a friend of mine just got into an amigo project and asked me to help plan his build. i've done a little searching and haven't come up with much. i'm a jeep guy and know nothing about amigos. my friend isn't into online forums so he's limited to google and whatever turns up on general web searches. i haven't been on 4x4 wire in years but i knew there was an isuzu forum so i thought i'd drop by and ask for some info.

first of all, i think he's an idiot for getting into a project like this but i told him i would try to help. what he has is a '90 2wd amigo with standard transmission(i doubt they even came with autos but just in case...) i don't know which engine, probably the 2.3.

will an amigo transfer case bolt up to a 2wd amigo transmission without a custom adapter? if so, which side is the front output?

thanks for any info.

Though there are some good folks here, a much more active site is http://forum.planetisuzoo.com/. They can help you as well. Good luck.

The 4wd t-case is integrated to the transmission. All 'Zus are passenger's-side drop. The 4wd tranny has a hydraulic clutch whereas the 2wd was cable clutch... that is the only thing that keeps a 4wd tranny/t-case combo from being bolt-on (except possibly crossmembers).

The output shaft size and spline count on the t-case matches the input of the t-case from an auto (married style case). If the same is true of the output on the 2wd tranny, you could in theory custom adapt a t-case from an auto to the 2wd tranny; but that is all speculation and would require custom fab work regardless of whether things line up or not.

What is his goal/objective with this build? If he's just trying to make a stock 2wd Amigo into a stock 4wd Amigo, its not worth it.

thanks for the info. he bought the thing without any research. assuming swapping drivetrain components would be like a jeep or any other truck. new axles for sure and hoping to use isuzu engine, tranny, and tcase. he mainly wants a mild trail runner but mostly a 4 cyl gas miler for commuting.

thank you for the info about the hyd clutch and integrated tcase. i'm going to the junkyard with him tomorrow to get a new tranny. he bought the amigo with a bad tranny to begin with but it was dirt cheap.

i think he would have been better off getting another jeep but he decided to open this can of amigo worms. on the flip side, he's an excellent fabricator (sand car builder), and super turd polisher. he will make it look good and work well. it just may cost him more than it's worth. it would be kind of cool to have a trail rig that isn't a jeep or toyota though. i guess he has that going for him when he overspends his budget beyond his original plan.

when i go to the junkyard with him, i will try to get him to buy a 4wd tranny/tcase and get the hyd clutch. solid front axle conversion to a 2wd will come later. i'll try to get some pics of that when he does it and post on an isuzu forum. i know he will do it even if it's not worth it. he's stubborn that way. he already bought the suzu so he will do whatever it takes to make it look good and perform. even if i think he's a dumbass for doing so. i personally think if you want a 4wd, buy a 4wd in the first place. we'll see how it turns out. thanks for the info.

I doubt he'll be happy, then. As far as 4cyl's go, Isuzus don't get great fuel economy. Doing a SAS down the road with tires large enough to merit the swap will kill that even more.

For the amount of fecal polishing required, if whatever he bought is even remotely a driver, sell it. Just sell it now, and use the money to get a 4wd version. Regardless of the fabrication skills, he will be worlds ahead by doing so and will probably save a ginormous amount of headache also.

In addition to Sean's comments about the related gas mileage, there is also the issue of relying on a highly modified vehicle as a daily driver. The amount of custom work proportionately (exponentially?) increases the amount of upkeep. Not to mention the time/money spent on putting axles under only to start stacking the miles on it by driving it on the street.

Just some ideas. Can it all be done? Yes. Might there be a better approach? Yes.

Good Luck,
Michael

thanks guys. your input really helped. we went to the junkyard today and got a 2wd tranny out of a '92 pup. it was a u pull it and luckily, someone had already taken the engine. we got the tranny and a nearly perfect hood for $120. got a new clutch and installed everything in less than 10 beers between 3 of us.

the deal breaker was the 4wd trans/tcase was $500. you can buy a running 4wd xj for that. in the end, common sense prevailed. just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. there was a momentary lapse looking at the 14" king coilovers on his sand car sitting right next to the amigo (with it's big, bubbly, flared out, desert style fenders). it was more a "well you could...." "believe me dude, i thought about it". the amigo will remain the 2wd street machine it was born to be and eventually get sold to some chick that thinks it's cute.

thanks again for the info. google wasn't very helpful.