I posted this once but got only one reply

i just picked up a used 89 RS its nice, maroon, T5, trigon wheels, cooper cobra rubber, but the cracker heads who had it before me ran water in the winter months (tennessee) and cracked the block and now it has no compression. (by the way the motor is a 2.8 mpfi) so now im on the hunt for another, a local junkyard has a running 2.8 that comes with fuel injection and a warranty against smoking,knocking, or excessive oil use, it's in a 89 TA with a 700r4, my question is this: I was told by a local mechanic that on those 2.8's that a 2.8 that came factory automatic will NOT work on a manual b/c it vibrates too bad..but i was also told by another that they will interchange all i have todo is change pilot bearings flywhell and possibly harmonic balancer...,<size=14><b>will the 2.8 out of the automatic TA work in my manual RS?</b></size=14>

 

It should work. I think you have to change the flexplate on the one from the automatic to a flywheel for the one w/ the T5. It's just the engine block you're changing right? Your computer in the RS is for the manual tranny so you're fine there. It should work, because 2.8s came w/ 700r4's and T5's from the factory. TomP has more details