Safari Autos - Any Good??

[juz]

pritty much what the title says, what are they like offroad?
also how does 35"/36"tyres effect the changes?
do they hold there gear ok for downhill?

[flyingbrick]

Due to owning an auto safari and having issues i'd have to advise against it.

the auto's are better off road but are less reliable.

[doggoneit]

Hi, my last saf was a SWB auto. It was great but I may have been lucky - depends how well it was looked after I guess. It was more gutless up hills and stuff. The manual I now have is better - I love the change and it just feels really unbreakable. Much better up hills and on road IMHO. Personally I wouldn't go back to auto.

[haydgq]

Ive owned 3 Safari's, 2 of them were manuals and one was a auto and both the manuals (and all that i have driven) had a queer vibration low in the revs, The auto was so much smoother and no slower if used like a manual as if you just leave them in D not a lot really happens but manually flicking down and up through the gears was much better, And down the track if you ever turbo it the Auto will be better again and it will save on upgrading to a heavy clutch.

Most of the auto's need a TQ rebuild around 200-300 thou kms depending on how they have been serviced etc so there is that to consider.

[Bushrash]

Ive owned 3 Safari's, 2 of them were manuals and one was a auto and both the manuals (and all that i have driven) had a queer vibration low in the revs, The auto was so much smoother and no slower if used like a manual as if you just leave them in D not a lot really happens but manually flicking down and up through the gears was much better, And down the track if you ever turbo it the Auto will be better again and it will save on upgrading to a heavy clutch.

Most of the auto's need a TQ rebuild around 200-300 thou kms depending on how they have been serviced etc so there is that to consider.

Cool so my queer vibration at low revs,,almost a light chatter,, in my manual aint the only one its never got any worse,,,think they are just an agricultural g/box

[Mud Hog]

I found the auto too high geared for offroad. 1st was too low and 2nd too high. Got the manuel now and much prefer it. Gearing just right and much stronger. Plus the PTO option.

[darinz]

I'll go out on a limb and say I've tested a Safari auto more than anyone in NZ.
They will handle 280rwkw (over 500 engine hp) as that is what my truck had. So they are plenty strong enough.
Offroad they are very very good but you need to drive differently. With an auto you left foot brake and you will then have better control than engine braking. Engine braking is for those that haven't learnt better techniques.
I ran mine on 35 Simex all the time and it never overheated etc.

Now my auto was not the same as a standard one as I had modified it like everything else. But internally it was all off the shelf parts with the biggest mod being a manual valve body. Everything else was just upgraded to VH45 auto specs.

[mudtroll]

I had a auto safari as a daily drive/tow vehicle, asked about auto & was told they are the weak link. 1 month later torque converter crapped out. got it fixed & added a cooler drove it for 7 years, no problems. Now have a manual safari for off road out in the weekend with a 3 other safaris, auto one lost drive, had to it tow home, learnt today needs a full rebuild $3000.BUT can cost over $2000 to have a decent clutch put in.

[Herd]

Hi, Purchased a '92 Safari 4.2 EFI petrol 82,000km auto end of September 09. The only thing I could not verify was regular servicing of the auto. Oil on the dip stick looked/smelt good, gear changes were smooth, kick down good etc. Took the Safari in to have the auto serviced last week. Turns out the gear box was in advance stages of self destruction- technician said it would not have got me to Matauri Bay towing the 5.5m Mclay boat on a hot summers day. The original factory gasket was still on the g/box pan so it had never had a full service, just oil changes. Rebuild will cost $2,600. Not as great Christmas present but better now than when on holiday.
Cheers Herd

[flyingbrick]

so many failures

[DaveM]

There are fully recon'd boxes on TM for $2100, not sure where the seller is in comparison to you though

[darinz]

$2,600 is a good price. I'd also splash on a shift kit while you're at it and make sure you get a good aftermarket cooler fitted if you are towing alot.

[flyingbrick]

Remember Darin- Not everyone has 4k sitting around for un-planned 4x4 stuff like this.

[Herd]

Hi,
Collected the Safari from the transmission shop. It's had an overhaul fit, new front band, filter, planetary gear, torque converter, solenoid set and crank seal fitted. Comes with 20000km/12 month warranty.
Pardon my ignoance darinz, but what is a "shift kit"?
The transmission shop said that the heat build-up is the destroyer. Heat builds up quickly when towing when the locking plate locks up. This seems to happen around 90 to 95 kph when in overdrive. When the locking plate locks up, the revs drop 300 to 500rmp. When you slowly depress the accelerator, rather than the revs picking up quickly - you feel the Safari accelerate slowly.
I only tow long distances about 4 times a year - about 300km each time - so won't be investing in an aftermarket cooler just yet. I understand that by towing in the power mode, using the gear shift to change to a lower gear on the hills and avoid using the lock up by only using the overdrive on flat or down hill gradients (until engine braking in required), regular morning, lunch and afternoon tea brakes when travelling (give time for cooling to take place), regular fuild changes and servicing should be enough to avoid a reaccurance of another rebuild. Cheers Herd

[Muzza]

Hi. As to the comment Herd just wrote.

A couple of quick points... I might need correcting

1. The standard oil coolers particularly the early GQs used to block up with the worn particles from the lockup clutch etc so even though you might have rebuilt your tranny, your oil cooler might not be in as good a condition as new. A new aftermarket oil cooler is great cheap insurance
2. You are right when you say " overdrived locked up and low revs = heat" but the tranny slipping all the time also = heat.
The best cheap solution is you can wire up the lockup clucth so you can engage or disengage it manually and when towing or winding /undulating roads etc I have overdrive DISENGAGED and the lockup clutch ENGAGED

There is a link on here somewhere about it


http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/ ... 25&t=13694

[Muzza]

Here it is

http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/ ... 25&t=13694

[Herd]

So what causes the greatest heat buildup - a slipping torque convertor or the lockup plate when engaged?
I understand that when the lock up plate is engaged, there is an effective direct drive which means more power to the road and less lost power through the slippage. I presume the direct drive gives greater fuel economy?
Herd