W58 to R154 conversion.

[SmithElite12s]

Originally I was going to get a new OEM clutch for next summer for drifting my stock 7M-GE with W58 transmission but I also have an R154 that was going to get swapped in with my (soon-to-be-)built 7M-GTE over the 2014/15 winter. Someone mentioned something to me a week ago that just made sense, "why not swap in the R154 now with a heavy clutch that can handle clutch kicking and also handle the extra horsepower?"

I already have a flywheel for it but I was wondering if my 86.5 driveshaft will work and what else I may have to do to switch it over. Does anyone have any answers, advice or even a link to a previous thread that I could look at?

Any and all help would be appreciated.

 

[slowma70]

you will need the front half of a r154 driveshaft since the w58 has a different spline count and wont fit, possibly a new r154 clutch line cause the slave cylinder is in different location.
I assume you have bellhousing for r154 right

 

[Dan_Gyoba]

Overall length of the W58 and R154 is different as well, which is why you need the whole half driveshaft, and not just the yoke. Probably easiest to change over the whole driveshaft.

If you also change over the differential to one with a compatible ratio, your speedometer will remain accurate as well. (If the R154 is from an '87 or '88 car, you need a 3.909:1 differential. If it was from an '89-'92 car, you need a 3.727:1 differential, though I would say that this is a little tall for a 7M-GE.) If your car didn't hve limited slip, changing this out is a good idea anyway.

 

[SmithElite12s]

My speedo hasn't worked in a year and I don't have much ambition to fix it since I plan on making it a designated track car. And I had the open differential welded. I was looking at maybe just going one piece shaft if the driveshaft wasn't interchangeable.