5-Speed Auto in a W460

[vadimivanovich]

Factory arms & trapezoid mounts. I'm also using a factory CV-type trans output flange which should be an available item common to any 722.6 G, i.e. G500. I do not have this in my hands yet... will report back once confirmed. Obviously, this requires the use of a CV-type short-shaft & CV transfer case input flange also.

[Chris]

Or you could use a sprinter 4 bolt output flange and adapt the end of a sprinter d-shaft to your existing short shaft, like Mr. sprinter 711651 did here on his 6 speed conversion: http://www.clubgwagen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2913&hilit=6+speed+transmission+flange

Or fabricate one flange like Axle B. did in the UK: http://www.clubgwagen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=4784&hilit=flange&start=20

There are 2 flavors of MBZ drive flanges, the early type (roughly 1953-1996) and the late type (~1996-present, exclusive use of the 722.6 marks the change).

The early 'smaller' flanges came in several d-shaft bolt patterns depending on application (3 bolt for passenger cars, 6 bolt for van/early G, and 8 bolt for later G) but they all share the same output shaft dimensions of 29mm diameter with 27 splines. All 6 of the output/input shafts on a 460 are 29mm diameter with 27 splines.

The later 'larger' drive flanges also come in different bolt patterns (3 bolt for passenger cars, 4 bolt for sprinter vans, and the homokinetic flange for the G. *I think there is a 6 or 8 bolt G flange that fits a 722.6, see FSM image here: http://www.neoriginal.ru/cat/mb/part__1_44W_FG_202033_23Y_GA_722631/27_095) Im not 100% but I believe the larger flanges use a 34.6mm diameter 26 spline (same as G axle shafts), can you confirm Vadim? This is the flange used on all modern MBZ transmissions (5spd auto, 7spd auto, and various 6 spd manuals).

MBZ still uses the 'smaller' flavor of flange for t-cases and differentials.

[vadimivanovich]

Chris,

I think the 722.6 output shaft is 32mm but will check tonight. I have some CVs to compare the splines to as well.

Great info. about the flanges!

[WeizenG]

Has anyone tried using a speed gems transmission adapter for a GM 4L60E automatic?

[EHKO]

Hoping to resurrect this old thread. Wondering if anyone completed this install as I am quickly heading this direction.

[vadimivanovich]

I don't believe there is an 8-bolt flange for the 722.6 spline diameter. It would be a custom part. I may prototype some with 4130 steel this summer.

[Chris]

I'll take 2 V!
Plus a few custom 722.6 bell housings that allow that trans to bolt up to M110/OM617 please if you don't mind...

[Rocket74]

Hi

I am wondering if you can help?

I have an 84 W460 and the transmission is on its way out.
Previously I had a W463 and parts were readily available.
The transmission is a Getrag 717 400

Does anyone have experience or know anyone who has experience with rebuilding them?

I know auto transmissions can be put in, but this sound obviously more complicated!

Any advice would be great.

I’m in the New York area

[Chris]

Have you seen my post in the classifieds section?

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=15075&p=145783&hilit=Getrag#p145783

[GP_Technic]

Waking up this old thread again, albeit with a solution rather than a question.

I recently did some work on a W460 for a friend who had swapped in an M113 (5.0 V8) mated to a 722.9 (7-speed auto), both off a donor 2005 S500. The W460 transfer case was retained, as were all the axles and shafts, except for the propshaft that goes between the transmission and transfer case:

What I found installed here was a sort of Frankenstein propshaft, with a cv-joint on one end and a U-joint on the other, with both ends welded onto imbalanced and poorly machined flanges to adapt them to the 3-bolt transmission output flange of the 722.9 (which is the same as that of the 722.6 [5-speed auto]) and the 8-bolt transfer case input flange. Take a guess as to what the problem was with this setup...

Having decided there was nothing we wanted to salvage from the existing propshaft, I decided to search for a solution. By reading through several forums, it was evident that the stock U-joint shaft on the W460 was problematic, and not easy to source either. Also note that the distance between the transmission output flange and transfer case input flange was 306mm.

After a bit of Googling, I came across the cv-joint style propshaft of the G300TD W463 (P/N: A4634100502), which has an advertised length of 237mm (9.3"). These can be bought relatively cheap (approx. 130USD). This is what we decided to go with, so all that was left was to make the suitable flanges to adapt both ends to fit the application.

Once we received the shaft, I measured up the CV joint ends of the shaft, as well as the transfer case and transmission flanges and got to work modelling them in CAD:

That was followed by some 3D printed prototypes to verify that the fitment was all good:

Once the design was locked in, I did a quick FEA (finite element analysis):

Satisfied with the results, the drawings were sent to my trusty local machine shop:

And that’s pretty much it. A simple cv-joint solution to the W460 propshaft issue. If any of you think this could be useful for your application, or if you have any questions about this, let me know.