"diesel" t-case gears

[Chuck78]

you can go more, but not a lot more. its because of the relation of the 3 gears. every time you add a tooth to the input, you have to add one or two to the output to keep the spacing correct. every tooth added to the input decreases the ratio .009 because of the 1 tooth increase on the output. hence why adding a separate gear on the counter shaft for the input is desirable. then you don't have the same relation between the input, counter and output gears on the high range.

 If you get a chance, could you check and see what the lowest high range you could get would be? According to your solid works mock-up...
That would be much appreciated, and could end this constant wondering if this is even a viable quest...Otherwise, some 41/12 diff gears may e in order...
Does Sumo make diff gears at all (since multiple Samurai diesel owners have had contact with them already about a custom run)?

 

[k1n3k]

Without changing the layout of the gears or modding the case, it looks like 1.39:1 is about the limit. Without making some blanks to see how much I can clearance the case to fit, that's the best I have. But even then, the drop still isnt going to be much more. Maybe 1.37:1

But, if the input gear is shifted towards the center of the shaft, and the counter shaft has a third, dedicated input gear added to the middle, it can actually be set up as an overdrive unit if desired with a stock case. It would also likely be stronger than factory as it better distributes the load to both of the main case halves rather than just the center housing on the input. I've emailed sumo about that, no response yet.

 

[Chuck78]

Without changing the layout of the gears or modding the case, it looks like 1.39:1 is about the limit. Without making some blanks to see how much I can clearance the case to fit, that's the best I have. But even then, the drop still isnt going to be much more. Maybe 1.37:1

But, if the input gear is shifted towards the center of the shaft, and the counter shaft has a third, dedicated input gear added to the middle, it can actually be set up as an overdrive unit if desired with a stock case. It would also likely be stronger than factory as it better distributes the load to both of the main case halves rather than just the center housing on the input. I've emailed sumo about that, no response yet.

Wow... making an overdrive range into the Samurai case?!? That's some serious ingenuity there, I would have NEVER thought of brainstorming anything of that sort... genius!  Now, let's see if Sumo could pull something like that off, or would want to put the engineering R&D into it... That'd be a HUGE game changer for the Samurai diesel swap crowd...Sounds like that might be expensive though, moving gears around on the shaft, and modifying the t-case shifting operations...

I'm going Toyota on mine as I have a Land Cruiser R151F trans and splitcase transfer case, but I'd still be interested in these for a second more budget oriented build of a Samurai stretched pickup cab conversion, using my 1.6TD and Sidekick 16V 2wd transmission... a 3 speed transfer case with overdrive and 2 underdrives...genius!

 

[Chuck78]

Has anyone pursued this any further whatsoever????

It really seemed to me that having a 41/12 3.42 ring and pinion diff gear set made up would be the best solution here at this point, that way you can still run 4:1 Samurai transfer case gear options or whatever deeper ratios there are without affecting the high range beyond 10% or so additional underdrive...

41T ring gears are already made, so it might just be a matter of making then slightly thinner to run a 12T pinion gear vs the standard Samurai 11T pinion...



I'm currently trying to make arrangements to import a Santana-built 1989 LWB Samurai from Spain to the USA.  I asked the owner if he sees any of the 1998 or so through 2005-ish diesel SJ419D or SJ419TD Samurai models over there being parted out, in hopes of finding some of these NLA Santana/Suzuki gears to import to the USA... His response:

"Finding a scrapped Samurai here is difficult. There are diesels, but they always command a premium price, and are rare. Same with the long body original Vitara. Diesels very rarely come up for sale."

Santana was originally a joint venture company with Land Rover, to have Land Rovers assembled in Spain to avoid import taxes.  In 1985, Suzuki bought a 20% stake in the company, and they also started making Spanish-built Samurai/Jimny models.  In 1989 or thereabouts, Suzuki bought up more of the company, and was now owned 49% of the company.
Land Rover parted ways with Santana in the late 1990's approximately, and in 2005, the regional government of Southern Spain bought out Suzuki's share, with Iveco making their vehicles there until bankruptcy in 2011... so no more chances of OEM diesel diff gears whatsoever from Suzuki, as they were only made at the Santana plant in Spain.

