DR AWD box install tomorrow .

r00fi · Post by **r00fi** » Sun May 18, 2008 10:53 pm

Wow! Thanks. Awesome essay. (sorry for hijacking the thread)

Looks like its not a bolt in (but then nothing ever is...)

Will now need to mull over whether it's worth the effort to put it in.

After finding all four combustion chambers cracked today, my enthusiasm for EA82Ts has just about expired

mattl200 · Post by **mattl200** » Sun May 18, 2008 11:16 pm

the diff lock light sw is at the bottom on the drivers side of the extention housing below the diff lock lever

these boxes also have a neutral sw and a sw that tells something when its in 5th gear (i think its 5th anyway)

mattl200 · Post by **mattl200** » Sun May 18, 2008 11:23 pm

a pic of center diff locking mech

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Mon May 19, 2008 11:14 am

Matt the RX's part time box has three switches (mine is a series 1 RX ie 85 built 86 sold here) and the AWD one I have has four switches .

My original ser 1 Aus RX turbo box goes like this .

1) Drivers side .

Nothing , there is an unused boss where a switch could go - neutral if you needed it which a 3 plug ECU RX-T doesn't appear to .

2) Passengers side .

Upper Switch - Low Range .
Lower switch - Reverse light switch .

3) Rear plate , above and in front of the tailshaft .

Almost certainly the 4WD in light switch .

For the record my original gearbox's ID sticker shows TW75FCB-A1 .
In theory I just need to splice the diff locks switch into the original 4WD switch wiring and it should work as per normal except show "4WD" when the diff's locked .

Somehow Subaru have buggered up their WSM for the DR AWD box and it looks like the upper pass side switch is for the low range light and the upper drivers side one the the Neutral switch - not the other way round .
Also it looks like the neutral switch is only required for 4 plug MPFI cars anyway . If your carby or 3 plug ECU ignore it .

Coffee - quickly , cheers Adrian .

Fang · Post by **Fang** » Mon May 19, 2008 11:52 am

He shall be known as Adrian, Master of Full Time 4WD boxes

Good write-ups there!

vincentvega · Post by **vincentvega** » Mon May 19, 2008 1:08 pm

hahahahahaha

thats gotta be a new record for post length!

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Wed May 21, 2008 10:53 am

Hi rOOfie and all , rOOfie do you by any chance have access to the Jap Vortex that your gearbox came out of ? When I was chasing the VF3 and VF6 turbo info the Alcyone was mentioned so maybe the JDM versions got slightly different turbine housings .

Also minor update , we have fitted spacers to the shifters stay rod bracket to space it back slightly from the boxes rear casing . The shift quality is better though I think the actual shift rod may need to be extended slightly .
I'll have to get a spare one and modify it to see if it gets any better .
I'll also try to get the shifter and rods from the donor Vortex .

Also soon hope to mount the diff lock solenoids and plumb the vacuum lines to the actuator . I was given a made up loom made up to operate the solenoids and all it should need is ignition on power and a permanent earth .

The difference driving Ellie now is that it feels less front wheel driveish and that's always good . Low range now gets used often such as for parking moves and idling away from home with a cold engine .
So basically if you just potter around you'd never know it was AWD , I guess you have to have minor traction issues to realise that the drive loads are halved through the tyres going from FWD to AWD .

Cheers A .

timmo · Post by **timmo** » Wed May 21, 2008 2:23 pm

have you noticed any loss in power with the fulltime 4wd drivetrain?

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Thu May 22, 2008 5:38 pm

No not really , not from a front drive / AWD drive perspective .

When you think about the drive train has no significant additional mass to power , its just that the gearbox is turning the rear diff and tailshaft rather than the rear wheels .

Cheers A .

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Thu May 22, 2008 5:40 pm

No not really , not from a front drive / AWD drive perspective .

When you think about it the drive train has no significant additional mass to power , its just that the gearbox is turning the rear diff and tailshaft rather than the rear wheels .

Cheers A .

r00fi · Post by **r00fi** » Thu May 22, 2008 10:43 pm

discopotato03 wrote:Hi rOOfie and all , rOOfie do you by any chance have access to the Jap Vortex that your gearbox came out of ? When I was chasing the VF3 and VF6 turbo info the Alcyone was mentioned so maybe the JDM versions got slightly different turbine housings .

I got the engine a long time ago from Kilsyth wreckers (?). It was an import. At the time I knew very little about EA82Ts, but this one looked like it had just left the factory and didn't seem to have been jet washed. That, along with the odd manifold and free gearbox made my choice easy. It wasn't 'till a year or so later I realised I had a spider and AWD box.

The motor turned out to be a lemon, but not sure why - possibly rings are CF. It's sitting on my garage floor with copper head gaskets. If I find a cheap set of rings on eBay, I'll chuck those in, check the heads and give it another go.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun May 25, 2008 10:32 pm

r00fi wrote:I got the engine a long time ago from Kilsyth wreckers. . . . . . It wasn't 'till a year or so later I realised I had a spider and AWD box.

