Can it be done? Should it be done? or am I wasting time...

 

The car has been in a garage for years at an old ladies house. Needed rings.

Only hve 68K on it. and it looks great. I don't want the little 3 spd auto that is in it - I would like to put a hi/low 4wd if I can find all the parts I need to make the conversion.

 

What do you guys think?

Yes it can be done. It's not that difficult in fact. Need transmission, clutch, pedal assembly, entire rear end, and driveline.....

 

Rings at 68k? Very unlikely. Sounds like an old-man diagnosis to me. These engines go 300k and still don't need rings. Unless some very abusive maintenance/driving took place - this is highly unlikely.

 

GD

Rings at 68k? Very unlikely. Sounds like an old-man diagnosis to me. These engines go 300k and still don't need rings. Unless some very abusive maintenance/driving took place - this is highly unlikely.

+1

 

any swap can be done with enough time and money. what you're asking is rather simple though.

 

easiest with a complete donor car to make sure get all the cables, bolts, brackets, linkages, solenoids and bits. piecing together gets annoying, wastes time, and can be expensive by the time you're done.

 

the one...88 i think...swap i saw did not have some bolt holes drilled for all the 4WD components to bolt on (like the carrier bearing support bracket) - but the bosses were there ready to be drilled and tapped.

automaticas can be changed to stick, and 2wd to 4wd. But a 2wd body willnot have the stamping for the carrier bearing and no holes for the diff.

 

BUT, everything bolts in vice versa of what came out.

Yes it can be done. It's not that difficult in fact. Need transmission, clutch, pedal assembly, entire rear end, and driveline.....

 

Rings at 68k? Very unlikely. Sounds like an old-man diagnosis to me. These engines go 300k and still don't need rings. Unless some very abusive maintenance/driving took place - this is highly unlikely.

 

GD

 

I bought the car running about 4 years ago.

 

Yeeaaahhh... I ahhh, well...hmmmmm. I was the one who burned out #3 LOL! I was a tard and over boosted with a head gasket on the way out. Once the water and oil mixed she smoked out the intersection and over heated. Then once I got her home and of the truck, Replaced the HG's and droped the motor back in - I did the compression test and found very little in #3 piston. Right now the engine is in halfs on my bench. The rings were out of spec on piston #3 only A complete rebuild is in the works and the block is ready (as of last night) to go to the machince shop for a clean up and hone.

 

Thanks for all the info on the swap. Over the next few months I will look around for a parts car and do the swap. I really want to lift it like the guys over at SJR and I think the only way I will be able to roll that car along is with the high/low range unit.

 

Will a Loyale or a Forester 5 speed drop in? It is getting a lot easyer to find busted up Loyale's and Forester for cheep her in Denver.

Edited May 20, 201114 yr by reefstick
forgot some key info.

If you're sticking with the EA engine, you can't (within reason) use an EJ transmission.

 

My car was swapped from FWD to 4WD before I got it. Whoever did it welded in brackets for the carrier bearing. It looks really messy, but it works. When you get into it, I can take pics so you can see how it works.