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Old 03-27-2012, 03:01 PM   #1
efiniluvr
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Member#: 107170
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Bay Area
Vehicle:
2002 ver 7 EJ207 WRX
WRB

Default V7 EJ207 into 02 Bugeye Swap

Hi Everyone,

I don't want to clutter up the EJ207 Owners thread with my questions, so I started this one to consolidate all the questions I'll be having while doing my swap.

My hope is for this thread to help those deciding to go with a JDM V7 and hopefully serve as a resource for those who are/were in the same boat as me. I've swap many B-series, but this is my first attempt at a EJ motor and so I am as clueless as it comes. And the best way to learn is to get your hands dirty. As I go through the steps, hopefully those with past experiences can chime in with tips to help others.


The run down:
I decided on the JDM swap since one of my cylinders showed only 30psi upon compression. Rebuliding the EJ205 would've cost ALMOST as much as complete swap, so after reading the EJ207 owners thread (all 187 pages at the time), I made the decision to go ahead with the JDM engine. My main goal was to have a reliable DD with a bit of extra punch (and extra insurance with the forged internals), that I can take it to a HPDE event maybe twice a year. I'm not going crazy with power upgrades, perhaps Stage 2, or sometime down the line a slightly bigger turbo than the stock VF30. I wish I had the money to buy the 6spd, but I will have to hold off on that until the 5spd finally dies.

Here is what I have purchased and the cost:
Required:
Ver 7 EJ207 (EJ207DW3R) long block: $4000 shipped
Gates Timing belt kit with water pump: $290 shipped
NGK BKR7EIX spark plugs: $29.00 shipped
AVCS wiring kit(used): $50 shipped via NASIOC classified (IAPerformance sells for $200)
Mobile 1 Synthetic ATF for powersteering pump: ~$10 for 1 quart
Peak Long Life coolant ~$12 for a gallon

Optional:
Koyo Radiator: $315 shipped
Samco Radiator hoses: $110 shipped
Exedy OEM clutch (KSB03 from Amazon): $173 shipped

I will try to update as I go along with the swap.

I received my motor yesterday and proceeded to clean and change out all of the maintenance items.


NASIOC Threads that helped me along the way. Thanks to the original posters of all these threads. I will remove if you wish.

DIY: Pull your own motor

Meaty's Timing Belt Changing Guide

How To: 02/03 Clutch and flywheel

Can't Change gears when running

How To Read Wiring Diagram

Power Steering How-To

How to repin the ECU

Update: What worked for me


For emission/SMOG Inspections:

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any violation of federal/state laws that you should adhere by. These are purely my own personal opinions and will not be held liable should you be found in violation of said laws.

Each state have different requirements for emission related inspections. I can confirm that in California, JDM ECU's WILL NOT work with the state inspection computers. In order for the computer to recognize and read your vehicle, you MUST utilize a USDM ECU and have the TGV codes forced to readiness.
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Last edited by efiniluvr; 01-29-2013 at 06:49 PM.
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Old 03-27-2012, 03:58 PM   #2
efiniluvr
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Member#: 107170
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Bay Area
Vehicle:
2002 ver 7 EJ207 WRX
WRB

Default

Here is what the motor looks like when it arrived.


The difference in size between the two TMICs


The year code, stamped under the oil cap


The belt looks very decent for a 12 year old motor


Upon further inspection, good thing I bought the Gates Timing Belt kit:


Upon further, further inspection, I found the crack. I have heard of the cracks on VF39's, but not on a VF30.


Things I've completed:
Timing belt and pulleys changed out
Water pump changed out
Spark plug changed out
General cleaning; there was virtually no oil leak to speak of.

Things I have to change out still:
Power steering lines
Switch the AC lines
Vacuum lines
Wire in AVCS
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Old 03-27-2012, 04:19 PM   #3
Zaider
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Location: Calgary, AB
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MBP

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Sounds like you've got things under control. I put an EJ207 into my 02 2.5RS which was a little more involved. Are you sticking with the OEM 5 speed or getting the STI 6 speed?
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Old 03-27-2012, 04:24 PM   #4
efiniluvr
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WRB

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by efiniluvr
I wish I had the money to buy the 6spd, but I will have to hold off on that until the 5spd finally dies.
If only money grows on trees. For now, I'm using the stock 5 spd. This brings up a good point, I've read that some of the 02's came with "RA or RA-width" transmission. How does one go about verifying this?

