2wd auto to 5 speed dr conversion

[ivantruckman]

how hard is it to make a 91 loyale 2wd auto into a dr 4x4, i have a 85 with a rusty body, but a good dr and driveline, id like to keep the engine a spfi, can i use the same ecu ? or does it tie into the auto trans .

[GeneralDisorder]

You can use the same ECU. What you will run into with the 85 tranny is that it has no Neutral Switch as there were no D/R's with fuel injection until late 87 (except RX's and such, but the low is only 1.2 on those). This will not be a huge issue, but you will want to "fake out" the ECU if you use a manual ECU, or if you use the auto ECU you will have the kickdown solenoid and the inhibitor switch to deal with. Either way unless you get creative the ECU will eventually illuminate the CEL when it doesn't see one of it's circuits.

 

On my Brat I used one of those early D/R's. I made up a bracket and cut a notch into the side of the main shift rod in order to mount a neutral switch from a later tranny in such a way that it would operate as normal. So far it's worked well, but it required some careful fitting and a little bit of cutting and welding to build it. Not hard, but not something for a beginner to fabricate.

 

Everything else should bolt up fine. You'll need the entire rear end and all associated parts. The gas tank should already have the hump for the diff, but look at it because some did and some didn't on the EA82's.

 

Front sway bar is different - and the front struts and rear coil-overs are different as well.

 

To swap from the auto you'll need the pedal assembly, and you'll have to hotwire the plug that goes to the auto shifter to allow the crank circuit to operate. On the clutch pedal there is a clutch switch that will have to be wired to the ECU unless you decide to keep your auto ECU.

 

It's time consuming, but it can be done as a near bolt-in. Firgure several weeks of downtime unless you have every single day to work on it.

 

GD

[Milemaker13]

It would probably be easier to swap in a DR into a 5 sp. 4x4 loyale... Wanna buy mine? You're in MI, I'm in northern IL. I'll drive it up if you'll drive me back:banana: