[arg11]

Hi guys,

I come from redlinegti.com have a G13B for many years and just purchased Grand Vitara 2008 3door with a M16A engine, which has gearbox problems..

I am wondering if I can get some helpful info from any member that’s knowledgeable and has experience swapping these gearboxes!?

I’m trying to identify exactly where the problem lays, as I’m investigating every part, gearbox, transfer and diffs..

Also wanted to know if and what the difference with the short and long wheel versions is? As I’ve heard one might be able to interchanged these by swapping the transfer!?

Any help would really appreciated!

Thank you in advance,

Arg

[ZUZUKI]

Hi Arg,
Welcome along!.
The M16A version is fairly rare - only in the early cars.
That engine family (M13 / M15 / M16 / M18) was only used RWD / 4WD as M13 in Jimny & M16 in SWB JB/JT Grand Vitara.
You don't want to be looking at a Jimny gearbox - completely different.

Most of the SWB JB/JT Grand Vitaras have the J24, some have J20, few have M16.
There were 1.9litre diesels, 2.7 & 3.2litre V6s - all only in LWB.
I don't know, but I would suspect that the bellhousing would be different between M & J series engines.

There are versions around with no low range & others only 2WD - although those were mostly J20/J24 LWB 5door wagons.
I would be looking for an exact specification match gearbox, which won't be that easy.
What I'm trying to say, is that there is heaps of variations of drive trains in these things, some with traction control which ties the electronics together (engine ecu, body control module & 4WD shift).
It is not going to be as simple as find a JB/JT gearbox, swap transfer, whack it in & good to go.

Good luck, Michael

[arg11]

Thanks Michael, for the reply and info!

The GV is a JTA74V.. my question came, as a friend is selling a gearbox for the 5door 2.4 version of the same year;

https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item ... l%7D%22%7D

I have an AWD versión without selector, but I got his selector and was looking at adding this and the hardness, but ofcourse this would tie in the ECU.. or does
It? ..and also installing the electronic selector on the housing.

I also acquired the workshop manual for it and looking at it, it all seems to fit, replacing a few parts, but I was more concerned about proper experiences in members.

The car has been raised and I am working underneath, with an endoscope camera atm to figure which part is jumping/crunching but it points at one of the diffs. Just can’t find traces of metals anywhere..

So.. I have found another gearbox for it with same specs for $550.. the cheapest, is that reasonable?

[ZUZUKI]

Hi Arg,

In this case, the 5door is the J24 engine - maybe just the bellhousing can swap to suit your M16 - unlikely though, as that is not the way Suzuki usually do it.
I don't have the direct experience of playing with this stuff that you are looking for, but stuff that looks like it should fit sometimes does & just as often doesn't.
The earlier Grand Vitara XL7 has 3 different gearbox output / transfer case input splines for instance, and yet they externally all look the same & bolt up the same, which is where you say "Suzuki, why the hell did you do that?"
$550 sounds like a good price - at lease I would be happy with that if I needed to find a gearbox. Better still if it is from a wrecker & has some sort of warranty?

The earlier Grand Vitara used a chain in the transfer case & these were known to jump a tooth occasionally, especially under load in sand (or if they get left in 4WD while on a hard / grippy surface) - sounds terrible, but they rarely go bang, just do it with increasing frequency.

Rgs, Michael

[fordem]

Are you sure it's the transfer case chain that makes that bang? I'm under the impression it's the dog clutch in the front differential freewheel mechanism - early production is more prone to the problem as Suzuki redesigned the tooth profile.

[ZUZUKI]

Nope, not sure - I've no idea what Arg's issues are.
You're right, the dog clutch is a more likely culprit, especially as a 1.6 doesn't stress the chain as much as a bigger, more powerful version would.
Rgs, Michael

[bob_oz]

you can fit low-rage transfer cases to the 1.6L - the grand vitara Greece forums have arduino kits to control the transfer box directly without needing to wire into the ECU etc.