Over in Whyalla, our Club’s resident intrepid Spridget adventurer Adrian Faulks is currently installing a Frontline T9 5-speed gearbox kit and is running into issues that have left him, and Frontline, bemused and confused.
Has anyone in the club attempted this on their car? I know a lot of us have Dellow Toyota T50 conversion and some of us have the US sourced ‘Rivergate’ conversion using a Datsun/Nissan box and we even have on member about to commence using the newest conversion kit from Barrett (which uses a Suzuki box) however, I’m not sure who in the club, if anyone, is running the current Frontline kit. If you are, Adrian would love to hear from you.
Situation: The gear box is sitting further back in the tunnel that Frontline say it should; however, they also say that Adrian’s work seems to be spot on in terms of installation. They (and Adrian) are bemused as to why the gearshift is not sitting neatly in the extant opening (see below).
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.spriteclub.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/T9-gearchange-position-1024x1024.jpg?resize=474%2C474&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.spriteclub.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Trial-fit-of-base-plate-1024x1024.jpg?resize=474%2C474&ssl=1)
The only solution seems to be to cut away the rear of the gear shift opening; before he takes to the car with a grinder (or an axe) Adrian is keen to hear if others have had this issue please! If you have experienced this, please drop me a line and I’ll pass your information or details to Adrian to ponder!
For those of you who followed his most recent adventures and the failed clutch on the way back from Nationals, it wasn’t the brand new clutch at all … it was the equally brand new carbon thrust block that failed. Needless to say I’ve suggested that he talks to SpriteParts about a roller bearing release block instead!