Buying a Used R154 Gearbox from Japan: Prices & Shipping (2026)
The Rundown
- Until 3 October 2026 the TSUISO parts price index row for 'R154 ミッション' showed 66 Yahoo! Auctions sales and a median of ¥100,000 (about $625), but 35 of those sales were propeller shafts, clutch sets, shift linkages or loose gears. Re-read with those removed, the row now shows 18 complete gearboxes at a median of ¥181,500 (about $1,134).
- Reading the same 66 sales title by title, 17 were used complete R154 gearboxes with a median of ¥173,000 (about $1,081) and a range of ¥100,000 to ¥250,000. Nine more were the same unit listed as new (新品) at ¥315,000 to ¥329,000.
- Two Japanese shops publish R154 prices: Summit Racing (Kanagawa) sells a rebuilt JZX90/JZX100 R154 at ¥85,000 before tax with your old gearbox as the core and no mail order, and DG-5 charges ¥110,000 before tax plus parts to overhaul a JZX100/110 R154, about 30 days, both checked 3 October 2026.
- EMS stops at 30 kg for the USA, UK, Canada and Germany and 20 kg for Australia, and Japan Post accepts motor oil in international mail only in a wooden crate or a box boarded top and bottom and banded.
- 2 of the 17 used gearboxes (sold 11 and 21 July 2026, from Nara and Kanagawa) were listed 引き取り限定, collection only, and a third title mentioned 直接引き取り, direct pickup.
Contents
Used R154 from Japan at a glance
A used, complete R154 gearbox sold for a median ¥173,000 (about $1,081) on Yahoo! Auctions, across 17 sales in the 120 days to 1 October 2026. The TSUISO parts price index, re-read on 3 October 2026, shows 18 complete gearboxes at ¥181,500 because it also counts one gearbox sold with its propeller shaft. Before that re-read the index showed ¥100,000 across 66 sales, and more than half of those were propeller shafts, clutch sets and other swap parts, not gearboxes. Getting one overseas means draining it, crating it, and staying under the EMS limit of 30 kg (20 kg to Australia), or moving it as freight.
Dollar figures use ¥160 to $1. Sold prices come from the JDM drift parts price index (TSUISO parts price index, Yahoo! Auctions closed sales; the gearbox rows were re-read on 3 October 2026).
What is the R154, and which cars had it?
The R154 is a five-speed manual gearbox built by Aisin for Toyota. Reference sources list it behind turbo straight-sixes: the MA70 Supra Turbo (7M-GTE, the only R154 car sold new in the US), the turbo Soarer, the Chaser, Mark II and Cresta Tourer V, and the Crown. In the JZX100 Chaser, it is the factory manual option for the 1JZ-GTE Tourer V, which is why our JZX100 Chaser buyer’s guide calls the five-speed cars the crown of that market.
That is why it is the default gearbox for 1JZ and 2JZ swaps. It is also why so many Japanese listings carry a long list of chassis codes in the title. Those lists are the seller’s words. We don’t confirm fitment for you. Check the maker’s listing and your own bellhousing, shifter and propeller shaft plans against the exact unit before you buy.
How much does a used R154 cost in Japan?
The index row is built from a keyword search (R154 ミッション), and the keyword pulled in everything sold “for the R154”. We read the titles of all 66 sales in the row as it stood on 1 October and sorted them, then changed the index so it counts complete gearboxes only:
| What actually sold | Sales | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| All 66 sales in the old “R154” index row | 66 | ¥100,000 ($625) | ¥30,000 – ¥329,000 |
| Used complete R154 gearbox | 17 | ¥173,000 ($1,081) | ¥100,000 – ¥250,000 |
| Same unit listed as new (新品) | 9 | ¥329,000 ($2,056) | ¥315,000 – ¥329,000 |
| Sold as junk, blown or for parts | 4 | ¥84,500 ($528) | ¥33,000 – ¥155,000 |
| Not a gearbox (propshafts, clutch sets, linkages, gears) | 35 | ¥85,000 ($531) | ¥30,000 – ¥120,000 |
| Gearbox plus propeller shaft set | 1 | ¥282,000 ($1,763) | single sale |
Yahoo! Auctions closed sales, 120 days to 1 October 2026, part only. The propshaft listings are the reason the old headline median sat at ¥100,000: many of them sold at ¥85,000 to ¥100,000, right where a buyer would expect a cheap gearbox.
For context on the swap budget, the same index shows a 1JZ-GTE engine at a median ¥508,500 (16 sales). For other swap boxes, the corrected rows (re-read 3 October 2026, complete gearboxes only) list the Z33 six-speed at ¥90,000 (7 sales) and the SR20DET five-speed at ¥87,000 (8 sales). Both are small samples, so read the titles before you lean on them.
Can you buy a rebuilt R154 instead?
Two Japanese shops publish R154 prices, both checked on the shops’ own pages on 3 October 2026:
| Option | Published price | What you get | The catch for overseas buyers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Racing (Yamato, Kanagawa), rebuilt R154 for JZX90 / JZX100 1JZ-GTE | ¥85,000 before tax | All synchro rings (1st to 5th and reverse) and all oil seals renewed | Your current gearbox is taken as the core, and the shop states it does not sell rebuilt units by mail order |
| DG-5, R154 overhaul for JZX100/110 | ¥110,000 before tax, plus replacement parts | Strip, rebuild and reassembly of a gearbox you supply | About 30 days; a quote-only teardown is ¥30,000 before tax; some discontinued parts may no longer be replaceable |
| Used gearbox from Yahoo! Auctions | ¥173,000 median (17 sales) | Whatever is inside the case | Condition is the seller’s description |
The rebuilt route looks cheapest on paper, but it is built around a car that is already in Japan: a core to hand over, a shop to drive to. From abroad, that route is quote-based. Actual cost plus a fee, and we give one total before anything is bought.
