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Hey all.

I started this idea in someone's thread, so thought it best to move to a new thread as i'm having more ideas/questions the further i look into this.

The idea: Take one EJ AWD box and one EA 4wd box.

Split the two boxes.

Remove the drive shaft from the front diff to transfer case of the EA box.

Take the same drive shaft and centre diff from the EJ and place in EA box, using the EJ rear housing (i think the rear housings would be different).


Now the questions:

Is it possible to leave the L series gearset (eg 1st, 2nd etc) and still fit the drive shaft and centre diff in?

Will i have to change the diff too?

Any other mods that anyone thinks or knows will need to be made? I've heard the gear selectors and drive shaft to rear diff will need shortening.

Anyone think i'm crazy and should just drop in the EJ box with an adapter plate to EA motor? (don't have to answer this one)

Has anyone got an EA or EJ box going cheap that i can play with (i'd rather do this on two different boxes and keep my car running than piss fart around and find out its not going to work and then have to put my car back together)

I think for me it would be easier (and better for insurance/legalities) to do this conversion if there are no big snags along the way. The more it looks original at this point in time, the better.

All thoughts and expreiences shared much appreciated.

Cheers

You can just put the entire EJ box internals into the L series case but you will have to use the EJ rear part of the box and shorten the tailshaft

It might be possible to transfer the EA gears onto the EJ shaft, however it would be easier if the entire internals were swapped and the EJ synco's will probably/possibly be in better condition.

The best thing to do is get the two box's and have a play.

MY_STI wrote: The best thing to do is get the two box's and have a play.

This is what i'd like to do, just depends on when i can get my hands onto some play money and some cheap gearboxes... (Anyone want to donate a gearbox to the cause?)

Will anything internally have to be changed to fit the EJ gearsets in? And i can retain the L hi/lo range transfer gears (i've heard the low range is better in EA than EJ boxes), is this correct?

Will i have to change the input shaft as well? This may change the clutch plate if i have to change the input shaft... (just something else to work out.)

I was looking at a split WRX box on ebay the other night and didn't realise that the drive shaft to the front diff and rear of the box had gear sets on it (as my first idea was to just swap this shaft over if possible, thinking it was just a shaft)...

Anything i should know about splitting boxes?

I'll keep toying with the idea.

grant (subaman) must have a huge collection of broken dual range boxes by now - ask him if he wants to sell you one cheap

Where is subaman located? I'll send him a pm.

northside brisbane

No internal modification is needed to fit the gearsets themselves in.

However the EJ box has a detent spring and ball for the low range selector, in the EA this is delt with in the extension housing.
I built up a mound with a tig and used a diegrinder to tidy it up, drilled a hole, dropped the sping and ball in.
The L low range selector fork will also have to have a bit welded on to pick up the detend, will probably need to be heated a fair bit to drive out the oil before welding, apparently the method for casing this peice gives a porous metal.

The input shaft is the same except for the smaller gear that is on the end of the EJ shaft. You can keep you current clutch setup.

The low range gear on the front of the upper gearset will also need to be swapped.

EJ and L turbo low is 1:1.192 and L is 1:1.592 or there abouts, MY is around 1:1.412 I think.

All that should all make sense when you split the boxs.

I'm starting to come to the conclusion that it would be best to find one of these rare as hens teeth AWD L boxes that already has the lockable central diff and whack that in.

That said, i'd still like to get my hands dirty and have a go at this. Problem is the fun stuff that i don't have...

Sounds like this could be a goer for someone who cruises around in hi range all the time that wants an AWD gearbox...

Yesterday i was thinking that i could use the L-series 4wd selector in the gearbox to lock the central diff. I woke up this morning and realised at the traffic lights that all this would do is engage the rear end or dis-engage it and not lock the centre diff as i was thinking.

Currently busting to get two boxes split (then think "holy s**t, what have i got myself into?")

El Freddo I have a similar problem.
I want a 3.9 EJ gearset, 4.444 R&P and 1.6 low range put into an L series case.
I dont have time to do it myself. I just want someone to build it for me.

Brumbyrunner - Haven’t you built that gearbox yet?

I am almost finished building my 4.11 AWD D/R 1.5 Low Gearbox.... Just a few more things to do....

brumbyrunner wrote: 4.444 R&P
I dont have time to do it myself. I just want someone to build it for me.

What does the R&P stand for? Sorry i've never played with gearboxes before and know little if any termanology.

I could have a go at building your gearbox, but i'd be just as slow as you... I'm still building my "good" MPFI EA82 motor that i started earlier this year (prob more like this time last year)...

El_Freddo wrote: What does the R&P stand for?

Ring & Pinion - Crown wheel & drive pinion

Makes sense.

So do you have all the parts you need to put the box together? If so, what's stopping you?

Cheers

Time man, nothing but time.

Be aware that doing the swap with turbo box bits will be not be possible as they use a different input shaft and pull clutch setup. Stick with the early Lib NA boxes and it will be fine.

I am almost finished building my 4.11 AWD D/R 1.5 Low Gearbox.... Just a few more things to do....

Man your slow Justin, you should have had a few of them done by now, we did mine in a weekend, and Bretts (for the old mans Brumby)the following week

Blah...

I work to much...

brumbyrunner wrote:El Freddo I have a similar problem.
I want a 3.9 EJ gearset, 4.444 R&P and 1.6 low range put into an L series case.
I dont have time to do it myself. I just want someone to build it for me.

Mmmm, have you thought about fitting some Cusco clutch-LSD's front and rear at the same time?

Jack

Blah...

I work to much...

Lots of long nights