It's hardly fair to compare a manual gearbox to an auto. If a toploader had a torque converter instead of a clutch in front of it you wouldn't be snapping input shafts then.

Pete.

Plus how old is the poor old t loader???

[quote="EBXR8380 Plus how old is the poor old t loader???[/quote]

Too right, My Loader is in it's fourth car now and still going strong. It's still the least expensive manual gearbox that's tough enough to survive. If that's not enough you can still find bullnose Loaders for less than $2000 that'll take just about anything. Anyone that says toploaders are over rated has his hand on it!

Pete.

His toploader was factory with the car XA GT and had been rebuilt twice @ a cost of around $1500 from memory. Within a 3mth time frame.

Pete : I wouldn't go as far as saying you won't hurt input shafts if you have a torque convertor. I've twisted my far share of c4 input shafts. Two of which were billet. I wouldn't consider the car all that the time it was doing it either. Best pass at that time was 11.9@113mph. Given enough time the input shaft would have twisted around enough to snap just like a toploaders.

Manuals are harder on driveline components we all know that. Auto's assist in leveling out the amount of pressure being put on the driveline. Remember a convertor multiplies torque where a clutch doesn't. Due to this the auto gets plenty of punishment.

We figured out the toploader is limited to around 230rwkw with around 7000-8000n tractive effort before it'll fail. The XA had between 250-290rwkw depending on tune and 9000-10000n tractive effort.

I was twisting the c4 ones with 9000n tractive effort.

Vik : A toploader will generally last a very long time. Power output and driver abuse determines that time frame.

Well no I wouldn't say that you'll NEVER twist an input shaft on a Loader because it has a torque converter. But, it is far less likely, even with the torque multiplication of the converter because it is a much more progressive application of the torque. $1500 for a rebuild of a toploader even if he had to replace an input shaft is too damn much.
Your mate could have bought a TKO-600 and stayed manual too.
I have a friend with a 347 XW that has 302rwkw(does low 11's) and he has only just snapped his first Loader input shaft but that was with 10" slicks at the drags. Consider my toploader which has survived my 260rwkw iron headed 351C and is now behind my mild 351w and previously spent many years behind a much tougher 351w in my XR and about year behind someone elses 351C.

Cheers,
Pete.

I don't know how you blokes break input shaft's mine useto push the bearing through the input shaft retainer.

f**k

You saying you got one,fcuk that is

vik...

gday pete,,
'
whats this rwkw s**t,,''speek english''

i have a single rail behind a 351 clevo and it does have a lock out on reverse you must push the shifter down wards to be able to select reverse ive also had a top loader behind a tuff 302 was awsome but now im more keen on a C4 auto fully manualised