GQ Transmissions

[Maxcom]

Does anyone have anything to say about GQ automatic transmissions and the transfer case especially. How are they for performance and more importantly - reliability???

Thanks

[patch697]

Those with whom I've spoken to about this subject with auto Patrols think thay are the bees knees & most wouldn't go back to Manual. Thay work well off road but in my opinion thay do have a down side.

Thay can over heat when in harsh conditions, I personally don't like the gear ratios & thay expensive to repair or replace, at around 4 to 5k its a much bigger expense than a manual.

To all accounts the N/A TD42 guys say thay are a bit power robbing as well but go well behind the turbo TD42.

The transfer is the same as a manual as far as I know so theirs no change here.

I hope this helps answer some of your question


Cheers
Paul

[Mrowka]

This is not intended with any disrespect, but until recently I thought everyone who could drive a manual ever only drove a manual.

So why do people prefer automatics?

n.b. I do not know how to drive an auto myself. Every time I try to drive one, I terrify myself, my passengers and especially the sorry schmuck tailgating me when I slam on the brake thinking I need to put the clutch in.

[YNOT]

I have a sister in law who only ever drives manuals, and when she has tried to drive an auto, the result is much the same as what you describe!

Why do people prefer auto's, first of all, because we're LAZY. Why change gears when somebody has invented a box that can do that itself, therefore leaving the left hand (I'm in Australia) free for sending text messages, applying make up, turning pages in the book or news paper you're currently reading, or shuffling songs on the IPOD!

When it comes to four wheel driving, auto's make a lot of sense. Driving on sand there's no (momentary) loss of drive during gear changes. In soft sand that can be the difference between getting through or getting bogged.
In the sort of heavily rutted and rocky boulder strewn tracks that I like driving, being able to feed the power in gently to ease over an obstacle is much easier and smoother with an auto. In a manual you have to constanly slip the clutch to do that, and it won't be as smooth.
The main down fall of the auto off road is in steep descents. Auto's will tend to 'run away' more so than a manual vehicle. There are ways around this problem, transfer case reduction gears (lower than stardard 2.02:1 ratio) are the best fix. Or you could do what I do and just pull the handbrake up a few clicks-it works but you don't want to do it too often.

Tony

[Pitbull]

GQ Auto's , use a full synthetic ATF fluid like Castrol Transmax Z , fit the largest auto trans cooler you can get , get a shift kit fitted in the valve body , a manual torque convertor lock switch and fit a temp gauge , on a rebuild if you fit kevlar clutches they are indistructable

Mines done 230thou km and works fine in all situations
I also was a diehard manual driver when it came to 4wd's but now i just love the auto , and i cant beleive that anyone can be so incompetant to claim they cant drive an auto and mistake the brake pedal for the clutch pedal it must be just to humour us

[Mrowka]

I have a sister in law who only ever drives manuals, and when she has tried to drive an auto, the result is much the same as what you describe!

Why do people prefer auto's, first of all, because we're LAZY. Why change gears when somebody has invented a box that can do that itself, therefore leaving the left hand (I'm in Australia) free for sending text messages, applying make up, turning pages in the book or news paper you're currently reading, or shuffling songs on the IPOD!

When it comes to four wheel driving, auto's make a lot of sense. Driving on sand there's no (momentary) loss of drive during gear changes. In soft sand that can be the difference between getting through or getting bogged.
In the sort of heavily rutted and rocky boulder strewn tracks that I like driving, being able to feed the power in gently to ease over an obstacle is much easier and smoother with an auto. In a manual you have to constanly slip the clutch to do that, and it won't be as smooth.
The main down fall of the auto off road is in steep descents. Auto's will tend to 'run away' more so than a manual vehicle. There are ways around this problem, transfer case reduction gears (lower than stardard 2.02:1 ratio) are the best fix. Or you could do what I do and just pull the handbrake up a few clicks-it works but you don't want to do it too often.

Tony

OK. I personally hate having to slip the clutch and I like lugging an engine even less, so I sometimes shift down to low range and leave my hubs unlocked to maneuver myself around parking lots and the like. I can shift pretty much instantaneously and if I do slip the clutch can usually be somewhat smooth about it.

I'd love to get hold of some crawler gears, even though I have a manual.

[patch697]

I'd love to get hold of some crawler gears, even though I have a manual.

Try these blokes here:

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?300-Marks-4wd-Adaptors

Cheers
Paul

[Mrowka]

Cool, thanks.

