P K Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 No flaming as to WHY please - but, has anyone ever bolted a 4EAT to an EA81? I figure to change the rear to 3.7 also, and think the front will need 25 spline axles. Then do I just need the TCU? and wire-it in/get'r done? r/ PK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I think one of the concerns is that the gear ratios in the 4EAT are a bit high for the EA81 - not to be said that it is not still driveable - also I think that it is a bit large for the EA81 body, as the EA82 body was modified about that time, increasing the driveline area to make it fit - you'll need to install a EA82 bellhousing, but after that, I guess it could work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qman Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 PK, it will bolt up just like the 5 sp. Change the bellhousing, not! You may need to change the axles to match but I don't know for sure. You may also have to tap tap the tunnel to accomodate the larger anchor you're about to install. Good luck!! Definitely will need the Comp and wiring to boot. Is this much work going to be worth it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tailgatewagon Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 pk are you talking about the ej auto or the ultra rare 4eat that came in ea82 turbos? i assume the latter. im just about to pull one of these tranys from my 88 turbo so the tcu and all wiring sensors and junk will be avalible for ummmmmmmmmmmmm FREE... anyway let me know if you need any of it later. brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tailgatewagon Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 oh yea just so you know. my wagon at 80mph wasnt turning fast enough to keep that speed without hunting gears. at 90mph the cruse worked fine but at 80 it would hunt a bit as it was not making enough power... cool thing is milage should be awsome from this setup on the freeway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P K Posted January 18, 2006 Author Share Posted January 18, 2006 Thank you all, Actually, I was thinking the EA82/Loyale 4EAT - I didn't know they were ultra rare. Now the EJ auto has like a 0.697 4th gear and with it the 3.7 final would put the RPMs well down for a mere 73 hp EA81 to wrangle. Hmmm, seems like a 3 spd slush-O-matic might be better? Can someone confirm - it just bolts in and no TCU for that, correct? Does anyone have anything GOOD to say about the 3 spd AT? thanks again, r/ PK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Huh, the only good thing I can say about any 3spd AT is that you dont have to change the clutch/pressureplate/TOB. But with the Subaru 3spd AT, you might be changing the gov about as frequently But its a direct bolt up, but you will need to tranny mounts and some minor wiring for the reverse and neutral safety switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 in all honesty, I vote manual transmission all the way - they are not difficult to learn, and they will ALWAYS get better fuel mileage/power than an automatic because you don't have a torque converter to slip - the 5-speed dual-range 4WD is a very nice unit, and it works great in EA81/EA82 applications - best thing is, you have a low range for grunt-work - there is (was) a writeup on how to do the conversion too whatever you decide, good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeshoup Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 in all honesty, I vote manual transmission all the way - they are not difficult to learn, and they will ALWAYS get better fuel mileage/power than an automatic because you don't have a torque converter to slip - the 5-speed dual-range 4WD is a very nice unit, and it works great in EA81/EA82 applications - best thing is, you have a low range for grunt-work - there is (was) a writeup on how to do the conversion toowhatever you decide, good luck I wouldn't say always get better fuel milage. Especially since the 4EAT slush box locks up in 2nd and above. (Does the 3AT do this too?) With the really low overdrive ratio on the 4EATs compared to the manuals, and the fact some of the 4EATs have lower final drive than the manuals, you can get superb gas milage on the highway. The whole manual vs automatic debate is purely personal preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I wouldn't say always get better fuel milage. The only way that would hold true is if you had more forward speeds in the automatic than manual (5 speed automatic, versus 4 speed manual) - an automatic is 10-15% less efficent not just because of the torque converter, but because the overall resistance of the transmission's moving components is greater - think about how automatics require an oil cooler, manuals don't - I have actually worked with professionals who rebuild both types of transmissions, as well as those who design them - the "lock" that occurs is not perfect either, unlike a clutch on a manual transmission. The 4EAT is a good unit, unlike the 3AT, but it is not geared well for the EA82, let alone the EA81 - your overdrive is WAYY too high for the engine to handle, so you will be downshifting a good bit on the highway - RPM change translates to greater fuel consumption - on a car with limited power to begin with, you are better off with a manual transmission, where you have a direct "locked" connection to the rear wheels, versus an automatic, where there is always some slush That said, if you had an ER27 (XT6 engine) you would probably do fine with a 4EAT because you would have enough power to handle the gearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoostedBalls Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I think the best thing to do with 4EAT is to drain the fluids and attach it to a long chain and either: A. Drag down a long dirt road at high speed. B. Use it to anchor you boat in your favorite fishing spot. I have one in my 1993 legacy and it is horrable. A friend has one in his 1990 Legacy and it also sucks. The manual transmissions are top notch. I would instal one in the Legacy but the wife can't drive a manual. She can hardly drive with the auto... