Nitro Alltrac's '92 185

Here's another update with regards to the 3rd gen electronics conversion. I hadn't kept up with my project thread like I should have.

Here's the diagram for the code 54 fix for a non-205. The other diagram I posted is supposed to work with the 205 to solve the code issue if you remove the WTA and go with a front mount. This solution works without the 205 harness. I'm not sure that the relay is actually necessary. You might be able to get away with using the diagram and running switched 12V to the INT pin. That pin is part of the WTA system and the 205 would have the wire in the ECU harness for that one, thus not needing it to cure the code 54 issue.

Anyway, I can say this solution works. Here's the diagram.



I'm also posting a diagram I made to show the correct way to hook the voltage divider up. I hooked mine up wrong the first time and figured I might not be the only one. The key thing here is to make sure that the R1 resistor is below the R2 resistor for this to work. Here's that diagram.



Hopefully these will help anybody doing this conversion.

Update on the project.

I traded some of the parts I had to BlueDragon for a 3rd gen MAP sensor. It came today and I got it put on. First off, it fixed the fuel cut issue. I'm going to 14 psi right where the MBC is set. No problem at all. Second, right now it looks like it has helped with the cold idle issue I've been having. Prior to the change to the 3rd gen MAP, the car ran like crap when starting up cold. It coughed and sputtered pretty bad for a minute or two before it finally settled down. The car was cold when I started it after changing the sensor and it idled fine right from the start.

So, for anybody looking to do this conversion, it is possible to run it on the 2nd gen MAP with the voltage divider. It works OK. Using the resistor set up that I did, it looks like the voltages that the ECU sees are higher than they should be for the given pressure/vacuum. You could play around more with the resistors to see if you could get the ECU signal voltages more in line with the 3rd gen sensor. I'm see this now as a stop gap measure until you can get a 3rd gen MAP. It would also be a good back up in case the 3rd gen sensor goes out. The 2nd gen with the voltage divider would allow you to the car running until you could get a replacement.

Well here's the next phase of my All Trac project.

I got the car up in the air a couple of weeks ago during the plant shutdown to take a look at my rust situation. The floor pan isn't too bad. The guy that had it right before me had cleaned it up and undercoated it really good. I found a couple of spots that I'll have to take care of, surprisingly all on the driver's side. The passenger side is all surface rust that I'll take care of well.

The big issue, which I knew about but hadn't check, was the front of the left quarter panel between the door and the wheel well. I knew there was a problem because on time when I was going to jack the car up on the jack point the jack went through. Not good. I had just not pulled the plastic trim panel off to see what was up. While I was under the car checking the floor board I looked at that area behind the trim panel. The whole bottom of the quarter was gone as I expected.

So, today I got the car back up and treated the floor pan areas to stop the rust. I'll finish that up soon. After that I decided to go ahead and pull the trim panel to see just how bad things were. What I found was pretty bad. When I had gotten the car, that section was in red primer. I checked it over at that time but it seemed solid. I didn't check for filler. What I found today was that most likely the damn sunroof drain was on through the hole at the bottom of the panel and had been draining into the quarter. My fault. Never thought to check it. I also think that it combined with a small hole that had started in the front of the wheel house and that allowed salt and crud to get in there as well. Long story short the whole bottom of the panel was gone.

I decided at this point to get my angle grinder and start cutting to see what I've really got. Made the first cut into the panel and it the disc went though the rear of the panel like butter and then slowed toward the front. The bottom of the panel had a lot of filler. I ended up going up to about an inch below the body side molding and everything was solid there. There was a skim count on top but metal underneath. I cut all of that out, down toward the bottom of the door and part of the back of the rocker pane. This got all of the bad stuff out of the out skin.

What I had underneath was not as bad as it could be. The inner structure that is against the back of the quart is pretty much gone. The rear 12" or so of the pinch weld is gone as I expected. The pinch weld ahead of that is good. The inner panel that goes up inside of the quarter looked pretty good, just surface rust. The quarter is good from where I cut it.

I've got what I need to fix it. I've got quarter sections from a salvage yard car in Texas and the piece I took from Bruce's car. I got the outer rocker panel skin from Bruce's car as well. I think I've actually got enough of the end of the rocker panel on the quarter section from the TX car. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to fab something to replace the inner piece of the pinch weld. It doesn't look like I cut that off of either car where I can use it. I'll figure something out there.

The only other bad spots that I've got to fix are the bottom of the quarter behind the wheel opening and a section on the right rocker panel toward the front. I've got the metal to fix both of those areas as well. I've got to cut into the rear section to see how far I'm going to have to go up. Right now I've got a three inch hole in the bottom but it doesn't rollup the side. I'm hoping I can just do a section at the bottom.

I've been debating what to do with the car, fix it, sell it, part it out. I get a great lease deal through the plant and can get a great deal on a new FR-S. I thought a lot about that. I really like the All Trac though. I like the all wheel drive and the turbocharged engine. I also like that is rare. 271 I think in 92. It's been a good car over the 9 years I've had it. I think at this point I'm going to try to fix the rust and continue on. If that goes well, I'm planning on doing a 4th gen swap next year hopefully. Well see what happens.

Below are pictures of what things look like presently after cutting into the panels.

Thanks for all the ST205 conversion info. It really helped me out in doing mine.

You're very welcome. I spent a good bit of time gathering it all up so I figured I'd share.

sorry to see all the rust/corrosion
those sunroof drains cause so many problems for so many alltracs.

i really hope you are able to keep it. i understand about the FRS being attractive, but compared to the driving experience of an alltrac...it just doesn't compare (my opinion of course)

take care & enjoyed the update.