Don't convert your SVX to RWD

UberRoo · #1 10-12-2006, 08:08 PM

I just had to try it.

Needless to say, it's fun, but it's nothing like having AWD.

That them thar upper gear is toothless, uk yuk.

I disassembled the AWD clutch pack and drilled a handful of holes in all the disks except for the very top and bottom ones. I installed the disks and inserted metal dowels in the holes to keep the disks from slipping. I then ground the teeth off the drive gear which feeds power to the front differential. To complete the recipe, assemble, wave a magic wand, and viola: RWD.

Original on the left - modified on the right.

I'm having a very hard time keeping the rear end planted. On loose surfaces, it's ridiculously unmanageable. I'm not sure how I'll get it back up on the ramps when I decide to bring back the AWD goodness.

Also, as a side note, the parts I butchered for this project came from an imported Legacy transmission. (At least, that's what I was told it is. It has only one exhaust hanger, so I presume this to be true.) I was under the impression that the Legacy 4EAT AWD clutch packs had fewer disks, but this one was identical. Perhaps the foreign versions are different, or I was misinformed about the difference between the US versions.

dynomatt · #2 10-12-2006, 09:20 PM

That's cool...and funny!!!

Need pics of you drifting...

M

TomsSVX · #3 10-12-2006, 10:42 PM

yeah, the transfer clutches are identical. The SVX high clutch has more friction materials

Tom

Chiketkd · #4 10-13-2006, 09:22 AM

Get a pic of your car while you do a rwd burnout!

Budfreak · #5 10-13-2006, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

Get a pic of your car while you do a rwd burnout!

+1 AGREED!

RSVX · #6 10-13-2006, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Budfreak

+10 AGREED!

Fixt.........

SomethingElse · #7 10-29-2006, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UberRoo

I disassembled the AWD clutch pack and drilled a handful of holes in all the disks except for the very top and bottom ones. I installed the disks and inserted metal dowels in the holes to keep the disks from slipping. I then ground the teeth off the drive gear which feeds power to the front differential. To complete the recipe, assemble, wave a magic wand, and viola: RWD.

The part im still fuzzy on is do you put dowels in all of the friction material discs? If so im assuming the top and the bottom ones are just the metal discs?

huck369 · #8 10-29-2006, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SomethingElse

The part im still fuzzy on is do you put dowels in all of the friction material discs? If so im assuming the top and the bottom ones are just the metal discs?

There is a metal disk between each friction disk, the dowels go though them all, to basically make them a solid unit, with zero give...

UberRoo · #9 10-31-2006, 03:13 PM

The clutch pack is a pancake stack of about a dozen disks, alternating friction disks against plain metal disks. The friction disks are attached to the input shaft by splines on the inside. The plain metal disks are attached to the output shaft by splines on the outside. When the clutch slips, the disks move at different speeds. If you pound some nails (dowels) into this stack of pancakes, they all move together at the same speed. As long as at least one disk from each (input and output) is pinned with a dowel, any disks without a dowel will still move together since it's splined to its buddies. The disks on the ends have no dowel holes simply to keep the dowels from falling out.

See the green #3 in the picture? I just drilled a hole right where that row of green dots is.

TomsSVX · #10 10-31-2006, 06:28 PM

so how exactly does drilling a hole through the clutches and not the friction materials allow for it to lock?? It just keeps them allign but still allows the materials to slip....

Tom

SomethingElse · #11 10-31-2006, 06:53 PM

thats so..

I need to find another car

...It makes sense now. Thanks for the breakdown.

Tom: The clutch pack is a pancake stack of about a dozen disks, alternating friction disks against plain metal disks. The friction disks are attached to the input shaft by splines on the inside. The plain metal disks are attached to the output shaft by splines on the outside.