I'm looking to pick up a D/R 5-speed tomorrow, and had a few questions first.

 

I created a similar thread earlier and was told that in order for it to be a direct swap into my loyale (push button 5-speed), that I needed to find an 87 or later tranny, otherwise I will have to wire in a neutral switch.

 

So my questions are these:

How can you tell on the trans, what year car it is from? (Is there a way to tell the difference between a pre-87 trans, and a 87 and later trans?)

Do the pre-87 ones have an external neutral switch, whereas the 87 and later ones have it internally?

Edited September 3, 201015 yr by brysawn

Bump, help me out! I'm looking to get one today

85 to 87 have no neutral switch at all. It's on the driver's side rear of the trans, directly inline with the shift rod entering the back of the tranny.

 

GD

What does it look like?

This isn't it, is it?

 

 

 

Edited September 6, 201015 yr by brysawn

No - that's the 4WD indicator switch. The neutral switch is on the side of the tranny - driver's side. Where the gear shifter rod enters the back - it pulls in and out to go from the 1,3,5 to the 2,4,R and the switch changes state when a notch in the side of the rod passes the switch body.

 

GD

That trans also looks to have the lo range switch mounted on the passenger side of the rear extension.

 

That means that trans is from a late 88 or 89 model.

 

85 thru 87 --Carbed models....Reverse and 4wd switches only

 

87-- Cali (SPFI) Reverse, 4wd and Nuetral switches

 

early 88 -- Reverse, 4wd and Neutral switches

 

late 88 and 89 -- Reverse, 4wd, neutral and LO range switches.

 

 

White connector in this pic is the Nuetral switch

 

Black one is the LO range

 

Green one is the 4wd

 

The one that is further up the side of the trans, not visible in either pic is the Reverse switch.

I just looked at this thread and saw a half naked man instead of one of my trans pictures. Last time I use tinypic to host pictures.

 

So does that mean that trans is "plug-n-play" into my loyale? No crazy wiring needed?

Well - you might not have the connectors for the low range indicator on your harnes. And some of the plugs for the other switches might be different. Things are almost never plug and play unless you are talking same part, same year, same model, etc. . But it should be very simple at any rate. You don't have to hookup the low range indicator lamp. It's pretty obvious if you are in low or not.... at least to most of us gear heads . I could see a total air-head female getting it into low range and then driving around and maybe noticing something was wrong buy not know what to do about it...... the indicator is pretty useless for most of us though .

 

GD

Yeah I think I can figure that out

 

But the 4wd and neutral switch will connect to my harness?

You may have to change the physical plugs but yes - you should have connectors in the same location for both. You can probably just unscrew your old switches and screw them into the new tranny and then it's plug and play. That's usually what I do with the EJ's.

 

GD

Sounds simple enough.

 

Also, where is the best place to buy the linkages, and the stick (that sticks through the floor)? If the trans is in the car, can you get the linkages off?

Junk yard for the linkages - yes it can be removed with the tans in place. Dealership for new bushings, etc. They really make a difference.

 

GD

Junk yard for the linkages - yes it can be removed with the tans in place. Dealership for new bushings, etc. They really make a difference.

 

GD

 

Can the linkages be bought anywhere new? What about the rod that comes through the floor? And is there anything else that should be done when it's out? It only has 60k on it

the linkage itself is fine used... it's just hardware. The bushings that snug it all up is a dealer item.

There are online sources for used parts... and the linkage from a 20 yo vehicle is a prime candidate for that.

 

I'm not sure what your target vehicle is or what it's set up is but if you look here (USMB) there are threads about setting that up with a stick for the hi/lo and a separate (push/pull), I think) for the 2wd/4wd.

It actually simplifies the linkage you'll possibly be dealing with but you will have to cut a new hole and bring the extra control linkage in there.

 

I may have it backwards about the 2wd/4wd but one function becomes a push pull stick along the tunnel, while the familiar lever between seats stays.

 

2WD in Low is nice for tooling along slow back roads.

I think you can use your existing shifter and just come up with the low range shifter. An I mistaken guru's?

Because of the way the tranny was taken out of the car, the actual stick (metal rod) is cut, so I need a new one.

 

And from my understanding, I thought the hole in the tunnel (for the sticks) did not have to be altered to fit the range selector/5-speed stick

It's very simple - you use the 5 speed gear selector in it's entirety - just bolt it up to the stud on the body. The front of the tray bolts to the tranny.

 

For the 4WD selector you use the 4 speed assembly (again - in it's entirety) and add exactly 1" of rod to the middle of the selector lever that runs to the tranny. You pin it to the 5 speed using the same pin it used on the 4 speed.

 

Thread the old 4 speed knob onto the 5 speed gear shifter and no one will be able to tell you have a 5 speed. It looks 100% stock inside and you don't need to cobble together a bunch of 5 speed console parts and make your interior look like frankenstein.

 

Just buy Jerry's kit - all that stuff is taken care of for you and his price of $100 is beyond reasonable for what you get and how little work you will have to do. If you don't have access to a welder and fabrication skills, etc - Jerry's kit is a time and money saving opportunity that you should not pass up. Trust me - I've put more 5 speed's into EA81's than the majority of the regular poster's on this board.

 

GD

This thread seems to have taken a turn. GD - that's great information but I'm putting my D/R into my Loyale.

Duh! My mistake . I'm having a hard time keeping things straight - I have to keep switching from EA81 to EA82 and then EJ land.

 

Yes - just add the D/R shifter and console from the donor car and you'll be good.

 

GD

The D/R shifter will bolt directly to your existing shift assembly.

 

Though you will have an unused 4wd button.

Finally picked up a D/R. But I have some more questions.

 

I'm sorry for the cell phone pictures, I'm hoping you guys can make out whats in the picture.

 

Is the gear shift stick? It's loose and goes any direction, not like it's being put into gear (like it is in the car), is it supposed to be like that or is it missing something?

 

 

 

And in this picture (below), the top stick is the range selector, but what is the bottom one?

 

Nice - they torched it out . Freakin rednecks......

 

The top picture is actually the 4WD-D/R selector, not the gear selector.

 

Bottom pic - top one is the gear selector and the bottom is the shifter "tray" that supports the actual shifter stick into the cabin, etc. You will be using your tray and shifter so you can discard both of the peices in the bottom pic.

 

You will need a new rod for the 4WD selector so get that when you pickup the D/R selector and console peices.

 

Nice converse all-stars! You not 14 still are you?

 

Sorry - couldn't resist.

 

Seriously though - when doing transmission replacements.... you need some good steel toe's for the shop. Losing toes is never cool.

 

GD

Edited September 8, 201015 yr by GeneralDisorder

Nice - they torched it out . Freakin rednecks......

 

The top picture is actually the 4WD-D/R selector, not the gear selector.

 

Bottom pic - top one is the gear selector and the bottom is the shifter "tray" that supports the actual shifter stick into the cabin, etc. You will be using your tray and shifter so you can discard both of the peices in the bottom pic.

 

You will need a new rod for the 4WD selector so get that when you pickup the D/R selector and console peices.

 

Nice converse all-stars! You not 14 still are you?

 

Sorry - couldn't resist.

 

Seriously though - when doing transmission replacements.... you need some good steel toe's for the shop. Losing toes is never cool.

 

GD

 

I'm a little confused, in the second picture, the top stick; it goes in and out with 3 locations which I thought were fwd, 4high, and 4 low.

 

The foremost stick in the first picture, it doesn't seem to click into any gear, and/or pull in/out.

 

Also, they are vans authentics, not converse