Im putting an RX 5spd FT4wd box in my 83 Turbo wagon (former auto 3spd) and I can't seem to get it to line up with where it should on the car.

I got a 5spd kit from Bratsrus1 and have mounted the trans crossmember and such to the trans and then mounted it in and it almost lines up but the tail of the trans hits on the front swaybar.

 

That is the front swaybar out of an 84 4wd 4spd dual range..

 

The top 3 pics in this album illustrate the problem area rather well.

 

http://usmb.net/gallery/albuo50

 

Thanks in advance for the help.

I heared somewhere that EA81T swaybars are a bigger. Have you trided a different swaybar yet?

Yup, was told to use the MT 4wd 4spd one. The auto one wouldn't have accepted the MT crossmember.

How much more room do you need? It may take a spacer to drop it down to clear the trans. I would remove it for now, then after the tranny install try and get it to fit.

Do you have a lift in? It looks pretty tight in there. Has anybody else done this swap? Sheese, I have more q's than Shawn.

Rob

Due to the hump in the swaybar the trans sits tilted. I don't think there is anything wrong with Jerry's kit, all of it would line up if it weren't for the hump.

I guess I might have to install the trans and then resort to cutting the swaybar and welding a straight piece in instead after i get the car rolling again. (no welder here)

 

Any more ideas?

has anyone ever put THE RX transmission in an EA81 before? as opposed to other EA82 5 speeds..

maybe it's the transmission.

Hi everybody This is Jerry, i have a 86 hatch back and i just got done installing a 86 rx turbo 5 speed dual range tranny in it. Guess what i had no i repeat no problems with it. Everything bolted up just like it was made for it, just like my brat did that Shawn has now. All i can say is that the turbo tunnel must be alot smaller than the 4 speed tunnel. Shawn you will need to get a set of those custom axles that i had CV AXLES.COM made for me they fit like the stock ones fit. Thanks Jerry

try stacking some washers between the frame mounts and the body "Miles Fox Kit" 3 bucks in washers, to drop it down a half inch, if that will be enough. easier than chopping the swaybar

Looks like your hanging up on the swaybar there - try a 2WD EA81 swaybar - they have a smaller "hoop" for the exhaust. Might just solve your problem. I don't think they are any thinner.....

 

You are correct that the tranny tunnel is smaller. I believe this is the same problem I ran into when attempting my 4WD swap in my wagon, and the same problem that Matt ran into when swapping the 5 spd into his EA81T wagon. The sheet metal is a different part number - specific to the year AND the trans.

 

GD

What everyone is missing here is the fact that Shawn is using a FT4WD trans. They are shaped differently then D/R's. I think you are on the right track with removing the sway bar for now. Getting everything lined up and then installing the bar. It may require some spacers at the crossmember mounts for the bar to clear everything.

I would also do a little massage therapy to the tunnel. It looks to be hitting on the top corner of the trans as well. Those tranny's are a bit wider, if memory serves it's purpose, then any other tranny except the 4 sp auto.

BTW, cutting and welding the sway bar will cause it to lose it's spring. Unless you re-treat it after welding.

Ah! - good to know Ken. Seriously tho - the 2WD swaybar is a different shape around the exhaust - might just solve your problem, or at least help a bit.....

 

GD

Boy am I happy now!

 

I went out to the garage and started looking at everything and now I have it in.

 

Solved thru taking the swaybar off its brackets and putting the one that has always been on the car on again. You have to use the radius rods, radius rod blocks and swaybar mounts from the manual trans brat setup but the turbo swaybar itself has to be used. The hump is shifted further to the right, as noted by GD, for the exhaust. This should also insure that I can bolt the exhaust on without worrying about it hitting something.

 

Thanks everybody, this has to be the first EA81T RX Wagon so I am really having to cobble it together and learn....lots of fun!

 

Pics to illustrate:

Pic 1 of Swaybars

TURBO 4wd AUTOMATIC SWAYBAR HAS YELLOW STRIPE OF PAINT ON IT.

Pic 2 of swaybars

hm, and having that smaller swaybar in the front will make it feel less understeer-ed.. you should get a rear swaybar installed if you haven't yet, then you'll really enjoy cornering..

now that i remember i had clearance isus with my swaybar, and i unbilted the whole frame, and started the bolts each, then tightened them up.

 

i hate that stupid swaybar, as it was in the way for my dual exhaust build attempts.

 

but since traswagon 5 (83 wagon)has ea82 front lower control arms, it doesnt look that hard to fab on an ea82 front swaybar, then use the xt6 'bar

Yep - I noted that swaybar difference when I did my 4WD conversion. My 2WD 5 speed wagon had the "small hump" bar, and the 4WD has the "large hump". They appear to be the same diameter otherwise. Interesting that you note that the auto's also have the small hump - I think it's actually due to the exhuast used on those models, and not 2WD vs. 4WD or anything like that. Really conveinient in this case tho eh?

 

Glad you got it put together.

 

Ah! I see you noticed the paint like I did. They seem to have used one color paint for 4WD, and another color for 2WD, and Auto. I noticed this as well. Also - you will find paint on the strut springs too - same colors. Purple seems to indicate a 4WD part, while yellow indicates a 2WD or Automatic part.... very interesting.

 

GD

The auto one is actually a small fraction of an inch LARGER in diameter. I had to use the rubber parts from the auto bar to get it to wrap around the radius rods even. Small difference but enough. Nice to have a better part and the right part in one fell swoop.

i know this is an old thread but i ran into exactly the same problem that Shawn did.

i got round the problem by clamping the swaybar down to the steel bench and heating each side of the offending hump and bending it down flat with the aid of a hooligin bar (minime sized crowbar), so instead of the hump going up, now it goes back.

got it retempered at a spring makers...so it should all be good from here on