel just like the 131 Sport/Racing Abarth shifter in use i.e. slightly shorter throw but with a slightly heavier action.

 

[bugsymike]

A useful mod to do on the 124 Sport/Spider transmission is to reduce the height of the standard/stock gear lever/stick by iirc approx 50mm - this makes it feel just like the 131 Sport/Racing Abarth shifter in use i.e. slightly shorter throw but with a slightly heavier action.

I recall shortening the gear lever was a popular cheap mod on many cars in the early 70s, also conversely a gear lever extension from memory used on classic minis along with a similar length extension to the front mounts of the drivers seat to allow a more stretched out driving position for taller drivers.

 

[124BC1]

I recall shortening the gear lever was a popular cheap mod on many cars in the early 70s, also conversely a gear lever extension from memory used on classic minis along with a similar length extension to the front mounts of the drivers seat to allow a more stretched out driving position for taller drivers.

@bugsymike
Talking of classic Minis:-
Do you remember the rubber blocks with the offset holes and a slit in the side that fitted over the seat frame tubes to raise the seat up at the rear, the blocks could be rotated and because of the offset hole gave a choice of 3 different amounts of lift.

Do you remember the small curved gear lever extensions that fitted on the standard gear lever and accepted the original tapered gear knob - this was to bring the gear lever nearer to hand, 1st was a long reach otherwise (later Minis had a curved gearlever instead of the original straight one).

Do you remember the rubber slip-on extensions for the dashboard toggle switches or the aftermarket switches with the very long levers?
(essential if you had fitted those new-fangled seat belts, fixed not inertia-reel of course in those days).

Do you remember the accessory accelerator pedal extension to allow for 'heeling and toeing' (I have one somewhere, it was marketed by either SPQR or Paddy Hopkirk accessories.
Also the clamp-on knob for the steering wheel so you could steer faster, if you couldn't afford one of the huge variety of aftermarket smaller steering wheels (plus extra for the necessary mounting boss kit).

Do you remember the little flower vase that attached to the lower screen surround using a sucker?

Or seeking out cylinder heads with the coveted 12G295 casting number as these were supposedly the best heads to modify?
Or fitting a LCB (long centre branch) exhaust coupled with a 'Big-Bore' Peco exhaust box at the rear...

 

[bugsymike]

@bugsymike
Talking of classic Minis:-
Do you remember the rubber blocks with the offset holes and a slit in the side that fitted over the seat frame tubes to raise the seat up at the rear, the blocks could be rotated and because of the offset hole gave a choice of 3 different amounts of lift.

Do you remember the small curved gear lever extensions that fitted on the standard gear lever and accepted the original tapered gear knob - this was to bring the gear lever nearer to hand, 1st was a long reach otherwise (later Minis had a curved gearlever instead of the original straight one).

Do you remember the rubber slip-on extensions for the dashboard toggle switches or the aftermarket switches with the very long levers?
(essential if you had fitted those new-fangled seat belts, fixed not inertia-reel of course in those days).

Do you remember the accessory accelerator pedal extension to allow for 'heeling and toeing' (I have one somewhere, it was marketed by either SPQR or Paddy Hopkirk accessories.
Also the clamp-on knob for the steering wheel so you could steer faster, if you couldn't afford one of the huge variety of aftermarket smaller steering wheels (plus extra for the necessary mounting boss kit).

Do you remember the little flower vase that attached to the lower screen surround using a sucker?

Or seeking out cylinder heads with the coveted 12G295 casting number as these were supposedly the best heads to modify?
Or fitting a LCB (long centre branch) exhaust coupled with a 'Big-Bore' Peco exhaust box at the rear...

Yes, yes , yes.ha,ha.
In fairness though I was more into Fords, so it was more five main bearing crank, 1500 with from memory F12 or F11 casting marks as those were towards the ends of the casting moulds and were supposed to be thicker for oversize boring etc.
As an impoverished apprentice in early days it was putting 109E Ford Classic three main bearing crank and conrods into a 997cc Ford Anglia 105E to increase to 1340cc, unfortunately I had not thought about the compression aspect so pinked on five star and short lived. The 1500 was the best conversion on a shoe string, it fitted straight in and looked identical , all you had to do was fit the spigot bearing from the 997cc into the 1500 crank and bend the accelerator arm up roughly 5/8ths of an inch for the taller block, a s/h damaged 1500GT four branch exhaust could be repaired in my lunch break coupled to a straight through silencer to complete a very cheap flyer. The gearbox and axle stood it but the Axle tramp on hard pulling away broke leaf springs. I had a Wolsely 1500 with what looked like a bog standard 1500 BMC Gold Seal replacement still on a single SU carb that may have even been only 1,1/4inch, previous owner refused to tell me what had been done to it, but it would leave a tuned mini and a supercharged Midget in the dust, only issue was half shafts on BMC axles were like carrots, it got so I could get it up on stands shafts and diff out, drive the broken pieces out of axle , tap another kellogs cornflake diff gasket, refit with new oil in rapid time, s/h halfshafts £4 from memory.
It was a really sweet engine and with a new Smiths Revcounter it could be made to idle at 400rpm.
It rotted out in the end and I gave engine to mate for his 1622cc Austin A60, he reported back that it had never gone so fast in it's life.
We had a petrol customer that raced Hot Rods, his road car was a lime green Ford Anglia with a Lotus Twin Cam which sounded beautiful.
It was all great fun in those days, but remember most standard modern cars would leave those "sporty" versions in the dust and with brakes and suspension to match.
I forgot the air horns that were very popular in musical version to blast out the "Marseille Anthem" from five very loud horns as you shot past, that was another friend we used to race Karts with, he had a SAH tuned V4 Saab 96, the only car I have ever got car sick in, though due to rear head room when racing around bends.