You lucky bugger! Never heard of them giving away free gearboxes with an engine purchase...

Cheers

Bennie

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Mon May 26, 2008 5:04 pm

Todays update .

The L series diff lock solenoids are now mounted underneath the fuel filter bracket , can anyone tell me if the original AWD RX's used a slighly differently shaped fuel filter bracket as we fitted washers to make them sandwich together .

The vacuum lines have been run except to the manifold , there is a handy plug in the front pass side inlet manifold runner so we will get low pressure from there .
I had a pair of Vortex solenoids and lines handy and they donated the "T" piece and check valve on the upstream side of the solenoids .

My RX being an 85/86 didn't have the round white solenoid connector behind the nearside strut tower but I snaffled this section of loom from a wreck at Pick and Payless . We separated the white plug and it's four wires back to the rectangular connector that lives inside the cabin near the blower fan motor . It's now connected in the engine bay and the taped wires are placed roughly where the std ones should be and will eventually be routed under the console and over to the fuse panel for ignition on power connections and permanent earths . I'm not sure which switch to use but have an aftermarket one and a Vortex one on hand .
Just on this does anyone know why the Vortex diff lock switch has so many wires running from it , is it an illuminated one ?

Cheers A .

Fang · Post by **Fang** » Mon May 26, 2008 6:27 pm

discopotato wrote:Just on this does anyone know why the Vortex diff lock switch has so many wires running from it , is it an illuminated one ?

Not sure on Vortex but the standard L Series RX one is definately illuminated.

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Tue May 27, 2008 8:37 am

That would make sense then . On the Vortex loom I separated the switch wiring back to its white rectangular connector which I'm guessing is the same as the one under the seat in an L series .
I have "attacked" a few L's at wreckers and never managed to locate that plug and its sub loom under the carpet .
Anyway the Vortex switch looks like it would fit where the L one would but I'm reluctant to "modify" the console purely because everything is black in an RX Turbo and most if not all other L's are some other colour so no easy replacements if I oops it .

Will consult the factory WSM to see how Subaru wired it up .

Cheers A .

Fang · Post by **Fang** » Tue May 27, 2008 8:43 am

Technically you wouldnt have to modify the console - the diff lock switch sits on a small screw-on panel (did I send you one Adrian - I cant remember?) If you REALLY wanted the proper L switch - I know you can (or at least could 2 years ago) buy the diff lock switch brand new from the States. Think it was about $80 though.

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Tue May 27, 2008 9:15 am

From the 87 L and 88 Vortex WSM's .

The diff lock switches are 5 wire affairs and numbered like this . These colour codes are from the Vortex WSM .

1) Green White , ignition switched power supply from fuse 10 (15a) L and XT .
2) Green Yellow , Diff unlock so relevant vac solenoid energised .
3) Blue White , Diff locked so alternate solenoid energised .
4) Red , I gather this is power in from gauge cluster when lit .
5) Red Brown , earth for switch illumination .

The Diff lock/unlock solenoids are permanently earthed and power switched .
The switch connects power supply (1) to either (2) or (3) to energise one or the other solenoid , which connects manifold vacuum to the front or back of the actuators diaphragm to pull/push its cable and operate the gearboxes diff lock/unlock linkage . The solenoids have a small filter which lets air back into the solenoid valve and the actuator when de energised .

Cheers A .

r00fi · Post by **r00fi** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:42 pm

discopotato03 wrote:
To use these gearboxes in an Aus spec L RX Turbo you have to modify the shift mechanisms stay or steady bar because the lower rear of the AWD transmission is deeper and longer than the part time box to house the center differential . The upper rear of the box where the tailshaft slides in is dimensionally the same as the part time 4WD gearbox .
You have to shorten the shift mechanisms steady bar because the gearbox end mounting sits further back and also its cross pin that the steady bar mounts to is shorter than the part time boxes one.

*snip*

The stay bar on mine was shortened and narrowed , see my earlier posts for details of how much . At this stage I think it was shortened too much and 5mm less would be a reasonable guess but I am going to experiment by shimming the rear bracket back from the gearbox case

I can't find the earlier posts on how much to shorten stay and shifter - anyone able to help?

Fang · Post by **Fang** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:49 pm

I recently nutted this out. If you have Number 35 in the below picture from the donor (Full Time 4WD) box, you should not have to modify your shifter rod.

If you are using Number 35 from a Part time 4WD box they you need to make the modification. I can't remember exacts - but it is a case of trial and error.

r00fi · Post by **r00fi** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 6:02 pm

Awesome!!

Thanks.

By the look of it, mine has been gas axed at "30"

The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

DR AWD box install tomorrow .

D/R to AWD RX conversion - EA82T