awd swap into 2.5 turbo caravan?

[jefo]

Hey guys,

Out of curiosity could an awd system out of a 1992ish caravan be transplanted into a 2.5 turbo 89 caravan? Maybe if I could find a 5 speed awd van and swap the guts into mine.

thanks,
-Jeff

[A.J.]

Depends, how good of a fabricator are you? AWD were only V-6 vans and were never 5 speeds. You'd have to adapt the AWD components to another transmission. Here is an AWD swap but he's using a 2.4 DOHC engine instead of a 2.5 SOHC: http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/sh...us-van-project He's adapting the AWD stuff to a 5 speed so his thread might answer some of your questions.

[moparman76_69]

To answer your question directly, no. You'd have to use a 2.4. With the amount of material that had to be removed from the 2.4 bedplate/block mating area to clear the AWD PTU, there is no way you could make it clear a 2.5 without getting into the oil pan mounting area.

[Toddg]

I have read the threads on adapting AWD to the 5 speeds, but has anyone looked at mating it to the 3 speed auto? Without getting into the auto/manual debate, I am curious how the match would bolt up? I am not sure how physical similar the 413 is to the 604.

[moparman76_69]

To my knowledge it is a bolt in affair with any auto.

[zin]

Check out this thread in regards to using the 2.4 and AWD: http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/sh...light=srt4+awd

I'd say it is quite possible, almost easy, since you'll be using van parts on a van, the K-member should swap and the rear end/spring arrangement should also fit.

As for the 3-speed auto, I've done some cursory fitment and it looks like things would bolt up, but I haven't checked as to the fitment of the diff, which is essential.

Mike

[Vigo]

To my knowledge it is a bolt in affair with any auto.

I wouldnt exactly call it bolt up. It will need some mods. You'll have to put the 3spd differential ring gear on the 4spd awd diff carrier (which is needed because it has the splines that drive the PTU), and im not 100% on whether the bolt pattern on those two ring gears is the same. You'll probably need to make a spacer and get some fairly expensive bolts because i think the ring gear is located slightly different laterally on the 3spd and 4spd diffs. You'll probably have to redrill the holes where the ptu bolts to the right side of the diff housing on the 3spd case. It's basically the same kind of work you'd do to put the AWD stuff on a 5spd, but it's not exactly bolt in.

[turbovanman²]

Kreel did it with a 543 and a 3.0L, shouldn't be any different with a 2.5 and 568.

[zin]

The PTU, by eyeball engineering will bolt up, but I haven't got a 3-speed diff out of a case to speak to the ring gear issue, but it might ... at least it's my fantasy, that the engineers would have made more than just the converters compatible between the 3-speeds and 4-speeds!

Mike

[turbovanman²]

I have an 2nd Gen van, mine might be going AWD or Shayne and I have another project the van could be used for but that's top secret,

[Reaper1]

The A604's ring gear is wider than the 413's. I can't say 100%, but I'm fairly confident that some sort of adapter will be needed to run the AWD diff carrier in the 413. I can say that the bolt pattern for the diffs *should* be the same from what I remember.

[shayne]

i think it would need to be a later 3spd like a 31th in a neon so it has the larger diff bearings, so as to clear and accept the awd ptu retainer and the very large bearing on the passenger side of the diff. could totally be wrong though.
shh simon, secret van is secret.

[A.J.]

You can put the larger diff bearing retainer in the A413. When I ordered a Peloqin for my Dad's wagon it came with the larger bearing and retainer. I don't know the part number but I'm sure you can get them.

[Vigo]

Yeah im pretty sure all the difference in the larger pass-side diff bearing for the AWD diff is in the extension housing (or part of PTU that replaces that) and the actual hole in the case is the same size between fwd and awd. So that would imply that it will go into a 3spd case too.

[Ondonti]

I gave up trying to find my original notes & pics. I was moving during the project & stuff got lost during it all. I'll do my best to describe what to do. To start with, you'll need the driver side 5spd bearing retainer bored out to accept the AWD bearing race. You'll have to use the 5spd ring gear on the AWD diff case. You will have to mount the ring gear on the opposite side of the flange that it normally mounts to on the diff case. Also, the ring gear has to be flipped around when mounting it. This allows you to mount the final drive into the 5spd housing. Now, the ring to pinion backlash will be off by a few thousandths from factory specs which is actually a good thing for what we're trying to accomplish. To correct this, you'll have to machine the ring gear mounting surface to the difference that it is off of from the factory specs. This machining will also allow you to center the ring gear onto the flange as it machines a groove to use for the centering onto the flange. The bearing preload will be set by shimming the PTU bearing retainer used on the extension housing side of the trans. The PTU retainer bolt holes will not align with the 5spd holes. If you look at the trans extension housing directly, & look at the hole at the upper left and use it as a guide to tap the remaining holes, then this will set the PTU to the same angle to the engine as it was on the v6. Now you're set and you have 5spd with AWD.
Or...you can use the mighty 604 and be done with it.

Quoted for factual assistance.

[Reaper1]

Man, I forgot about the having to machine the 5-speed retainer for the AWD bearing race. DOH!

[Vigo]

Me too.