Thanks
-Jeff

Last edited by efiniluvr; 03-27-2012 at 04:53 PM.
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Old 03-27-2012, 05:03 PM   #5
Zaider
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MBP

Default

Reading fail for me. Sorry about that.

Probably the transmission code off of your transmission housing... but I haven't heard that rumour.
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Old 03-29-2012, 04:30 PM   #6
efiniluvr
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Bay Area
Vehicle:
2002 ver 7 EJ207 WRX
WRB

Default

With work and two young children, finding time to work on the car is sparse and far in between. Bare with me as I snail crawl through the swap.

I got to pull the old plugs off the EJ207. Is PFR7G a stock Sti plug? I opted to use the BKR7EIX


Without flash


I suppose I am glad it's black, which meant the motor ran rich, rather than white speckled, which would've indicated the motor ran lean and encountered knocking.

Plans for this weekend:
Pull old EJ205 out
repin and wire AVCS
send flywheel for resurfacing
degrease engine bay


-Jeff
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Old 03-30-2012, 01:15 AM   #7
RexWagonWA
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Default 2002 WRX transmission codes

Take a look at the plate under the hood on the drivers side. It has the codes for the vehicles equipment. Under transmission you are looking for the ending letters AB. These gears are wider. My dealer did not know what was up. The standard width gears have the code ending in AA. I am the original owner of my 2002 wagon.
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Old 03-30-2012, 01:48 PM   #8
efiniluvr
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Member#: 107170
Join Date: Feb 2006
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2002 ver 7 EJ207 WRX
WRB

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RexWagonWA View Post
Take a look at the plate under the hood on the drivers side. It has the codes for the vehicles equipment. Under transmission you are looking for the ending letters AB. These gears are wider. My dealer did not know what was up. The standard width gears have the code ending in AA. I am the original owner of my 2002 wagon.
Just to make sure:

engine code ending with AA= Standard gears, narrow gears
engine code ending with AB= RA width gears, wider gears

I thought the RA gears were shorter (narrower) than standard gearing??

-Jeff
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Old 03-30-2012, 01:58 PM   #9
RexWagonWA
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Default Gears

I think you have it reversed, the wider are RA. What I do not know is whether the gears in my tranny received the RA treatments? Or are they just the same size as RA's?

It has held up well with 166K.

This may be a better question for AndyRoo at Andrewtech.
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Old 03-30-2012, 02:37 PM   #10
poly_poly-man
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Quote:
Originally Posted by efiniluvr View Post
Just to make sure:

engine code ending with AA= Standard gears, narrow gears
engine code ending with AB= RA width gears, wider gears

I thought the RA gears were shorter (narrower) than standard gearing??

-Jeff
the AB trans is not an RA transmission, it's just RA-width. Same ratios and whatever, just slightly less prone to breaking. The switch was somewhere in the bugeyes, I believe a bit through USDM MY 03.
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Old 04-01-2012, 10:00 AM   #11
efiniluvr
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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2002 ver 7 EJ207 WRX
WRB

Default Got the EJ205 out!!!

With a buddy's help, I finally got the old motor out. If it wasn't because I had to pull the axles out to loosen the bottom two nuts on the bell housing, it would've taken only half an hour. But alas:



Here what a stock 160K clutch looks like. This is just normal driving, without hard launches, or high RPM shifts.


Close-up look:


While looking over the vacuum lines, I noticed that the JDM EJ207 does not have this valve, I believe the EVAP checkvalve, as the inlet on the intake has been sealed with a bolt.


Lastly, I broke this vacuum line that goes from the turbo to the BCS, right where the "connector" is. Can I simply replace it with a longer vacuum or do I have to purchase the line with the connector from the dealership?


To be continued.
-Jeff
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Old 04-03-2012, 01:05 AM   #12
Torquey
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Chapter/Region: TXIC
Location: Dallas, TX
Vehicle:
2003 Impreza WRX
JDM v8 EJ207 WRB

Default

^^ is that the restrictor pill... 'cause that has to be intact in order to maintain correct boost pressure.

