The state of my conversion so far...

[Guest GeneralDisorder]

Well - I posted the latest pictures from my driveway to my site:

 

<a href="http://www.ultimatevirgin.com/cropperr/" target="top">http://www.ultimatevirgin.com/cropperr/</a>

 

Click on "Parts Wagon Dissasembly"

 

(I know - I need to work on my site, but it's functional at least...)

 

Anyone who's interested in doing a 2WD to 4WD conversion would be interested to know what I've run into so far. The diff hanger nuts are already in the frame - they weren't bieng used for anything at all, but they are there! I'll run a tap into them and clean out the grime before I use them tho. The hole for the height adjusting bolt is there too - under the seat, with it's little rubber plug still in it. The tranny tunnel opening to the interior (where the ****er comes through into the cab) is radically different in size. I'm sure it's nothing a little bit of sawzall action can't take care of, but the 2WD's opening is WAY smaller, and the wrong shape. I would have to measure some more, but it looks like the shifter on the 2WD comes through the floor farther back than the 4WD's does. Never noticed that when driving, but it's probably a good 6 inches difference.

 

Anyone have any sugestions for shock / strut brands? The shocks from the parts car are so bad that I can compress them by hand (with no effort), and they will not expand on their own

 

I'll comback and update this thread when I get the 2WD dismantled as well.

 

Any comments / sugestions are welcome

 

GD

[Guest SubaruJunkie]

Looking good. Looks like theres still alot of work to be done, but you seem like your on the right track.

 

-Brian

[Guest oobnuker]

How old is this car? On my '90 Loyale, there is a plate in the shifter area that is stamped "2wd this way, 4wd this way" and it is reversable to take care of the difference in the positioning.

[Guest baccaruda]

it's an EA81 vehicle.. EA82s don't have that adjustment under the rear seat for the torsion bars cause they don't have them.

General, have you thought about getting the shifter cutout from a 4wd to use as a template or weld-in piece? good luck.

[Guest GeneralDisorder]

Guess the site is a bit confusing, since there's no text or anything. The car being torn apart is a 4WD, so yeah - I've got the 4WD shifter plate peice - I'll do something about it. The only real concern I have is that the 2WD tranny and stuff has to go in the parts car so I can sell it to a friend of mine who wants a commuter. So I'll have to figure out a way to get the 2WD shift boot mounted to the 4WD tunnel. Heh - that's probably not something anyone around here has tried before! Turning a 4WD into a 2WD no less. I'm sure it will work out in the end. Actually - I'm making goo progress I think. I do still have a ways to go, but the parts car is now completely torn down - at least as far as it needs to be to donate it's 4WD, and get the 2WD put in. Tommarow I'll probably start tearing the 2WD apart as well. At least I don't have to drop that heavy diff again! At some point I'll have two silver 84 wagons with no drive train on jack stands in my driveway. Pretty cool - it's starting to look like a subaru mechanic lives here. I'm pretty sure my neighbors either hate me, or think I have gone completely insane. There's 6 cars in the driveway, or on the street in front. hehe

 

GD

[Guest MilesFox]

one thing i remember about chopping out my trans tunnel is: if you can scrape away much of the "tar" coating, i believe the boot hole area is a stamped piece and spot welded in. it may be possible to scrape away the gunk and find the spot welds, drilling them out and chiseling the metal piece out. if you get under the car you should see what i am talking about. its a foggy recollection, but worth taking a look for next time you are in or under the car!

[Guest GeneralDisorder]

Hhhmmm - I'll take a look at that - thanks Miles. How did you do the 4WD shift selector mount? It's a spot welded peice that has two nuts in it, and allows the mounting of the 4WD dual-range selector. It's not present in my car.... It is in the 4WD tho - Guess I'll have to drill and cut to remove it, then put it in my car eh? Heh - more work for me!

 

And another thing - what about the lo-range light? In my 2WD, the wires don't seem to be present for the lo-range switch on the D/R selector. I have the switch, but nothing to hook it to. Pretty sure my dash has the light..... oh well - guess it doesn't matter that much really.

 

GD

[Guest MilesFox]

i couldnt tell you about the 4wd lever, because mine was 2wd and it has a 5spd dr ea82 tranny now. on the donor car follow the lo range wires, there may be a plug in on the 2wd somewhere behind the center console. that is just a guess, but its worth a shot. i would think that whatever came out of the 4wd should fit on the 2wd's, but its however far you follow it into the wiring harness to fins something similar.

 

ask bratsrus1 (jerry) he may know about the 4wd levers, he modifies them for ea82 trannys in ea81 bodies

[Guest GeneralDisorder]

Ah - that's a good idea to follow the wires on the donor car - I may just try that.

 

Tonight a friend and I pulled the 2WD's tranny - pretty easy actually - just a bitch cause it's so damn heavy. One thing I noticed right off having them next to each other, is that the 2WD tranny is basically the same as the 4WD tranny, with a different "tail" on it. Except the 2WD is a 5 speed. Got me thinking.... is there any way to put that fifth gear into the 4 spd D/R? Probably not, or someone would have done it by now, but heck - I figured I would ask. At least someone might know what the reason is for that not working?

 

GD

[Guest MilesFox]

i believe i read something that either the 4wd gear or the hi/lo gear takes the place of what would be the 5th gear on a 2wd, hence the 4wd being only a 4 spd. it makes sense, and i believe it, but i dont know anything about that in particular. but i bet if you crack open both trannys you will see a LOT that is similar, and may even swap out.

 

at least messing with ea81 4wd swaps you dont have to piss with that dern 2-pc driveshaft, which is a B to do with anything short of small fabrication equipment!

 

good luck on the rest, once you get the shifter hole figured out then the rest should be cake. at least its not an rump roast-o-matic, one would be a behemoth to wrestle around