How does an R154 get out of Japan?
The gearbox and diff shipping guide covers the rules in full. For an R154, three facts decide the route:
| Rule | What Japan Post publishes | What it means for an R154 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | EMS up to 30 kg (USA, UK, Canada, Germany); 20 kg to Australia | Weigh the drained, crated unit. Over the limit means freight |
| Length | 1.5 m to the USA; 1.05 m to Australia and Germany | A gearbox fits; the propeller shaft from a “set” listing may not |
| Oil | Motor oil accepted internationally only in a wooden crate, or boarded top and bottom and banded | Drain it, and crate it anyway |
We have not found a published weight for the R154 that we would print, so treat any number you see in a forum as TBC until the actual unit is on a scale. For the general comparison of EMS, courier and sea, see EMS vs courier vs sea.
Where do overseas R154 buys get stuck?
The step that kills most R154 buys is getting the gearbox out of the seller’s hands in a state you can trust. Two of the 17 used gearboxes in our sample were listed 引き取り限定, collection only, and a third mentioned 直接引き取り, direct pickup. The seller wants a person at the door, and a proxy cannot send one. The rebuilt unit has the same wall in a different shape: no mail order, and a core to hand in.
Even when the seller will ship, the listing cannot tell you what matters. Synchro grind on second and third, bearing whine, input shaft play and the colour of the oil that comes out are not in a photograph. One of the 17 sold as “OH済” (overhauled) with internal photos. Most say 実働 (working when removed) and nothing more.
We take the collection and the check
We buy or collect the gearbox in Japan, including collection-only listings, and send you a photo and video walkthrough before you decide: shift feel through every gear, shaft play, the casing and bellhousing, the stamped codes, and the oil as it drains. Then we crate it and quote one landed total. Send us the R154 listing and your city, and get the inspection video and a landed total.
What should you check before you bid?
Read the title first
- プロペラシャフト (propeller shaft), クラッチ (clutch), リンケージ (linkage): not a gearbox
- 引き取り限定 or 直接引き取り: collection only, no shipping
- ジャンク, 部品取り, ブロー: junk, for parts, blown
- 実働外し: removed from a running car, not tested on a bench
- OH済 or リビルド: overhauled or rebuilt; ask who did it and when
Sellers often add 現状渡し (sold as is) and ノークレーム・ノーリターン (no claims, no returns). The full decoder is in reading Yahoo! Auctions drift parts listings, and the clutch that goes in front of the gearbox is covered in the best clutch for drifting. If you are also pricing the engine, our used engine shipping guide explains why an engine has no postal route at all, and duty at your end is in the import duty guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a used R154 gearbox in Japan?
As of 3 October 2026, 17 used complete R154 gearboxes sold on Yahoo! Auctions in the 120 days to 1 October 2026 for a median of ¥173,000 (about $1,081 at ¥160 to $1), ranging from ¥100,000 to ¥250,000. Counting the one gearbox sold with its propeller shaft, the TSUISO parts price index (re-read 3 October 2026) shows 18 sales at a median of ¥181,500. The old index figure of ¥100,000 across 66 sales was too low because it included propeller shafts, clutch sets and shift linkages made for R154 swaps. Units sold as junk or for parts went for ¥33,000 to ¥155,000. These are part-only prices, before collection, crating and export freight.
Can I buy a rebuilt R154 gearbox in Japan?
Yes, but not by post from the shops we checked on 3 October 2026. Summit Racing in Yamato, Kanagawa, lists a rebuilt R154 for the JZX90 and JZX100 (1JZ-GTE) at ¥85,000 before tax, with all synchro rings and oil seals renewed, but it takes your current gearbox as the core and states it does not sell rebuilt gearboxes by mail order. DG-5 lists an R154 overhaul for the JZX100/110 at ¥110,000 before tax plus replacement parts, with about 30 days' turnaround.
Can an R154 gearbox be sent from Japan by EMS?
Only if it is under the weight limit and packed to Japan Post's rules. As of 3 October 2026, EMS accepts up to 30 kg to the USA, UK, Canada and Germany, and 20 kg to Australia, with a 1.5 m length limit to the USA and 1.05 m to Australia and Germany. Japan Post accepts motor oil in international mail only in a wooden crate or a box boarded top and bottom and banded, so a gearbox should be drained and crated. Weigh the actual crated unit before choosing EMS over freight.
What do Japanese R154 listings mean by 引き取り限定?
引き取り限定 means collection only: the buyer must pick the item up in person and the seller will not ship it. In the 120 days to 1 October 2026, 2 of the 17 used R154 gearboxes sold on Yahoo! Auctions were listed this way, from sellers in Kanagawa and Nara, and a third title mentioned 直接引き取り (direct pickup). A proxy service cannot collect for you, so those gearboxes are out of reach unless someone in Japan drives to the seller.
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