Nice thread btw... subscribing to it, as I may go this route on my bugeye in the future. Did the motor come with a good engine wiring harness?
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Old 04-03-2012, 06:25 AM   #13
marcmu
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Default

thanks for comment your experience
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Old 04-03-2012, 11:41 AM   #14
efiniluvr
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Member#: 107170
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Bay Area
Vehicle:
2002 ver 7 EJ207 WRX
WRB

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Torquey View Post
^^ is that the restrictor pill... 'cause that has to be intact in order to maintain correct boost pressure.

Nice thread btw... subscribing to it, as I may go this route on my bugeye in the future. Did the motor come with a good engine wiring harness?
Thanks, I will try my best to chronicle all the little hiccups as I go along. My swap didn't come with the line that housed the restrictor pill, so I thought about swapping over the lines from the EJ205. But that line pictured above broke, going to the factory BCS. Since that line broke, I decided to order a new one to replace all three lines as they become brittle over time from age and extreme heat. If you're swapping over to the EJ207, make sure you're using the lines that comes with the VF30 or order a new hose assembly.

Hose Assembly Part No.: 14447AA090 from 04 Sti. This is for a VF39 turbo.
-Jeff
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Old 04-05-2012, 05:58 AM   #15
sk8boylou
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Member#: 246669
Join Date: May 2010
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: Naperville
Vehicle:
2002 V8 EJ207 6pd
Aspen White

Default

do you get the gates timing belt kit for 02 - 03 wrx or 04 - 07 sti?
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Old 04-05-2012, 08:47 AM   #16
fastnoypi
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MY01 EJ207 HTA35r
AVCS ON!

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sk8boylou View Post
do you get the gates timing belt kit for 02 - 03 wrx or 04 - 07 sti?
only difference in the kits are the idler pulley to fit the bolt length that came on the stock idler pulley. You can get either kit, and get a new bolt from the dealer if the idler supplied is wider. IIRC, the 04+ idler pulley bolt is a few mm longer than the 02-03 bolt.
FWIW I matched everything as 04 STi since the parts design superceded anything designed during the 02-03 years.
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Old 04-05-2012, 03:55 PM   #17
efiniluvr
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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2002 ver 7 EJ207 WRX
WRB

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sk8boylou View Post
do you get the gates timing belt kit for 02 - 03 wrx or 04 - 07 sti?

This is the one I ordered:

Gates Timing Belt Kits & Components for 02-11 WRX/STi
Item# Gates-Timing-belt-Kits-Components-WRX-STi
that includes the water pump: $309 shipped from importimageracing.com.

The idler was different from the stock idler; the "face was protruding out more", if that makes sense. You will need a slightly longer bolt, otherwise, there isn't enough grab on the block if you use the same bolt. I went down to the hardware store and got a M10x1.25 bolt.

For those who are still confused whether the V7's have TGV's or not, here you go:

EJ205 TGV, see connector?


Here is the EJ207 that has the deletes, noticed the runner doesn't have the recess for the TGV solenoid (the blank behind the oil dipstick). As you can see, there is a TGV riser, unlike the V8 that has a single long runners.


Got a newly resurfaced flywheel


-Jeff
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Old 04-05-2012, 04:02 PM   #18
efiniluvr
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Member#: 107170
Join Date: Feb 2006
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2002 ver 7 EJ207 WRX
WRB

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by fastnoypi View Post
only difference in the kits are the idler pulley to fit the bolt length that came on the stock idler pulley. You can get either kit, and get a new bolt from the dealer if the idler supplied is wider. IIRC, the 04+ idler pulley bolt is a few mm longer than the 02-03 bolt.
FWIW I matched everything as 04 STi since the parts design superceded anything designed during the 02-03 years.
Yup, most of the timing components for the 02-03 has been superceded by newer model year parts. Here is the picture of the original EJ207 pulley that came with the motor. As you can see, the mounting face is more recessed inside the pulley. The new idlers will have the mounting face closer to the outer edge of the pulley, thus necessitating longer bolts. Sorry, I didn't take a picture of the new idler before I replaced it. I'll try to find time to unbolt the timing belt cover and snap a pic for you.


