Dog Leg Box?

[Widge]

Right I'm going to be putting a 2.7 in my SE when I build it and I'd like to have a dogleg gear box - the sport box isn't dog leg is it? And are there any other options?

[E30Adam]

Sport box isn't a dogleg. There is a dogleg M20 box available but it's very rare. Some 323i's came with them but I think you'll be very lucky to find one.

I'd stick with a close ratio sport box and 3.64 LSD.

[Widge]

I have already got an LSD factory fitted on my car so I don't really want to be changing it. What sort of ratios did the 323 box have?

[Toby_Unna]

um obviously it's your car and only my opinion... but dogleg pattern boxes aren't really that exciting. when i put a manual in my m535i i was sure i wanted the dogleg one, for novelty value and to make it more interesting and exotic.

soon got bored with it though. the novelty wears off and (at least on the m535i unit) the gearchange isn't great and they are a much older weaker design than the 325i boxes.

i had a dogleg close ratio as an option for my 335i but instead am having the internals from a 325i sport box built into my 535i casing and i'm happy with my choice!

with regard to the LSD what ratio is it? you might not 'want' to be changing it but you might need to if you end up with a powerful torquey engine and 5 gears all too low so u end up pulling away in 2nd every time (like i have )

[Widge]

IMO I don't think that the characterisics of a 2.7 are going to be so far removed from that 2.5 that it will nesessitate a diff change, I don't know what ratio it is. I think I will just stick to my plan of trying to get hold of a sport box before I put the 2.7 in - and if I have to change the diff after that I will - fair enough out the dog leg thing - I bet I'd get bored, then it would break!

[karlp]

I have an E36 M3 roads car with normal box and E30 M3 race car with dogleg box.

The dogleg on the road is just cr*p for practicality. Good to talk down the pub - no one else has one and that is about it.

You can get a conversion on the bellhousing to fit an M3 dogleg on the M20 engine - but personally I would stick with the sport box.

Also the fifth gear on the dogleg is usually 1:1 (i.e. same as 4th on normal box so think carefully about the diff ratio if you do change).

Karl

[johnono]

adam, how far different is the sport box to the one on my touring,.. if it was as factory