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EA82 parts swap into a EA81?


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Since my 89 GL-10 turbo wagon's engine is toast, I am considering towing it home to use as a parts car. I will probably not fix it, since a new engine will cost about what the whole car is worth. I have my 87 brat and was wondering what parts are interchangable. I'm pretty sure the alternator will swap. If I keep it for parts, I may do the rear disc conversion. What else will be usable for the ea81? Starter? Half-shafts?. I figure it'll cost me $150 to get the car home (it died ~100 miles from home), so if i can pull more than that in parts from it, I'm set. What else will swap? Keith

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the seats will work too.. there may be some modification necessary on the seat rails.. can't remember.

 

 

However. I think it would be a shame to see yet another rare turbo touring wagon go to the dogs simply because of a bad motor.

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I dont want the car to go to the dogs either, but if I will have to spend $2K on fixing this one, or spending $1000-$2000 on a known good car, I'll have to go with the known good. With a wife and twin one year old daughters, I guess I have to make some tough choices.

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my opinion is take the parts you want, and sell the touring wagon to whoever would want it as a project car.

 

the full time 5spd will fit in the ea81 following the standard 5spd swap procedure. the rear discs will swap. the whole rear trailing arms will swap with gentle modification(read:swaybar)

 

the alternator will fit the same also.

 

the only issue about using the trans will be the 25 spline doj. if the doj will swap onto the ea81 axle, then its a go.

 

if you can cut and weld, you can relocate the ea82 lower control arm mount onto the ea81 crossmember, and use ea82 lowe control arm, and therefore use your ea82 turbo 25 spline axles. you can even use the whole ea82 strut/knuckle/brake if you modify the ea81 strut cap to fit the ea82 strut/spring assy

 

OR, you can simply put the ea81 carb motor into the touring wagon, if you want to keep driving it till you find a motor.

 

my opinion you should invest in tearing the turbo motor down and fixing(most likely the head gaskets) whats wrong with it. did it up and die or go out slowly? maybe it only busted a timing belt....

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

hey spideys sorry I could not take that thing off your hands. I have too many cars now.

I still have all the parts needed to build another good motor and the RX that I was going to build it for is gone now.

if you want I can put it together and in for you for a verry reasonable price. I know I offered this before but its still here if you want it.

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  • 8 months later...

I know this is a little old but I ended up with this car. Can't really complain. It was free. Let me tell you, This thing was thrashed! Engine wise that is. Both heads were cracked, thermostat was stuck wide open. That would explain why the car never got hot. Radiator was shot. The timing belts were so cracked I don't know how they had not broke. Cat was burned out. Muffler was rotten. I spent somewhere between $200 to $300 on parts to get this car working again. I think it was worth it. It seems like a pretty good car. I noticed that in earlier threads it was indicated that this touring wagon had a stick in it. It has the 4 speed auto in it. Feels kind of weak when it shifts from 3rd to 4th. I still need to service it. Lucky for me I had a 87 GL10 wagon for parts. It had a bad auto tranny. Now it runs real good. Probably better than it has in years. Now I just need to get it to pass a smog check and it will be time to sell this baby!

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