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Old 10-03-2005, 11:47 PM   #1
jim747
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Default want to swap motor

I have a 1990 legacy, would like to put a better ,faster,stronger motor in it.What would work,what changes would have to be done? THANK YOU
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Old 10-03-2005, 11:56 PM   #2
Natoe
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Sold '95 22T Impreza
'99 EJ205 L, AE86 GVR4

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well how mechanically inclined are you? looking for a turbo setup? for N/A you can put in a 2.5L RS engine 165hp, but other than that there are tons of turbo swaps possible. ej20 swaps (227hp), jdm swaps (250-280hp), usdm 2.5sti swaps (300hp), and the legacy 2.2t swap (160hp+more potential ) (what i have). search around the forums for what suits you best. there will be wiring involved unless you do a N/A setup.
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Old 10-05-2005, 11:24 PM   #3
jim747
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Cool 1990 legacy engine swap

Been working on cars for 20 years.this is my first subaru.Wondering if i have to swap transmission and electronics and wiring with these engine swaps? THANKS FOR ANYBODIES HELP
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Old 10-05-2005, 11:40 PM   #4
JDM_Scobaru
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Mechanical is pretty easy. Wiring is a beotch,no way to get around it.
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Old 10-06-2005, 12:37 AM   #5
qwklil4
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any ej series engine will bolt up to any tranny. going from NA to turbo you do need the turbo front crossmember to clear the uppipe.
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Old 10-06-2005, 11:56 AM   #6
83Rabbit
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if your interested in the 2.5RS swap, the 2.2 and 2.5 naturally aspirated motors will be your easiest swap, then check out my thread on the same page in this forum under "94 Impreza EJ25 swap FIRST THINGS FIRST"

Alot of information and random questions have been compiled and answered by a few members on the board who have completed the swap. Im almost done with it and should have it driving this weekend. I spent about 6-8 hours on it last weekend and its bolted up and ready to hook the sensors and accessories up to.
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Old 10-08-2005, 11:16 PM   #7
Shane25
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i will probably have a 2002 2.5L RS engine and 5 speed for sale pretty soon if all goes as planned. been babied and had synthetic every 4k miles. 32k miles on both

i would recomend going with a turbo'd engine though... while youre doing the swap may as well go with something that will be more fun... it all comes down to wiring though heh
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Old 10-09-2005, 03:20 AM   #8
Natoe
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you will regret it later if you dont go with something turbo'd, so much more potential. the cost is greater, and the wiring is a pain, unless you did it the way i did (which i dont reccomed because im rewiring now). ej22t is a cheaper option than the JDM imports, of course with JDM you do get a more proven engine, and better HP numbers, and newer. the ej22t is a beast though, check it out
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Old 10-15-2005, 08:32 PM   #9
comp1
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Why Is Everyone So Eger To Thow Out There 2.2l
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Old 10-15-2005, 08:50 PM   #10
Natoe
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cuz the NA engines dont have much potential, and i got tired of my 1.8's 110hp, and im sure its the same with the 2.2's 135hp
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Old 09-04-2008, 11:41 PM   #11
SoloSTI
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I have a 2007 WRX (turbo version) which is wrecked and I would like to transfer all the drivetrain.
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Old 09-05-2008, 02:00 AM   #12
ciper
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This is the wrong site to ask
http://bbs.legacycentral.org is where you need to be.

*currently swapping 2.5 DOHC engine with 98RS ecu into 91 Legacy beater, 05 STI engine into 90 legacy wagon is in a few months.
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Old 09-05-2008, 02:55 AM   #13
azn0boi04
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i have a twin turbo legacy motor if your are interested..
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Old 09-05-2008, 06:42 AM   #14
Matt Monson
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jim747 View Post
Been working on cars for 20 years.this is my first subaru.Wondering if i have to swap transmission and electronics and wiring with these engine swaps? THANKS FOR ANYBODIES HELP
Jim,
There are three quick and easy options for you. I will lay them out with the basic assets and liabilities to them for you. You can consider the other options that people are suggesting but any of them are a pisston more work.

1. DOHC Ej25 swap. Normally aspirate engine from 1996-1999 Legacy GT's, Outbacks and Foresters. Pretty easy swap. Most of the sensors swap right over. You've got to do a bit of work on the throttle body and IIRC maybe the injector harness. Run it on the stock ECU. There is a pretty complet how-to on Legacy Cental. I believe it's written by Jason Graham if you want to search for it. 165chp. Complete engine with intake manifold will run you $500-1000. Replace the head gaskets before installation, which means a water pump and timing belt are kind of a no brainer at the same time. So figure more like $800-1200 installed.

2. Ej22T turbo legacy swap. Still pretty easy. Found in 1991-1994 Legacies. Get the complete wiring harness and the turbo engine crossmember with all related exhaust plumbing and it's a total bolt on affair. Be sure to get the related turbo sensors from the right front strut tower (ie Boost control solenoid and pressure sensor). 165chp. These are getting harder to find because of limited production numbers. The easiest approach these days is to find an auto transmission car with a bad tranny and buy it for super cheap, take what you need and part it out. I've done this a couple times. I've always come out with zero out of pocket at the end of it all. This is a stock swap. You are basically just replacing the non-turbo stuff with turbo. You can upgrade some stuff but the limit without really getting into it is around 220chp.

3. This one is my favorite. JDM Ej20G. This is the early Legacy turbo and WRX motor found in Japan and ROW. There are a couple variants but they are all pretty much the same. This is the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to some real power. If you get a 240-260chp variant with a tdo05 turbo it is best. Expect to pay $1000-1500 for a complete swap. Do not rewire the whole car. Do not cut and splice like guys do with the Impreza. All you need from the harness is the above mentioned turbo sensors. You also need to add coil on plug ignition. There's a couple ways to do this. Using modern WRX coils is the best. Otherwise your chassis wiring is already identical to what this car used. You've got to repin a few things, but otherwise this is the easiest wiring swap known to man. I've done a couple of these. 3-4 hours of wiring is all that it take. None of this 50 hours BS the Impreza guys do. 1st gen Legacies are great for this stuff. You will need a turbo crossmember like the Ej22T. Otherwise all the parts are pretty easy to come by. If you do it smart and sell off some extra stuff, you can do this for $600-800 installed.

You can run your stock tranny. Just upgrade the clutch and pressure plate while you are making the swap. If you have any questions about what I have said, ask away. And if you feel like the background noise it too loud, feel free to shoot me a PM here or on Legacy Central and I will do my best to get back to you quickly.

ps. Under no circumstances consider the twin turbo unless you plan to convert it to a single turbo. It's a royal pain of an install and has all kinds of performance issues even though it carries a 280chp rating.
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Old 09-05-2008, 09:54 AM   #15
silentt
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Uhh, Jim hasn't been on NASIOC in over 2 years.
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Old 09-05-2008, 01:49 PM   #16
Matt Monson
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'73 914 and 2012 BRZ

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Quote:
Originally Posted by silentt View Post
Uhh, Jim hasn't been on NASIOC in over 2 years.
Rofl. I skimmed past the white noise at the end there and didn't realize that this was an archival bump. In my defense I was on 4 hours sleep and was up with insomnia. Well, maybe my info will help someone else down the road...
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Old 09-05-2008, 01:56 PM   #17
paktinat
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2004 WRX

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yes, great post ^^^^

I'm looking to try and find a L and swap a 2.5 in down the road.
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