 

[k1n3k]

I pitched the idea of the 3.42 gears to SumoGear, but he fell off the face of the earth after that. I am thinking that Yukon Gear might be the next company to bother. they already build gear sets for samurai axles, so I KNOW they have the tooling.

 

[warren_bc]

I'm running the 6.5 gear set in the case, which works out to 20% lower in High Range. Adding 31 inch tires, my speedo is just right. Giving that the 1.6 runs at its sweet spot at 3000 rpms, It 'feels' good running down the road at 55. Now adding some Music, like Old western mocho theme music, from Clint Eastwood movies, say "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly", or  Bananza....turned up high with the top down, And, givin the ability to drive on the shoulder on the highway while I"m being passed by Every Tom, Dick, and Harriet....well, Lets just say.....I'm Good....I'm Gooood!

 

[Chuck78]

A buddy Chris just passed some exciting info along to me! 

He's been getting the pieces together to do a diesel Samurai build for a few months, and was hesitant to run a Toyota transmission as his body is very clean and original, and he didn't want to have to modify his pristine transmission tunnel and floor pan. 

I told him about the Santana-built SJ419D & SJ419TD diesel powered Long Wheelbase Samurai models in Spain/Europe having NLA/obsolete 3.42 differential gears to suit the needs of diesel engines which generally always run at lower RPMs than the little Suzuki high revving gasser engines.

Chris actually searched extensively enough to find some used SJ419 diesel differentials (complete axles), but freight across the ocean for the whole assemblies would be very prohibitive.

Well, now he's turned up a Samurai/Jimny/SJ aftermarket company in Europe who sells brand new SJ413/Samurai 41/12 ring & pinion sets, the 3.42 diesel ratio!
They are quite spendy at $978 for a front & rear set, but if wanting to retain a built Samurai transfer case and not have a compound angle on the driveshaft ("crooked shaft") if running a Sidekick Tracker X-90 4wd transmission + aftermarket slip yoke eliminator kit, these gears will allow a better option for diesel swappers  [idea]


This is a pretty sweet setup for those not wanting to mod the trans tunnel and wanting to keep the Samurai case.  6.5 gears being available for the Samurai transfer case is pretty phenomenal, as most t-cases in my realms have maximum low range gear availability of only 4.7:1, 4.0:1, or 3.1:1.... This will also allow people to run 31" or 33" tires and still have good TD/TDI highway RPMs and speeds with stock or 6.5 t-case gears  8)

This also gives you the opportunity to run 31" tires + stock Samurai transfer case + Sidekick Tracker X-90 8v or 16v 4wd transmission with the Track/'kick case as a doubler setup running 4.7:1 low range Sidekick Tracker aftermarket low range gears while still retaining the 1:1 Track/'kick high range... VERY NICE!

Are those doubler kits still commercially available new to run the Samurai divorced transfer case married to a Sidekick Tracker X-90 4wd transfer case? ? ? ?
Edit: here's the DIY version of the kit, the guy has a Facebook page but no website. I'm uncertain how they connect the Sidekick output to the Samurai input,but I believe it uses parts of both original driveshafts welded together.

https://www.facebook.com/dualtcase/

Apparently running a Toyota W56 is shorter length (longer rear driveshaft by an inch or 2) vs stock Samurai transfer case location, but the W56 rear output is a lot higher than the Samurai rear output, resulting in a greater u-joint angle on stock wheelbase at least.

 

[k1n3k]

I actually built my doubler off of that exact kit, he even has a few pics of mine on his page. The sidekick t-case slip yoke has the exact same spline as the input shaft of the samurai t-case. It uses the splined section of the sidekick slip yoke to mate the two. If you have any questions about building the doubler, post them and I'll answer them. They are pretty easy to build to be honest.