is this a good parts car for my brat?

[Idaho_Dirtball]

I have a 78 brat and want to do motor tranny swap after a lift. would this be a good car to get to pull the motor and tranny from? it is a 1985 Subie RX turbo, 5 speed, HI/Low tranny let me know asap and maybe I can pick this car up cheap. I know the motor would probably be a major pain to get in but would it be worth it? I have no idea what kinda power it puts out.

[Don_Quixpunch]

You'll probably get a much better response in the retrofitting forum.

 

Fascinating idea! The RX trans seems to be AWD with a locking center diff. The engine should pretty much drop in, but a second gen trans in a first gen car is pretty involved. Not saying don't do it, just that there's going to be some fab work.

 

Oh, and don't get rid of your parts car before the Brat is done and driving.

[Jibs]

Putting a ea82T in a gen 1 brat is a LOT of work. The framerails are going to HAVE to be notched to fit it. I believe the ea82's are actually wider than an ej. Search the forums here for Garner's thread, as he did a ea82T swap in his gen 1. As far as the trans goes, it is possible to fit a 5 speed in a gen 1, though its a little tricky as far as the linkages go. You will also have to get custom axles most likely as the RX Trans has 25 spline stub axles. Its not an easy swap, especially if you're new to soobies, but if you're determined, it can be done.

 

 

BTW - Definitely GRAB that LSD rearend out of that rx - That you will DEFINITELY want to put under the brat.

[MilesFox]

the trans, rear diff, and rear disc setup are worth going after the who;e car for. the engine will physically bolt up, but you have to swap the harnesses.

[The Beast I Drive]

For a lifted Brat an RX drivetrain is a horrible choice to swap in.

 

Yes the RX tranny is sought after and pretty cool, but it has a low range of only 1.2:1, and has 25 spline stubs on the diff. The regular 5 speed D/R from a carbed/SPFI GL has a low range of 1.59:1, and 23 spline stubs (same as a Brat). The cool thing about the RX trans is the center diff lock FT4wd. Its a great tranny for rallycross, autocross, etc., but it has lower gears 2-5, so it revs higher than a normal D/R. Now, if you do get an RX trans, I would recomend you swap in the ring and pinion shaft and viscous couple and tailsection from a 90-94 Legacy 5 speed AWD trans, as well as the lower low-range from a regular 5 speed D/R. You will have the 1.59 low, shorter gears making it easier to turn bigger tires at highway speed, and 4.11 final drive ratio.

 

Installing a 5 speed in a Gen 1 is no easy task, and its more than just linkage. The trans crossmembers are 100% different from Gen 2's and Gen 3's, and are designed to mount the rear of a 4 speed. The 4 speeds ar IIRC 9.5" LONGER than a 5 speed, so you will have to fabricate some way to mount it, there's really no bolt-in solution there. Also the linkage on 4 speeds is mounted to the trans, while on the 5 speeds its mounted to the trans tunnel, and is a completely different design. Custom linkage and ounts will have to be fabbed as well. Then, you will need a clutch cable. The stock 4 speed cable is too short, so ideally you would want a cable for an 81 Brat with D/R. However, that cable is no longer produced, as it was only made for 1 model and for 1 year, so you will have to modify the clutch pedal to use the 81-82 Wagon clutch cable, or mod the pedal box and use any clutch cable for a Gen 2 from 83-89. You will have to grind some material off the bellhousing of the trans to clear the steering linkage, and you will need a speedometer cable from whatever car the trans comes from. After all that, you will need to have a custom driveline made.

 

The EA82 Turbo motor is a piece of ************. Period. You DO NOT want that motor in your Brat. Its too wide, it is not very reliable, it only makes 115HP stock, you cant upgrade it without it exploding unless you drop some serious coin on it, and you will not be happy with it. Drop in an EA81 or an EJ, either one is an easy job.

 

The rear LSD is definitely something to grab, but you will have to swap the ring and pinion to whatever you end up using in the trans, I.E. 3.9 if you run a N/A D/R, or 4.11 if you build a hybrid.

 

-Bill

[Zefy]

the engine will physically bolt up, but you have to swap the harnesses.

 

no it won't... the trans is a top mount starter while the RX is a side mount. you will need to swap bellhousings and all that good stuff before you can 'bolt it up'.

 

it also doesn't fit between the frame rails... lots of notching required. it is wider than an ej series engine. while it has been done, you can get more power and reliability by going with an ej engine.

 

also that trans is from an 85. so i don't think it is the FT4WD box. it should be fwd with part time 4hi and 4lo. it does have the 25 spline axles, close ratio, LSD rear, and 1.2:1 low range though.

 

hope that clears some stuff up...

[cubastreet]

yeah nah. like ^ said you'll need to do a lot of work. Probably for about the same amount of work (and probably money) you will be able to do a sohc ej conversion.

[Twitch de la Brat]

I have a 78 brat and want to do motor tranny swap after a lift. would this be a good car to get to pull the motor and tranny from? it is a 1985 Subie RX turbo, 5 speed, HI/Low tranny let me know asap and maybe I can pick this car up cheap. I know the motor would probably be a major pain to get in but would it be worth it? I have no idea what kinda power it puts out.

 

I looked around at that car, the engine is probably shot.

I heard from another member that the 85 has no diff lock? (Baccaruda I think

said that)

But the guy wants to sell it whole, and not really part it out.

 

And as for the advice given above, with the EJ, you get more HP, more

torque, better reliability, and less maintenance than the EA82T.

 

Also, as was already mentioned, the diff stub axle counts are different and

would require modified axles.

 

Twitch