3sgte AWD Conversion, Trying it anyway! Options

[Green_MachToy]

I got a shipment in of all the parts I was missing to do the AWD Conversion on my ST. Now I am starting to put everything in with a lot of help from a friend of mine.
Parts List 1
Parts list 2
Parts list 3
Parts list 4
Parts list 5
Parts list 6
Here is a shot while we were taking pics.
Plenty of Go Go Juice
The first thing we pulled the rear out, and placed the new ST205 rear on a jack and started measuring. It seemed like we were measuring for hours...but gotta make sure it is right.
Holding it in place until everything measures out.
There were no bolt holes that we could use to tap and bolt the rear up to, so we had to fab a brace.
New Rear
Then as many know...the trunk had to go. We decided to remove the entire trunk bottom to also allow for the gas tank. The next problem we ran into was the bumper support. We had to cut that in order for the tank to fit and to keep the it up high. We are going to fab a mounting bracket for the bumper but that got moved low on the list.
View from trunk where gas tank will go.
The driveshaft and tunnel needed extra mounting brackets and the exhaust to be relocated. In doing this we almost caught the car on fire from the heat of the welds. Luckily the carpet did catch, but rather than pull it back like we had, we removed it all to ensure it didn't catch fire.
Pic of tunnel
When it came to the fromt, that work went a lot faster. The tranny swap was easy enough to remove the MR2 and replace it with the ST205. Since the only axles that appeared to fit were the ST205, I got them from here (thanks celica3sgte)! Just as we had most everything was coming together, my shifter cable broke. It was actually the plastic piece right near the shifter. Got one off an ST185, and tried to put it in tonight...it doesn't fit!
Side note: The front cross-member is the same as ours. I had ordered it just to be on the safe side, and didn't need it. The super strut system uses the same mounting points.
Front disc and strut
Monster Discs!
Another view of front
Rear discs with 18" rims on 'em.
We also installed a new Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator and 680 injectors...was to help a new T4 turbo. But the T4 shaft and fins appear to have been damaged in the mail. I will now have to send it out to have them replaced and balanced. Anyone know of a good place here in San Diego or Southern California? I was going to send it to Performance Tecniques in San Bernadino, but no one seems to have heard of them.

This post has been edited by Green_MachToy: Feb 4, 2007 - 10:08 PM

[celiracer]

Very impressive. Hopefully it will become a kit where we can buy it and be able to bolt on and make it AWD. That would be really awsome to have a 3sgte and AWD in the US..

[alltracman78]

That would be really awsome to have a 3sgte and AWD in the US..

It is
(sorry, couldn't resist )

FYI, the T case for the 165/185/205 have the same physical dimensions. The difference in the 185 and 205 is simply the lever on the 185 that allows for different viscous coupling configurations [only for the dyno, before anyone asks. ]

As I'm sure you know the rear diff is the same as well.
Hubs are also the same [NOT the whole knuckle, just the hub] as far as I know.
You might be able to use the propeller shaft from a 185, but I believe it's a slight be shorter. Same type though, and very similar.
I think the same goes for the front and rear CV shafts.
I believe the rear subframe is also different, but similar. If you were going to make a bracket that it bolts up to, I don't think it would be that different enough to matter.
But I've never done this, so it's all supposition at this point.

The question is how well the 205 superstrut suspension would bolt up to it.
Or would you want to use the 185 suspension?
No joints in the front to go bad at 60k miles.

And for the record, when I state a part is the same, I mean it will bolt on. For example the rear diff for the 205 might have an extra groove in the heatsink, and so have a different part#, but it will bolt right up to a 185 subframe.