I have a Gsl-se that I put a t2 motor in and about $10,000 in parts as it is complete and running. After this 4+ year swap this car is not really worthy of its drivetrain as it is rusted pretty badly in the wheel wells, is missing exterior pieces and has bad paint. Also, nothing works, interior is gross, ect.. I want to buy a Gsl-se but its hard to find an unmolested se with a blown engine (and preferably white). I want to start this project asap so I would be willing to buy a non-se. I am not familiar with the 12a cars and want to know if I swap the suspension/brakes/wheels will it be a total conversion? I did some searching and could not find the complete answer to this. Since I have an se I am wondering what else I have to swap over besides the choke hole plug. Is the interior any different? thanks

 

Yes to the driveline. Straight swap for what you have. Probably the easiest would be to drop your engine subframe and bolt it to the 12a car. Rear end will bolt in. Wiring will slide in. The only differences between the GSL and GSL-SE (that i'm aware of) are the driveline (front to back including the 13b subframe), the front brakes are larger, there is a different bolt pattern, and the EFI system (including tank, lines, etc.).

Swap in your subframe with motor and everything still attached (bolt in from the bottom), swap over the -SE strut/hub assembly to get the 4x114.3 bolt pattern. Bolt in your rear axle from your -SE. Swap over your brake master cylinder and lines so you know everything will just bolt up to your -SE components and you have the right front/rear brake bias. Install your TII wiring harness and *possibly* your -SE main harness (I think it's safe to assume that the 12a main harness and the -SE main harness are not the same). It will be a time consuming process, but not too difficult, seeing as how you've already done at successful TII swap.

 

Thanks. I have a microtech so I assume I don't have to worry about any harness differences. But I totally forgot about the different subframe. What kind of problems am I going to run into with the gas tank. Is the fuel pump still external like on the se..because I have a walbro that I thought I could just swap over.

 

Not quite sure, but I think that the EFI setup has different pickups on the gas tank for the larger lines and higher flow requirements of the EFI system.

 

Yes, it's still external.

 

SE tanks have larger fuel lines an FI rated fuel filter and an internal sump cup. I have a writeup in the archives that covers the differences between S3 12A/13B tanks.

 

I believe the gsl-se gas tank has a baffle in it and larger fuel lines. You'll want that with the t-II motor. Also, 81-83 cars have the older series 2 interior, and the engine harness comes through the firewall on the drivers side. 84-85 harnesses come through on the passenger side, and will have the same interior you have now. It might not be an issue for you, but just an fyi for an easier direct swap without making a new engine harness.

 

the body 84-85 is the same, except you can get a 12A with no sunroof.

just about everything else is different, but if you have it.

 

All of the fuel tanks have a baffle, only the SE and later FI tanks have the sump cup. Most confuse that baffle as being something special and it's not. It merely reduces fuel sloshing and fuel shifting to one side or the other during cornering, thus reducing fuel starvation.

 

Can you explain the "sump cup"? Is it something to prevent fuel starvation?

 

I searched but can't find anything info on removing the subframe with motor. Only info I could find was how install an fc subframe. How do I get the car high enough off the ground to pull the front out? I can't really visualize the obstacles preventing it from coming out right now but are you just supposed to to remove bumper/front/panel etc.? Also are the steering columns the same?

 

As they say, a pic is worth a thousand words Fwiw, since I posted that thread I've learned that there's no difference between the FC turbo and non-turbo tanks, the FC 'cup' has 4-5 times the capacity as the SE 'cup' and the S5 tank is 1" deeper than the S4 tanks.

Yes, the cup is there to prevent fuel starvation, not a biggie on NA engines but a killer for the turbo engines under boost. Simple explaination for the 'cup' is, as the pickup/supply tube pulls fuel from the cup, the return line partially fills it back up with fuel the engine doesn't use, along with the hole in the side of the cup and the fuel level in the tank overtopping the rim of the cup.

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-archive-71/fuel-interchangeability-fuel-tanks-facts-604917/

 

bump for my questions

 

I assume you're talking about the crossmember? It's much easier to remove after the engine is out.

 

subframe WITH motor would be a huge pain in the butt, as there isn't really anything to keep it all aligned after you loosen the subframe from the body.

much easier to pull engine, last one i did i actually slipped it out the bottom, its way easy. then the subframe is like 4 bolts, and it'll either come out with the suspension arms or you can unbolt those too and just take it out by itself.

steering is the same, and its not on the subframe so you do not need to even touch it, except if you pull the motor out the bottom the center link needs to come off.

 

Removing the engine with the subframe is a waste of time and more work than doing them seperately. You can however drop the entire front suspension, along with the subframe, as a unit for your swap. I've done this and it's relatively easy once the subframe is set on a floor jack. Then you just roll the entire unit, (subframe, LCAs, struts, tension rods with brackets, idler arm, steering sector, sway bar, tie rods and center link), under the receiving body and jack the assembly into place.

Steering columns are the same

 

I have taken the motor out and now need to remove the suspension. I have removed every bolt and it is hanging by the steering column only. Is that spline supposed to slide out of the steering column like a driveshaft yolk and transmission, or is there some other point on the assembly that I should disconnect?

 

if you are taking the steering box with i would disconnect it from there.

 

Leave the idler arm attached to the steering box and seprate the arm from the center link. The idler arm is often impossible to get off and needs to be clocked when reinstalled.

 

thanks I was wondering about that. I purchased a pitman arm puller for compact cars from pep boys and it was still slides off the center link. Is there another way to do this. Will a normal gear puller work (although I would rather not shell out another 50 bucks)?

I know this is a long shot but do you think the power steering could be retained (my gsl has it that I'm swapping the drivetrain/suspension into and the gsl-se does not)? It is an s5 t2 motor with a gsl-se front cover.

 

yes you can retain that. all you are replacing is the crossmember, that can be removed from the suspention arms. the strut assys can be removed from the lower suspention via two 17 mm bolts. remove them and you wount have to mess wit your steering at all.

 

I have successfully removed the front and the rear. I was wondering if there are any differences with the differential externally. I'm wondering about mounting and sway bars because they would be hard to get some of them off due to the rust. thanks. I wanted to just use the bare differential with brake line from the gsl-se (and e-brake line).