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlelegacy Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I think the best thing to do with 4EAT is to drain the fluids and attach it to a long chain and either: A. Drag down a long dirt road at high speed. B. Use it to anchor you boat in your favorite fishing spot. I have one in my 1993 legacy and it is horrable. A friend has one in his 1990 Legacy and it also sucks. The manual transmissions are top notch. I would instal one in the Legacy but the wife can't drive a manual. She can hardly drive with the auto... I have the 93 legacy wagon wtih the 4EAT too . My tranny sucks balls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamtheq Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 She can hardly drive with the auto... Man, I hope she doesn't hear that you said that:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I would love to see who would win the race between a XT6 w/4EAT and the same w/5spd w/diff lock. They would both have to be stock of course, but I give the win to the AT @ 60ft. After that, its up for grabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tailgatewagon Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 its funny to hear people lecturing ozy the advantages of teh dr trany,,,,,,,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 IIRC, the EA82 version of the 4EAT came only on turbo cars from 88 to 90 (91?). They are not all that rare, as I have 2 and have transported a third. The 4EAT CAN get better mileage than a manual. It is not the only thing that has friction... the engine has much more, and if you can spin the motor only 80% as fast, that friction also goes way down. (Automatics require oil coolers mostly due to the torque converter during torque multiplication, not the internals.) Driving my 90 Turbo Loyale home from Portland, I was getting nearly 40mpg... with the turbo being inactive due to cracked uppipe, so my foot was in the gas an awful lot. By contrast, our SPFI 3AT gets about 30MPG, and our turbo 3AT gets maybe 20... The 3AT is not a bad automatic transmission; it is comparable (and internally much the same) as other Japanese automatics of its era. After a little TLC, ours work just fine. My SPFI 3AT is one of the most pleasant automatics that I have had to drive. The 3AT absolutely requires clean ATF, and it usually needs some work on its governor assembly before it runs properly. Any 3AT should bolt up just fine to an EA81. It does not have a lock-up clutch like the 4EAT. It is also considerably lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeky Moose Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 just so ya know, i've done this.. my car 88' xt6 4eat 2wd other car 88' xt6 5-speed 4wd i spanked that other car I would love to see who would win the race between a XT6 w/4EAT and the same w/5spd w/diff lock. They would both have to be stock of course, but I give the win to the AT @ 60ft. After that, its up for grabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P K Posted January 19, 2006 Author Share Posted January 19, 2006 its funny to hear people lecturing ozy the advantages of teh dr trany,,,,,,,,, I know the preferred choice is a 5spd DR swap , at least everyone was courteous and I didn't get flamed. This BBS is great, a ton-O-information and opinions are always welcome. As to the 'WHY' an auto, the vehicle may go to my son. He doesn't need (nor do I want him to have) any more power than a warmed-over EA81, and he does not want a manual trans at all. I loved the 4EAT in my Turbo Loyale - it rocked. However, I can see an advantage of weight and simplicity for using the 3AT. NOW FOR A FOLLOW-ON QUESTION (talking about 4WD/AWD - trans's only, no FWD): Two types of 3AT? Early version was part-time, shift on the fly, and later was full-time AWD? What was in the Turbo Brat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 I think the two types of 3AT that are being refered to are the turbo, and non-turbo versions; there were also slight differences in the 3AT put into the EA81 vs EA82 cars; but I think it is negledgable - so far as I know, there was NEVER a 3AT with a center diff/FT4WD/AWD - all were pushbutton 4WD (except of course, the 2WD version) - given the reason for going automatic, I would say a 3AT should be fine, the big advantage to a 4EAT is the overdrive for highway use (which your son probably wouldn't do much of) and the fact there is no govenor valve to gum up - the turbo brat had a standard pushbutton 4WD version of the 3AT, probably the turbo version. The biggest advantage I see to the turbo 3AT is that the gear drive for the govenor assy did not have a nylon gear in it, that was prone to shearing on the normal 3AT version - the turbo version has steel gears, and slightly different internal operating pressures (refering to my 1985 FSM) the gear ratios are also slightly different, but once again, the difference is negledgable I have ridden in an EA81 with a 3AT, and it is a decent, smooth ride (they really do shift nicely when running right) - but it was not a fast ride Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P K Posted January 19, 2006 Author Share Posted January 19, 2006 Thanks, xlnt info! The car is slated for a 3/2 lift and ~24.5" tires, so the freeway cruising will be just fine. to all. r/ PK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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