HTH
-Jeff
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Old 04-05-2012, 08:15 PM   #19
sk8boylou
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Location: Naperville
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2002 V8 EJ207 6pd
Aspen White

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by efiniluvr View Post
This is the one I ordered:

Gates Timing Belt Kits & Components for 02-11 WRX/STi
Item# Gates-Timing-belt-Kits-Components-WRX-STi that includes the water pump: $309 shipped from importimageracing.com.

The idler was different from the stock idler; the "face was protruding out more", if that makes sense. You will need a slightly longer bolt, otherwise, there isn't enough grab on the block if you use the same bolt. I went down to the hardware store and got a M10x1.25 bolt.

For those who are still confused whether the V7's have TGV's or not, here you go:

EJ205 TGV, see connector?


Here is the EJ207 that has the deletes, noticed the runner doesn't have the recess for the TGV solenoid (the blank behind the oil dipstick). As you can see, there is a TGV riser, unlike the V8 that has a single long runners.


Got a newly resurfaced flywheel


-Jeff
ok i see the timing belt kit on the website, but it gives you 3 options for the year. 02-03 wrx, 04-05 wrx, and 04-07 sti. which one did you buy? and the water pump with that kit will fit the ej207?
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Old 04-05-2012, 08:22 PM   #20
sk8boylou
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Aspen White

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nvm just read fastnoypi post didnt see that, so my safest bet is to get the 04-11 kit. and is it not true, that the ej207 uses a harder belt materieal then the usdm sti's because of the higher read line?
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Old 04-05-2012, 08:26 PM   #21
sk8boylou
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beside re-pinning the avcs wiring is there anything else with the wiring to make this swap work with a 02-03 wrx?
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Old 04-06-2012, 12:38 AM   #22
RexWagonWA
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Default iWire

They can make you the harness for your conversion. Wiring hassles seem to be a major reason why these swaps never seem to right. iWire will save you many many hours.
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Old 04-06-2012, 08:39 AM   #23
fastnoypi
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sk8boylou View Post
beside re-pinning the avcs wiring is there anything else with the wiring to make this swap work with a 02-03 wrx?
if you have the 02-03 5sp, there is nothing else wiring wise you would need other than making sure the avcs wiring is correct, the NPS is the right signal. You can add the wires needed and follow the DS1 wiring diagram or buy the IAP avcs kit, instructions are straight forward.

Last edited by fastnoypi; 04-06-2012 at 08:55 AM.
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Old 04-06-2012, 09:04 AM   #24
efiniluvr
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2002 ver 7 EJ207 WRX
WRB

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If the EJ207 you received has the engine harness intact (like mine), you just need to add a AVCS bulkhead harness, which you can either purchase from iaperformance.com AVCS Bulkhead wiring kit, or have someone on this board make one for you, PM me if you're interested.

I got lucky and bought the wiring from someone in the classified. And here is the DS1 AVCS wiring instruction. I'll take pictures when I wire mine up this weekend.

-Jeff
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Old 04-06-2012, 01:52 PM   #25
efiniluvr
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2002 ver 7 EJ207 WRX
WRB

Default AVCS wiring help

Alright, I knew I would have a hard time with this. I am trying to follow the DS1 Motorsports wiring instructions and I am confused. Before I get to the my question, here is how to get to the ECU.

The ECU is located under the carpet on the passenger foot well, you will need to peel back the carpet and loosen 4-6 10mm nuts.

This is what you'll see when you peel the carpet back


Here is the ECU, bolted down to the floorpan by two 10mm nuts:


So on to my wiring question: On page 3, here are the instructions:


So which connector is B84, by the count of the ECU pins, it looks like the middle of the five is correct, isn't it? If it's the middle one, then it doesn't match up to the picture in the instructions.


Secondly, the first instruction under "JDM" specifies to move Pin 4 to Pin 6, on the connector that I think is B84, there is no wire in the Pin 4 location.

Am I looking at the wrong thing??
Thanks
-Jeff
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