Numbchux

I don't know. I'm not super comfortable taking material off either. But when it comes down to it, it'll probably be cheaper to have it all taken off one piece, instead of some of each. I'm not putting huge power through this, so I think it should be OK. Don't know anyone with a lathe (that I know of...)...so it'll have to be through a shop. As for treating it. I have an in with Diversified Cryogenics (aka Frozen Rotors). I was talking to them years ago about cryo treating D/R internals when I wanted to put power through them. They recommended not going that route, as cryo treating means the metal can't flex, which actually makes it brittle. For transmission internals, it's not an improvement. In other news.....I found this... http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2377483 So tempting. But I think I'll run this center diff a bit first, see if it actually needs to be upgraded. Swapping it out in the vehicle is actually not very difficult.

Went back at it after dinner.... Got the RX trans pulled apart. RX pinion next to the FXT pinion: The RX pinion has a "spacer" (basically just a piece of tube) to take up the extra length. But, pull that off, and the spline adapter, and nut from the RX pinion fit perfectly on the FXT pinion. I need to get a bearing separator to get that bearing off the pinion shaft. Not the final assembly, but test fit with the FXT pinion in the RX output shaft: And, proof of concept. RX output shaft and driven gears, no swapping gearsets at all. FXT pinion. Phase 1 EJ center diff: Now. 1.592 low range gears swapped onto the RX input shaft, and in the PT4WD case, with 4.444 ring gear: It does hit, ever so slightly. The edge of the teeth on the shifting collar for low range. I need to talk to machine shops. I think I could have a little material taken off the collar and ring gear, and get the clearance I need. And, all the mechanicals laid in the one case half. So, time to talk to a few machine shops about getting the ring gear, shifting collar, and axle stubs modded for this setup. And then put it all back together. I tell you, I'm REALLY not looking forward to getting the input shaft and drive gears seated in the case. It's a PITA in a single-range trans to get the alignment pins seated in the bearings. Add in all the crap for the dual range....and it's going to suck.

This stuff has been covered at length, and I will not spoon-feed some of the really reduntant. But, 2-door and 4-speed. That means it's an EA81. That has come to be known as a hatch. The '85 Wagons were EA82s, and a very different platforms. The ER27 is much longer, and will require much fabrication to fit. and will probably chew your 4 speed to bits. IMO, it's not worth doing if you don't put a 5-speed. front 5-lug swap in an EA81 is very involved. Short story is, it'll require custom axles. Front seats do not bolt quite right into an Ea82, I know that for sure. Done right will require some modification. I suspect EA81 would be similar.

My axle rebuild write-up: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=99712 I have seen some extremely nasty OEM joints brought back to life with a good cleaning, fresh grease and a new boot (like the one pictured in the write-up, that saw 15k miles in my '88 XT6, and is now in my '89 XT6 which is being prepped for RallyX). I wouldn't bother with OEM stuff there, just costs more. Most Auto Parts stores (I frequent O'Reilly's lately) can sell you a CV Boot Kit, which includes boot, clamps, grease, and usually some misc hardware you might need to replace (snaprings, circlips, sometimes even a springpin). They're usually about $10 a piece (2 per axle, you'd need 4 to do the whole front end of your car) I've never actively swapped axles from one side to the other. I try to avoid disassembling more than I have to (one side at a time), in case something goes wrong. But by the same token, there have been a few times when doing major projects, where I've replaced both axles simultaneously without giving any though to which side goes where (RX trans swap -> 25 spline axles, then 5-lug swap, and EJ knuckles/axles on my XT6s). Anyway, I'd say you'll likely have excellent luck with a good cleaning and re-booting. Swapping axles from one side to the other is just some extra complication.

Alright, I believe I have everything I need. Couple parts will need some modifying, but it's all there (Except sealant and oil...). '88 Gl Wagon transmission. This will be the donor transmission for the 1.592:1 Low Range, and 23 spline axle stubs Also pictured is the center diff housing (the diff and transfer gears are on the shelf) from a '93 Impreza. An RX FT4WD D/R (Unsure of the exact year of this one, but '87-'89), this will donate most of it's internals, 1-5 gears, input and output shafts: Also pictured is a brand-new, OEM 4.444 front ring and pinion gearset (Originally looked up for a JDM 5MT, found that part number superseded for a USDM Forester XT). And a Carbonetic clutch-type front LSD, listed for a 2002-2007 WRX. Due to a broken off speedometer cable in my RX case, I will probably use the GL PT4WD case. This also means I won't have to swap the low-range idler gear from one case to another. I have started tearing down the GL trans. Things I've noticed: It was not difficult to separate the Low Range gearset from the input shaft. Swapping it onto the RX input shaft should be a breeze (knock on wood....) The 3.9 ring gear (which does clear the 1.59 low range set) is the same outer diameter as the 4.444 gear. BUT, the 4.444 unit is thicker (due to a smaller pinion gear). I have heard that this ring gear will have to be modified to clear the low range gears, but an initial test-fit looks like it might work as-is. But time will tell. More to come as I make progress....

