New to Subaru/88 GL10 engine swap

[waddon5]

I recently bought an 88 2wd GL 10 for my daughter. Unfortunately she burned up the tranny. I am considering buying a parts car that has a tired engine and is 4wd. Should I consider a tranny swap or an engine swap? Are the bell housings compatable for 2 and 4 wd's?

 

thanks

[TROGDOR!]

I'd say swap the engine into the 4WD car, along with a few tidbits of the GL-10 interior. What year and model is the car with the dead engine?

[NorthWet]

I recently bought an 88 2wd GL 10 for my daughter. Unfortunately she burned up the tranny. I am considering buying a parts car that has a tired engine and is 4wd. Should I consider a tranny swap or an engine swap? Are the bell housings compatable for 2 and 4 wd's?

 

thanks

 

First, welcome to the USMB, and welcome to Subaru ownership. You live in a good place for help, as there are a bunch of us nearby.

 

Second, what transmission does the car have: Manual or automatic?

 

I am assuming an auto, since the manuals usually aren't referred to as "burned up". If it is an automatic, is it a 3-speed (aka 3AT) or a 4-speed (aka 4EAT)? The shift trim should say either PRND21 or PRND32.

 

The 3AT has some common maintenance problems that make it look like the transmission is dead. It is sensitive to its fluid, and only runs well when full of clean, non-overheated fluid. (Be aware that there are 2 dipsticks on the trannies: The forward one, over the front axles, is for differential oil.) If it is low, it will not shift or move right. If the fluid is low, and if you fill it you get white smoke out of the exhuast, the vacuum modulator (controls gear "kickdown") may be ruptured; a $10-30 part.

 

If the fluid level is OK, the "governor" might have a problem; the governor control shifting in the "D" position. The governor is a removable part that is gear driven off of the differential section, and the gear can wear out or the valve it soins can stick, either of which will cause weird, or no, shifting.

 

Back to your original questions: Subarus are like Legos, in that parts are very interchangeable. No change of bellhousing is needed in going between any of the transmissions in an engine series. Converting to 4WD is doable, but takes a fair number of parts from a donor vehicle.

 

Again, welcome.

[waddon5]

I'd say swap the engine into the 4WD car, along with a few tidbits of the GL-10 interior. What year and model is the car with the dead engine?

 

From what I know so far the 4 wd drive car is also an 88 GL10. I do not know what tranny it has in it at this point. I have been e-mailing the seller and haven't seen it yet.

[waddon5]

Thanks for the welcome!

 

When I bought this car the tranny had a leak and we were pretty religous about maintaining the fluid level. I noticed early that it didn't like to shift and seemed to like 3rd gear most of the time. Currently the car will not shift into reverese and it acts like it is still in gear when in park. Press on the gas in park and the engine is under load, shift into reverse or anything else and the car wants to move forward.

[MilesFox]

sounds like the shift linkage is tweaked. shift the car to park, get under the car and locate the linkage on the tranny. the lever should be all the way forward, if the rod is bent the shifter will be off from the tranny itself

 

i had a 2wd 3at dl sedan, took it off road and park was hard to hit, the gears seemed to be in between the numbers on the shifter, was a bent linkage, easy to fix