im swithing project cars again.
im wondering if i can use the engine, tranny, driveshaft, posi rear combo from my 85. will the fb tranny sit way close to the dash like the sa does? i hate the bent shifter and want to use my short throw.

 

Uuuuh, arent they pretty much identical, other than a few minor things? at least thats what I thought.

 

actually the FB tailshaft is longer, so it isnt a direct fit. you can make it work though. the engine and rear end will bolt up with no problem. if you dont like the bent shifter, cut it and make a straight one. eaiser than swappping a rans and cutting up your trans tunnel.

 

when i did it I did have to cut the tunnel and modify the center console
shift area but I was so glad to get rid of the long shifter. I cut the
other even shorter - sticks up about 3"

 

yea, they are quite different.

 

i have a mazdatrix short throw that i really like.

 

Sounds like I'm getting a short throw........

 

did you just bolt a fb tranny into your sa?
you had to cut the tunnel to move the shifter back more towards the rear of the car. how about the tranny mount, do you know if they are the same?

so the tailshaft is longer, does that mean the engine mounts closer to the front of the car or is the driveshaft shorter? i seem to remember the driveshafts being the same length from cars i have parted. perhaps if i use a fb front crossmember to move the engine closer?

 

very doubtful.
im getting this **** figured out.

 

Trans are the same length. The sa Trans has the shifter box on the right and up a little bit. The FB one is on the end of the tail shaft. IIRC.

 

so the difference in length is on the tranny itself, huh?
****. am i gona have to cut the tunnel than?
what are my options?

 

You know what to do.

 

get out the sawzall?

 

Napers.

 

If you want to take the transmission down to bits, you can adapt the SA tail part of the transmission to the later FB transmission. You will have to change one of the shift fork rods.

I think you might be able to shorten the shift tube on the FB transmission. You might want to search the forum.

RXDad

 

IF you want to keep your short shift for the FB then you will have to cut the tunnel.


And you know what they say, Real men have a big stick.

 

Short throw shifter in FB trans = SA shift throw.

You have to do more than hack the floor, you have to remove or destroy the center console.

Before you wreck a perfectly good SA, why not just find an FB? I could probably be persuaded to trade my FB even-up for an SA just to have one again.

 

i hate to do it too. this SA is the cleanest 7 i have ever laid eyes on.
why not find an fb? i have found many, i dig the classic look of the SA, tailights and bumpers.

 

So why would you want to use the FB transmission? There's no intrinsic "good" quality to it vs. the SA unit. The shifter layout is actually better for the SA... the lever is longer, however the length below the pivot ball is also longer. Net gain in favor of the SA.

 

EXELENT!

Things are lookin good.

 

Sorry, I had worked on an SA and even pulled the engine and tranny out of it.... I guess you really need to see them side by side, I had just never noticed that much of a difference other than the shifter itself.

 

how about if i swaped a s2 dash and console? its needs a new dash anyway.