[XLR8]

The only thing I can fault on the GQ Auto is the potential to overheat both the trans and the motor. Unfortunately your cooler lines run through the radiator and therefore will run hot under load. When I did my conversion, I fitted a cooler equal in size to the A/C condensor, bypassing the radiator altogether. I used top shelf, full synthetic Penrite and within 500K's it already had that burnt smell. Swapped it out for genuine Nissan Matic D and have had no trouble since. IMO its worth the $75+ per 5L to avoid a $4K rebuild.

As Tony said above they can be a bit scary in steep descents but a lockup conversion or applying the handbrake 3 notches can solve this.

This is the diagram for the torque converter lockup on a 3.0L GU but same principle for the Q just need to find the correct pin numbers which I can post later

[YNOT]

The only thing I can fault on the GQ Auto is the potential to overheat both the trans and the motor. Unfortunately your cooler lines run through the radiator and therefore will run hot under load. When I did my conversion, I fitted a cooler equal in size to the A/C condensor, bypassing the radiator altogether. I used top shelf, full synthetic Penrite and within 500K's it already had that burnt smell. Swapped it out for genuine Nissan Matic D and have had no trouble since. IMO its worth the $75+ per 5L to avoid a $4K rebuild.

As Tony said above they can be a bit scary in steep descents but a lockup conversion or applying the handbrake 3 notches can solve this.

This is the diagram for the torque converter lockup on a 3.0L GU but same principle for the Q just need to find the correct pin numbers which I can post later

Even with a manual torque converter lock up switch fitted, a GQ auto will not lock the converter in first gear without valve body modifications. GU will lock in first.

Tony

[Chaz]

The only thing I can fault on the GQ Auto is the potential to overheat both the trans and the motor. Unfortunately your cooler lines run through the radiator and therefore will run hot under load. When I did my conversion, I fitted a cooler equal in size to the A/C condensor, bypassing the radiator altogether. I used top shelf, full synthetic Penrite and within 500K's it already had that burnt smell. Swapped it out for genuine Nissan Matic D and have had no trouble since. IMO its worth the $75+ per 5L to avoid a $4K rebuild.

As Tony said above they can be a bit scary in steep descents but a lockup conversion or applying the handbrake 3 notches can solve this.

This is the diagram for the torque converter lockup on a 3.0L GU but same principle for the Q just need to find the correct pin numbers which I can post later

Geeezz’ the guy that designed that circuit must have been a genius!....... LOL

I think the correct pin for the GQ RE4 transmission is pin 22.

Castrol TransmaxZ is one of the best auto trans fluids suitable for the Jatco 4 speeds.

[marc b]

The only thing I can think off about getting a auto you can not bum start if you need to get on the go again. Other than that I do not see a problem with them

[uted]

Those with whom I've spoken to about this subject with auto Patrols think thay are the bees knees & most wouldn't go back to Manual. Thay work well off road but in my opinion thay do have a down side.

Thay can over heat when in harsh conditions, I personally don't like the gear ratios & thay expensive to repair or replace, at around 4 to 5k its a much bigger expense than a manual.

To all accounts the N/A TD42 guys say thay are a bit power robbing as well but go well behind the turbo TD42.

The transfer is the same as a manual as far as I know so theirs no change here.

I hope this helps answer some of your question


Cheers
Paul

agreed x2, just blew the auto in mine but down our neck of the woods 3-3.5k will get you a reco box (not sure if mines cheaper coz its a tb42e? boxs are almost identical as far as i know?) even though the autos are great i'll be putting a manual in as this will only cost me around $600- $800, should up my power and economy a little (anything is better than nothing) and i will finally have a gearbox that doesnt think that top gear is awsome no matter the situation!!

[hamad]

i think that the automatic gear nissan gq has alot of torque i saw one once in the sand dunes it was slow yet unstoppable

[Bigrig]

Love my GQ auto - first auto in 6 four wheel drives and I won't be going back ... yes, they run away a little downhill, but there are things you can do to prevent/lessen that - yes, they can overheat, but again, things can be done. Other than that, you have to weigh up how what you are doing specifically (not what everyone else is doing) and you may find that these 'problems' wouldn't affect you anyway ... on sand, auto is awesome ... on tracks, I personally love NOT having to change gears after 19 years of doing so (you can still select the gear through the transmission if you really want) ... everyone's opinion will vary based on their own circumstances. Weigh up what you will truly be doing and as an example, if you are a "hill descent bandit from hell" doing it every 2nd day, then an auto may not be for you (although you can get reduction gears etc as said) ...

Performance and reliability - no drama's thus far for mine ... and it does get a hammering (had it for 4 and a bit months, and have done Moreton Island twice, Bribie Island twice, Stradbroke Island, Beerburrum State Forest twice, and the Glasshouse region, and am away tomorrow for 3 days at Janowen Hills 4WD park, so will advise after that also - no issues with overheating, nor run away on descent to this point).