Pretty slim. the wheel bearing design is very different, so the chances of the hub being a direct swap are very slim. And then you'd still have to get the brakes and everything to work......yuck.

Yea, those. Here's what will happen if you only have it mounted on the sides:

Which is why I always order EA82 parts for an '89 (unless it's something unique to the older years...which isn't much). Too easy to get 1.8l GLs mixed up....

Do you have the proper mounting brackets for the front lip? My first one didn't, and it's junk now....

I will probably use a pair of those on my Brat if the r160 locker doesn't come through by then. I've already got a front LSD, which will help in the more delicate situations. But when a wheel is completely off the ground, lock it with a line lock, and proceed.

Yea, 5MT stubs are held in with a snapring on the inside. Don't think there's any way to get to them without opening up the transmission, which will be very hard with an axle cup stuck on the driver's side...

depends what car you're talking about. Transmission mounts and length are determined by the center diff housing. So if you use an EA82 housing/center diff, you will have EA82 mounts, and EA82 length.

Nice write-up! 3 things. That doesn't look any easier than the Nissan option, except Nissans are far more common than old accords. Just make sure you use 240SX calipers, not 200SX, if you're not running XT6 rotors/backing plates. Also, I used Subaru Legacy handle and cables, no custom cables needed. And, about cable routing. It's not an issue in your car, as it's FWD. But cutting holes, and having the cables drop down through the tunnel will cause clearance issues with the driveshaft. That's how I did it in my Loyale, too, and the driveshaft would rub on the cables under hard accel. The next time I do it, I will run the cable straight back, and through the bulkhead under the back seat.

Well, to make the fuel side of it work properly, you will still need timing, MAF, TPS, 02, etc. Basically, if you were to go that far, all you'd need to do to have the ECU control ignition, is the wires for the ignitor and coil (6?). You're doing 90% of the work, and then adding in some extra complexity at the last minute. And, if the ignition-related stuff isn't hooked up, the ECU will know that, and may not even give it any fuel.

yea, those carrier bearing mounts didn't work out so hot. Not very solid, and not in the correct place, so I chewed through a couple bearings. I then had an EA81 1-piece driveshaft modified for length to work in there, and it's been running awesome ever since! Drilled and tapped mustache bar mounts have held up wonderfully as well. Probably 5ish years, and easily 50k miles. It's still on the road today.

I wouldn't run a 225 on an EA82 without some serious fender pulling. And 53 offset might be too high, even with a 7" wide wheel.

Got it from a yard in the cities, not the one here in Duluth.

I bought a non-turbo PT4WD D/R trans this weekend. Which SHOULD mean I have everything I need to assemble the trans. Theoretically the ring gear will need some machining, but I have the complete trans, so I will have the 3.9 gear for comparing. The stub axles will have to be modified, but since they will have circlips like the 4EAT, they can be installed after the trans is put back together. Pics to come tomorrow. I will be tearing this trans apart ASAP.

yep. That lower port is a little higher up than the EJ ones (hence using the Outback lower hose). Lots of 5MT versions, although most aftermarket companies (Performance radiator for sure) supersede the AT version, and just supply the rad with plugs for the trans cooler.

The stock computer will adjust the fuel a little bit. In that the AFM will open more and therefore it'll put in a little more fuel. EA82s have a distributor, so it's possible the timing has been adjusted a bit to improve things. Truth be told, if it has the stock turbo, it can't be turned up very much. These cars didn't come with an intercooler, and there is a pressure drop across an intercooler, so it's possible that it's not seeing much, if any, extra pressure at the engine (just a cooler charge). That said, the EA82t is one of the most unreliable engines subaru ever made. It has pretty poor cooling capacity, likes to pop head gaskets, and such. I would not say to run away screaming. But without seeing it or knowing the owner, I would not consider it to be a reliable daily driver AS-IS. There are a number of reliable EA82ts out there, but there are more basket cases. I don't know the market where you are, but I would pay a grand or more for a solid chassis, with a well-built lift, tight suspension, and decent tires. Then throw a dual range transmission in there, and an EJ22....and you'll have one of the most reliable and cheap to run subarus out there!

I'm up the hill far enough, that things haven't been too bad. There's one spot at the end of my alley where the sidewalk was torn up to run a fiber optic line, and the water eroded it into a big hole. Other than that, things weren't too bad. BUT, I definitely was wishing the 4runner was ready for commuter duty. I made a pretty nasty water crossing in my celica at the bank the night before (the same bank seen from a jet ski in this video)

Yep, my friend's '95 impreza LX has the same thing. They didn't even paint over the fresh cut, so they're all rusted to hell. We just welded some D-rings to the outside of the frame horns so he could get it dyno'd. They're very solid, but the bumper cover usually gets crunched when they get used as tow points.

I got hoses for a '98 Outback (Outback, because with the subframe spacers, the lower hose has a slightly different bend in it since the engine sits lower. Other EJ cross-flow lower hoses will fit, but not quite as well). I'm not sure if they went to vertical flow by 2003, but that could effect it. The Loyale radiator is also key. '80s EA82 rads have the lower output coming out of the end tank with a pretty steep angle upward, but '90-'94 Loyale rads have the lower port coming straight out.