What Goes Behind a 2JZ? Planning the Driveline for Our Toyota 86
Choosing the 2JZ was one of the big decisions for our Toyota 86 build. The next question was what we were going to put behind it.
For the JDA 86, we're going down the Turbo 400 (TH400) route. But choosing the transmission is only the beginning. Before the final gearbox is built, we need to work out how the complete combination will come together in the car.
Starting with the right pieces
We've purchased a Turbo 400 gearbox to use during the mock-up and fabrication stage, along with the components from Automatic Transmission Factory (ATF Speed) needed to mate the 2JZ and Turbo 400 together.
At this stage, it's a mock-up tool. It allows us to physically establish where the engine and transmission need to sit, check tunnel clearance and work out where the mounting points will need to be.
With the components in hand, we can mock up the engine and transmission together and work from how everything physically sits in the car rather than relying on measurements on paper.
Mock it up before building the final transmission
The final gearbox hasn't been built yet.
That's deliberate.
Before we get to that stage, we need to physically position the 2JZ and Turbo 400 in the 86 and work through the layout.
We're looking at things including:
Engine and gearbox position
Transmission tunnel clearance
Engine and gearbox mounting points
Driveline angle
Shifter position
Tailshaft path
Exhaust and heat clearance
Access for future servicing
There are plenty of ways to make an engine and gearbox physically fit into a car.
The challenge is making the whole package work properly.
A decision that gains clearance in one area can create a problem somewhere else. Moving the engine can affect the transmission position. Transmission position affects the tailshaft and driveline angle. Then there is exhaust routing, heat, access and everything else that eventually has to occupy the same space.
That's why we're taking the time to physically mock everything up before moving into final fabrication.
Working with Al's Race Glides
For the transmission side of the build, we're working with Al's Race Glides in Padstow.
Al's Race Glides is a well-established name in Australian drag and performance transmission circles, with its transmissions and driveline work appearing in high-performance builds across the country for many years.
For us, it's also about working with someone Jason knows and trusts.
Rather than simply ordering a finished gearbox at the beginning of the project, we're working through the car first. Once we've established how the engine and transmission sit and have a clearer picture of the complete combination, we can take that information into the next stage with Al.
That's the relationship we want with the specialists involved in this build — not simply buying parts, but drawing on people who know their area and involving them at the right stage of the process.
When the time comes, Al's Race Glides will build the final transmission for the JDA 86 around the requirements of the combination.
How much do you show?
One of the reasons we're documenting this car is to show more of what actually goes into a performance build.
We'll share the parts we're using, the businesses we're working with and the thinking behind some of our decisions.
What we won't be publishing is every measurement, specification or fabrication detail.
There's a balance between showing the process and giving away the work that goes into developing it. As the build progresses, some of those details will become part of what we've learned through doing the conversion ourselves.
For anyone following the build, you'll still see plenty.
You'll see the car mocked up. You'll see fabrication happen. You'll see the parts and suppliers involved. And when something changes along the way, we'll be honest about that too.
Where we're at now
For now, we have the 2JZ direction locked in, the Turbo 400 ready for mock-up and the components needed to bring the engine and transmission together.
The next job is getting everything into the car and establishing where it needs to live.
There's no rush to manufacture progress just for an update. The 86 is being built alongside the normal work coming through our Moorebank workshop, and we'll pick the story back up when there's something worthwhile to show.
Next up: mock-up, measurements and finding out exactly what we're working with.
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