After my 5-speed conversion in my RX, I still have a few things to button up on it. The main thing for me right now is the starter. Is there any difference between the auto and the manual starters or can I use my auto starter with the manual? I know EA81s are different (auto vs. manual) and so are the EA71s I believe as well...

I am reasonably sure that they are physically interchangeable. IIRC, there is a difference in KW between the two, or at least there are 2 versions with significantly different KW.

I am almost positive that they are not. If you look at your starter there is a big number on it ie 5 6 7 something like that, it should be below 10. Anyway find out that number and if some one else could tell us what their automatic has let us know.

 

 

My manual xt6 has a black 5 on it and the automatic has a red 6. They do look different but I have not tried to fit up the 6 in the bell housing. I hope this helps. If the two engines ER27 and EA82 use the same starter then this is true for you car.

When doing my auto to manual conversion on my wagon, I kept the same starter and never had any problems. Also, Hollander interchange lists no major differences.

 

However, they may well have a different kilowatt rating. Automatics generally have higher kilowatt starters, since they have to spin the torque converter as well as the engine. That being said, I wouldn't think twice about using an automatic starter on a manual, but I wouldn't go the other way around.

There are actually a few different starters. There are gear reduction , which I have seen in all of the manuals. and there are non gear reduction starters I have seen in a few random autos(the look very much like an older chevy starter)

 

All of the gear reduction starters I have seen are the same size and seem to be interchageable.

 

All of the others I have seen com in two sizes. One is a long bodied case that doesn't fit in the PB4wd or FT4wd 5 speeds. it gets in the way of the vacuum diaphragm

 

Sorry I don't know what the part numbers are on any of them, all I know is I have seen 3 distinctly different starters in the 87-88 EA82 cars I have had over the past couple of years