mellow65 Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 im sure someone has done this for one reason or another. probable because it is much easier to find a 5 speed awd tranny then it is to find the fwd ones. what kind of process does it take to do it? and could it be just as simple as not hooking up the rear drive line and literately smoking the center diff. I know that's kind of the crappy way of doing it but would that work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 may i ask why? nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted August 1, 2007 Author Share Posted August 1, 2007 i know i was going to get someone asking. its all about the rules, well rules about the racing i will be doing. fwd cars get to compete with other similar powered fwd cars and if you want to do some upgrades to the car, you can still be running with similar powered cars, awd cars have to play with turboed cars and have no chance in hell, if you do upgrades to an awd car, you now have to run with the guys that have no spending limit. some people call it crazy, i call it rally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 The only issue I am aware of would be any problems with having the propeller shaft disconnected from the trans output. Like whether it would stay in place. If you can get past that part, then yoinking out the rear diff, and somehow hacking off/dismantling the half shafts at the outer joint might be possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted August 1, 2007 Author Share Posted August 1, 2007 my thought was to remove the rear diff and just leave the outer axle part in the hub just to hold stuff together. are you thinking that by removing the drive line it would allow the output shaft to move around more then it was originally supposed to. i could see that. what if you removed just the part of the drive line that went into the tranny and somehow kept it there, like welding it or something. but assuming you smoked your center diff would the rest of the tranny work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john in KY Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I did this once but went the other way converting a FWD into an AWD. Swapping the tailhousing solves most of the problems. Only other problem is the internal wiring harnesses between the 2 are different. One has an external VSS and the other (the FWD) has it internally inside the housing or was it the other way around? Got to drop the pan to change the harnesses. Forgot to mention the rear mount is different so get the one on the FWD 4EAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted August 1, 2007 Author Share Posted August 1, 2007 I did this once but went the other way converting a FWD into an AWD. Swapping the tailhousing solves most of the problems. Only other problem is the internal wiring harnesses between the 2 are different. One has an external VSS and the other (the FWD) has it internally inside the housing or was it the other way around? Got to drop the pan to change the harnesses. Forgot to mention the rear mount is different so get the one on the FWD 4EAT. this is on a 5 speed, but still finding a fwd tranny is harder then finding a awd tranny so if i found a fwd tranny i could just use that. but i figure i have the tranny that is in my car now and if i can use that with out to much headache i would do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamal Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 You would have to pull the center diff out and weld it to the front output, and then find some way to remove the rear transfer/seal the back so that it would still work and not leak. I would find a fwd transmission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted August 2, 2007 Author Share Posted August 2, 2007 I would find a fwd transmission. that was my first choice but they are hard to find and the gearing is different. but i will throw a wanted post up and see if i get any response Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 You'll have a 3.7 final drive. What sort of racing are you gonna be doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted August 2, 2007 Author Share Posted August 2, 2007 You'll have a 3.7 final drive. What sort of racing are you gonna be doing? I like the 4.11 idea better, but i guess you take what you can get. im shooting for group 2 rally, it's a open class NA 2 wheel drive class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 If you don't have any luck with a leg/imp fwd tranny. You could consider the adapter/ ea fwd as an option as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted August 2, 2007 Author Share Posted August 2, 2007 If you don't have any luck with a leg/imp fwd tranny. You could consider the adapter/ ea fwd as an option as well. i thought about that, but i just don't think that would hold up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Plenty enough people use ea tranny with ej conversions. And there are a couple 5mt converted fwd xt6's using the ea82 2wd in them. The er27 makes mor power and torque than an ej22. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamal Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 I don't suppose they'd let you swap in the rear crossmember and diff from an AWD soob, weld the diff, and remove the front axles to be rwd? That would really expand upon your suspension options, because there is nothing for FWD cars. Actually it might be possible to fit konis in the rear struts. I wouldn't bet on it though. If you haven't started building the car, why not just find a better group 2 platform? Also, if you haven't rallied or built a rally car before, why not buy a finished or partially finished used one? Generally that will save a lot of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted August 2, 2007 Author Share Posted August 2, 2007 I don't suppose they'd let you swap in the rear crossmember and diff from an AWD soob, weld the diff, and remove the front axles to be rwd? That would really expand upon your suspension options, because there is nothing for FWD cars. Actually it might be possible to fit konis in the rear struts. I wouldn't bet on it though. If you haven't started building the car, why not just find a better group 2 platform? Also, if you haven't rallied or built a rally car before, why not buy a finished or partially finished used one? Generally that will save a lot of money. the making of a suby rwd would put it in open class, because it was never an option. it has been asked over at rally america second i just bought a rally car, been going through it, and doesn't really meet the rules for the class it has been running. and to go to the next class up in an awd would put me with the big boy factory guys. so go backwards a little, G2 is an open NA 2 wheel drive class. so being in that group puts you with cars of similar HP and I think would be more fun because of the looseness of the rules. so really i would be starting with a finished 90 legacy awd and making it a 2wd. kind of the same route the Burens G5 impreza went, started as a 1.8 awd then went to a 2.2 turbo fwd and is kicking rump roast in their class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellow65 Posted August 2, 2007 Author Share Posted August 2, 2007 Plenty enough people use ea tranny with ej conversions. And there are a couple 5mt converted fwd xt6's using the ea82 2wd in them. The er27 makes mor power and torque than an ej22. but i would need adapter plate, new clutch, axles and other bits. i would like to just keep with the ej stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilroy Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 When I was searching for an AWD transmission for my '90 Legacy all I could find were FWD transmissions. I see you aren't far south of the Canadian border, you may want to check the ads in the Western Canada area for a transmission. I freighted a FWD transmission ~900 km for $100 (they weigh 220 lbs. if you need to calculate shipping cost), you may be able to find a decent shipping deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Lots of people doing really well in Rally with NA Ej18 and ej22 imprezas. Its not all about power its about staying inside the cones, pushing the car to its limits without going too far and practice..... LOTS of it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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