B16a gearbox differences between markets

**Harlski** · 22-10-2014 08:51 PM

Hi guys,

I'm having a rather difficult time trying to find specific information relating to the gearbox I have and what I want to do with it. Just wondering if anyone here might know?

I have a 94 CRX B16a2 engine with Y21 gearbox.
I want to play around with the ratios to get the revs down on the freeway, but I can't work out how many variants of these B series gearsets there are.

In the worst case, I don't know whats the same and whats different between AUS/NZ, USDM, JDM and EUR market gearboxes, and whether gearsets from b16 and b18 can be interchanged.

At the end of the day I want to change out my 5th gear ratio to a .714 or a .787 to adjust for a different final drive - is this possible in my gearbox?

I can get these from the US or the UK intended for a B18 - but I don't know if any are useful.

Any help on this would be a huge help to me.
Thanks.

**chez00** · 24-10-2014 10:36 AM

Yes pretty much all hydraulically-activated-clutch B series gearboxes are interchangeable. The late S80 from the 1998+ DC2R has a different countershaft/1st gear setup but can be made to work with the right combination of bits. I'd be happy to help you out with any parts, ratio selections etc. Feel free to give me a call and discuss what you're trying to achieve. 0four07 six98 6eight2.

**Harlski** · 26-10-2014 07:42 PM

Hi Chez, Thanks for the response, i might call on you at some point when I dig further into things.

I pulled the gearbox apart today, turns out I have a Y21 box with Y1 internals?? - that is I have a .875:1 5th gear and a 4.266:1 final drive - which goes against everything I found on the net up until that point leading me to believe I had the 0.848:1 and the 4.4:1.

Were the Australian delivered CRXs fitted with JDM gearboxes? I kind of need to work this out so I can buy the correct countershaft for the diff change - because I believe the JDM shafts are different to the others.

**chez00** · 28-10-2014 10:01 AM

Hmm my knowledge of earlier B's is not as strong but I think I have come across this before. Is there 2 separate bearings on the rear of the countershaft (under the lock nut) or one single integrated bearing?

**Harlski** · 28-10-2014 11:09 AM

I think your knowledge is way better than mine - I'm just looking at all the wrong stuff I think.
I dismantled the countershaft last night, it has a lock nut, then washer, then a bearing with groove, then a roller bearing.
At the other end under the first gear is a washer butting upto the drive pinion, and two half needle roller bearings running on the countershaft directly in a groove - the other boxes I've seen have no washer, and the bearings run on a ring collar separate to the main shaft.

**chez00** · 28-10-2014 06:30 PM

Ok so its just a normal early hydro internally. you should be able to pretty much swap whatever gear you want in and out, as long as it's hydro and pre '98. If you want the 4.78 FD from the 98+ DC2R (the collar instead of the half needle bearings) you need to swap 1st gear etc from that box too.