mdjdc Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Which ever way you decide to go I have both transmissions. The idea that the car will do better with the 5 spd is wrong. The gearing in the auto trans is better. I did the swap on my old gl10 turbo and saw the mileage go down 2-3 miles per gallon. It was more injoyable to drive though. I can look into shipping costs if you want me to. The auto trans will be ready to go, you just have to use your torque converter. I have the drive line too. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john in KY Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 If just the rear housing is cracked, which usually is the case, it can be fairly easily replaced. Much easier than replacing the transmission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 I think I'll be the first to point out that this is a 4EAT car since it has the FT4WD badging on the sides. Since thats the case, its cheaper to go 5-speed then find a replacement tranny because they're not very common. Actually, there are probably more 4eats in the world than there are EA 5spds. You're forgetting that the tailsection from almost any 4eat, at least pre-98, will fit. There where some minor changes made to the rear mount, IIRC, drill a few new holes in the crossmember and it works. Transmission doesn't even have to be pulled from car. I have a 93 Legacy 4EAT in my 89 GL turbo:grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baccaruda Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 If you can get pictures of the damage it might help. Or, perhaps someone else can post a picture of a 4EAT and M45 can indicate where the crack is with MSPaint/etc. M45, it sounds like this is your introduction to medium/major work on your car. You're in luck because this is all really straightforward and has all been done lots of times. If your transmission ends up needing to be replaced (or even if it doesn't ) I'd push you toward a 5-speed swap. Maybe get your transmission fixed and then think about it, less pressure that way. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4WDFrenzy Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 also the tranny has NOTHING to do with the engine starting, thats another issue on its own. Not to be a pest or start any kind of fight, but you're wrong about this. The neutral safety switch is screwed into the transmission to prevent the vehicle from being started while in gear, thus preventing damage to the vehicle or any objects in the vicinity. It is a safety feature that keeps power from going to the starter solenoid when the transmission is in any gear shift position other than >PARK< or >NEUTRAL<. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M45 Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 New Photos: Cracked transmission housing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M45 Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 More cracked AT housing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M45 Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 Busted drive shaft U joint: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M45 Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 Wrecked shifter cable: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M45 Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 If you can get pictures of the damage it might help. Or, perhaps someone else can post a picture of a 4EAT and M45 can indicate where the crack is with MSPaint/etc. M45, it sounds like this is your introduction to medium/major work on your car. You're in luck because this is all really straightforward and has all been done lots of times. If your transmission ends up needing to be replaced (or even if it doesn't ) I'd push you toward a 5-speed swap. Maybe get your transmission fixed and then think about it, less pressure that way. Good luck! Hope the new pictures help. I've replaced the radiator before, which I'd rate as the low end of medium work on the car. I did it with help from this board! On other cars, I've replaced water pumps, rebuilt 4-barrel carburetors and helped a friend take an engine out and put a new one in. I've decided to try to get it home tomorrow and I'll be able to make better pictures then and get parts of to get a better assessment of damage. Everyone who is helping out is real cool! Happy New Year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Looks to me like its just the tailshaft that is cracked, which is easy to replace and easy to find the part to replace it with. -Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4x4_Welder Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 (edited) I'm in the middle of that exact repair right now. Very easy, get a tailhousing from a junkyard or someone on here. I think Turbone has one. Same for the shifter cable, and the driveshaft. Here's the pics of mine: I just jacked the car up and put it on stands, put a jack under the tranny, and pulled the exhaust, crossmember, and the piece still bolted to the tranny. Once the parts get here, I'll be throwing it all back together. If the yoke on the driveshaft isn't in bad shape, you can replace the u-joint with an EA81 one- the replacements are usually greasable. You will need to burn out the remains of the old joint, and file the staked spots so you can install the new caps. The internal snap rings should fit inside the yoke to hold the caps on the universal joint. If not, a small amount of weld will work without causing future problems. Be sure to grease at every oil change to prevent this from happening, once you replace the joints with greasable ones. On edit: Schucks has universal joints specifically for these cars now: http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=NEP&MfrPartNumber=10430&PartType=17&PTSet=A Edited January 2, 2009 by 4x4_Welder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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