300tdi disco manual to auto conversion

[madmagpie05]

Hi all. Need to pick your brains here.
My 300 tdi Manual disco is about to drop 2nd gear clear out of the box. I am considering an auto box conversion as the cost of manual rebuilds is so very very expensive. Besides the expense, She who must be obeyed can't drive the manual as 1st and 2nd are too far away and she having Non Gorilla's disease, ie her knuckles don't drag on the ground like mine do.
Question. Which Box should I be looking for and what should I pay.
Thanks
Madmagpie05

[mike 90 RR]

Hi all. Need to pick your brains here.
My 300 tdi Manual disco is about to drop 2nd gear clear out of the box. I am considering an auto box conversion as the cost of manual rebuilds is so very very expensive. Besides the expense, She who must be obeyed can't drive the manual as 1st and 2nd are too far away and she having Non Gorilla's disease, ie her knuckles don't drag on the ground like mine do.
Question. Which Box should I be looking for and what should I pay.
Thanks
Madmagpie05

Hi Madmagpie05

Can you give us the year of car & where your located .. as it will help in responding to the Q ... and give us a idea of where to shop :)

Mike

[Taz]

I'm no expert, but I think the diesel ZF 4HP22's are different than the petrol ones. If your towing, the ZF's from a Td5 D2 have lock up in 3rd as well as forth, but I dont know if they are an easy replacement as these have electrickery. You will also need a bell housing, flex plate etc.

[madmagpie05]

sorry mike I'm in melbourne and thanks taz but I think the electricery is and issue

[madmagpie05]

oh yeah it's a 95 300tdi

[B92 8NW]

I was quoted between $6,500 and $9,500 to convert my 200Tdi from [drive in] manual to [drive out] auto. These prices were assuming the existing box was in sound condition, both were +$1,000 if the box was rooted. It would have required the [rare] engine backplate to be imported from UK, but I can't see it adding any more than $500 to the above prices.

[Blknight.aus]

the auto boxes do differ but are interchangeable with some minor spanner twirling (exchange the TC housing and the TC) but the changes to the linkage setup for the Tcase can be a PITA as can mounting the selector and i ts gimmickry


make sure when ordering your parts you remember to include your dress size

[Taz]

Yes - I remember reading about a guy with 200Tdi man going to auto. He got a 300Tdi auto box but it was longer than the LT77 and he had to relocate the TC with associate prop shaft mods too. Selector wasnt too much mucking around since it was a cable type.

[Iain_B]

sorry mike I'm in melbourne and thanks taz but I think the electricery is and issue

Getting the electronic part of Swapping to an electronic controlled transmission is fairly easy. I've swapped my TH400 in my XJ-S to a 4L80E - bought an aftermarket transmission controller, plugged it in a with some tuning of the shift points etc, got it working very nicely. I've tuned mine to match the way I drive, and in the next round of upgrades will fit a paddle shifter so I can have either full manual or full automatic control. If the modern ZF can fit behind my Tdi, I'd be doing my swap with the electric controlled box anyday.