quote:
Originally posted by HK1837
The trimatic power/torque/weight capacity was heavily revised by later in WB. You cannot use Commodore fitment as example, trimatic was also used as auto in 308 Torana with the same engine as HJ as was the banjo - it comes down to the weight of the car. Small Salisbury was used in 4.2L Commodore applications too.
Wide ratio M20 (later coded as M22) was the HQ 6cyl commercial box. M20 was the 6cyl passenger 4spd box and 253 4spd box across the HQ series (unless 253 optioned with M21).
It is the clutches in the manual cars that see them derated for towing.
The HQ 308 trimatic is no weaker than the latter in the WB statesman and all. they can handle more power than the aussie manual box, but you need a good cooler.
I can't say holden did the right thing with the torana banjo diff behind the big 308. i was twisting axles and blowing diffs in my 308 LH and i never did one burn out in it ever as i knew it was weak total crap.
I Had a 308 sandman and it did blow up the aussie M21's like no tomorrow and it was costing me a fortune so i put a trimatic in it for a joke thinking it would blow in 3 to 6 months but it was cheaper as i just got a 253 HZ one out of the wreckers, the torque converter ballooned leaking oil 2 years down the track but it did over 200,000km when i gave it to my dad.
The lay shaft bearing went in the 1st M21 then the next time was like 6 months later coming around a corner in 2ed then i nailed it and bang it was the input shaft gear that snapped teeth and the next was like another 6 months and it was 3rd on a straight at about 3500RPM flat out and bang one tooth snapped off the new lay shaft but got it home taking it easy. i believe that a good reconditioned box need all new gears and lay shaft, never put old gears to new unless they are real good nick behind a 308 i say but with a 202 i am sure you could get away with it. but the bastards had you over a barrel with the warranty because it did not cover broken teeth.
HQ Statesman 308 auto ? now this is the most powerful 308 or you could say the HJ was a bit more. but they did put them behind the 308 and that in it's self must prove the trimatic worthy to be there, come HJ 308 it goes to T400 and then the T350 later in the gutless HX-Z, WB, VB-C early VH 308's.
The problem they were having with the trimatic were to do with steep driveways and people reversing up them, this was sorted out later as to why.
Look at the Ford C4 Auto it was behind the 351 2 BBL up to when the last XB came out, then they went to that hopeless boring FMX slush box in the XC, now when you look at the torque figures why not just use the C4. Then they went to a B/W diff in the late 5.8L XC on and it being a 4 star HD one and all.
To drive a FMX it was like it came off the ark after you have driven a C4 and that being the best auto in the world to drive JUST MAGIC.
