Mk2 gearing

[gs1]

Hello

I'm hoping someone can help me with this question.

My wife had a 2000 mk2 18i S which she bought new, one of the last 5 speed cars. It's a bit tiring on motorways. Just after she got it I enquired at the dealership about fitting the new 6 speed box. I was told that the overall gearing was the same, but the extra 6th gear allowed closer gearing as opposed to higher gearing. In effect, 6th in the new box was the same ratio as 5th in the old box so the overall gearing was the same.

Can anyone tell me if this is correct please?

Thanks.

[Cardo]

Hi

The 6 speed box actually has a slightly shorter top gear than the 5 speed. 0.843 6th gear ratio versus 0.813 5th gear.
The 6 speed box just gave a closer stack of ratios than the 5 speed and the lowered RPM at motorway speed was down to final drives. 3.63 UK / 3.9 JDM versus 4.1 in UK 5 speed.

Cheers.

[gs1]

OK, but now I'm confused!

Are you saying that a mk2 1.8 with a 5 speed had a different final drive ration to the 6 speed version when both cars would have been bought in the UK?

[Cardo]

Yes
A UK Mk2 5 speed will have a 4.1 final drive. The vast majority of UK 6 speeds will have been fitted with a 3.63 rear end. (Few exceptions such as 10AE based on JDM car with 3.9).

Hope this helps!

[gs1]

This is very helpful, thank you.

I just have a couple more questions if that's OK?

Does the 1.6 have the same diff ratio as the 1.8?

Is it significant that the 1.8 has a LSD?

Is an axle with a LSD identifiable from the outside?

[SAS Tom]

I think 1.6 diffs can be different final drives as there are some 4.3’s about.

You can’t tell an LSD from the outside but if you have one keep the LSD.

[Cardo]

The Mk2 1600’s all had 4.1 final drives and none of them came equipped as standard with an LSD.
JDM 1600 MK1 and early UK 1600 mk1’s came with a 4.3 final drive,however,this was the small case diff with 6” crown wheel instead of the later more robust 7” unit.

……back to Mk2 LSD’s ! Most definitely worth having for enthusiastic road driving or track use.
There’s no external way of identifying if an LSD is fitted but by removing one driveshaft and having a look inside it’s possible to tell if the diff is a Torsen type 1, Torsen type 2 , Tochigi Fuji super LSD or an open diff.

Hope this answers your questions

[wildoliver]

Just to clear a few points up. A 2000 is far from the last of the 5 speeds, they continued using 5 and 6 speed boxes up to end of nb production in 2004. What you do have is the last of the pre facelift nb.

To get the longer legs you want the 3.6 diff and the 6 speed box. It would most likely be cheaper to buy an svt and sell yours, but you can have the gearbox and differential fitted albeit the parts aren't cheap. Diffs come in torsen and Fiji versions, don't worry too much about that right now.

[gs1]

Thanks very much for the replies and information.

I thought that the 6 Spd replaced the 5 Spd, I didn't know that the 5 Spd was still used after the face lift version came out.