Engine swap or car swap?

[AcquaCow]

So I love my 00 white 2.5rs. I also love the extra power the turbo adds to the 2.0 wrx. This is more of a practicality issue I suppose, but which is more cost effective/reliable? Should I swap to the 2.0l and try to sell my 2.5l I only have 32k on it now. I could swap to a lower milage 2.0, or trade my car in towards a wrx with probably over 30kmi on it.

Other issues also seem to come into focus with the swap. Mainly the drivetrain. Weak tranny anyone? I hear that the stock 2.5rs tranny and the wrx only seem to like around 250hp MAX, then teeth like to shatter.

I could really use a good rundown on this whole process. Prices, estimates, recommendations, true tales from the experienced.

My car is 3 months out of warranty and I don't mind tearing anything apart. I just need advice.

Any info is appreciated,

Thanks

[Edit: or do I just wait and ask this question once the 2.5T Forester is out?]

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[Jaxx]

its out

[AcquaCow]

hmm...so it is...(how'd I miss that one?) Since my first post, I've sone some research and have looked into the labor/parts. Looks like anywhere from $2,500-$3,000 labor for the swap and wiring. Then anywhere around $1-3k for the engine and other parts. I think that when I do this swap I'm gonna have to throw that 6 speed in. Not because I _have_ to...but because I have to =D.

As far as trading my car in, bluebook is $11.9, used wrx are over $15k...Swap seems cheaper. So in a year when I blow this loan away =D

[MNbiker]

Another option - in a year, there will be some wrecked Forester XT engines on the market. That 2.5L turbo engine would make for a really nice engine swap!

[AcquaCow]

I predict a high number of XT rollovers in my area due to kids with too much money who like to go fast...We have SUV's roll here all the time (Tysons Corner, VA) Again...we'll see in a year.

[johnnyperl]

considering the same conversion. ive only seen engines through ebay and thyre still expensive ($>4k). where have you seen engines for 1-3K? do you know of a source of JDM STi? also, for the 6 spd were you gonna switch with a kit or just get a JDM 6 trans? price of kit?
thanks

[AcquaCow]

the $1-3k was for a US wrx swap. I haven't looked into JDM. I don't think I mentioned JDM anywhere actually...There was another forum where I said something about looking into a 22b swap though.... My 1-3k pricing was also based off of what I read in the forums for what people had sold/bought 2.0's for.

-- AcquaCow

[totoherbs]

http://www.i-speed.us/engine_swaps/ will have all the info youll need.

As for a 22b swap... you may want to look in to a ej22t(22b motor) and v7 sti heads... then youd be in good shape but its not going to be cheep or easy. You could always get an sti ej20 mike at www.spdusa.com can give you all the info for that. Thies will not be nearly as cheep or easy as a wrx ej20 swap.

[RChampion]

Originally posted by AcquaCow
hmm...so it is...(how'd I miss that one?) Since my first post, I've sone some research and have looked into the labor/parts. Looks like anywhere from $2,500-$3,000 labor for the swap and wiring. Then anywhere around $1-3k for the engine and other parts. I think that when I do this swap I'm gonna have to throw that 6 speed in. Not because I _have_ to...but because I have to =D.

As far as trading my car in, bluebook is $11.9, used wrx are over $15k...Swap seems cheaper. So in a year when I blow this loan away =D

I heard swaping in the 6spd tranny isn't as easy as an STI 5spd. They never made 6 speeds for the GC8 impreza. I'm in the same boat you are right now, with debating on whether or not to do a swap or buy a new car.

It'd be cool if someone who has done just a plain wrx swap into a GC8 2.5 RS to state all the costs including labor.....

[RChampion]

nevermind i just clicked the link above.... 7,500 bucks ontop of my car's value.... I think I'm leaning toward whole new wrx.... unless someone knows of where to get the actual motor for cheaper...even used for that matter

[AcquaCow]

Expected output with one of these conversions on a dynojet dyno 180 horsepower and 185 ft/lbs of torque

Interesting eh? similar weight car...same wrx engine...but only 180/185 rather than the 225? Are they detuning it so that RS owners don't blow the tranny or what?


[Edit: I mean sheesh..I should be able to add 20hp to my RS with simple crazy CAI, headers, high-flow catback and the Access ECU with a 93 octane map whenever it comes out...]

[mofoporn]

180/185 is at the wheels...... 227 is at the crank.... theres a difference

[totoherbs]

Originally posted by AcquaCow
Interesting eh? similar weight car...same wrx engine...but only 180/185 rather than the 225? Are they detuning it so that RS owners don't blow the tranny or what?


[Edit: I mean sheesh..I should be able to add 20hp to my RS with simple crazy CAI, headers, high-flow catback and the Access ECU with a 93 octane map whenever it comes out...]

ya its whp... wheel hp is like 160-180 on a wrx depending on the dyno.

[AcquaCow]

so whats wheel HP on the RS then?

[mofoporn]

also.... depending on the dyno... the rs makes 109-122 wheel hp. The crank is 165. Stupid awd drivetrain loss

[AcquaCow]

drat...whats the wheel HP of a s2000 then? I had one today on my way to work that I could almost pull evenly with...unfortunately I was on a full tank of gas. I think I could have kept up with him in 4th until I had to shift to 5th =P

[AcquaCow]

The more I look at it, the less I want to swap the engine. I'm thinking just CAI, AccessECU and a full exhaust. Its a lot cheaper, there is a lot less that can go wrong, I'm less likely to blow my tranny on a bigger engine...I don't have to source a new rear diff and clutch assembly =P I'll just save for a STi in a few years =)

[ZoomnWRX]

why not just turbo your current engine?
you can put down just as much power as the 2.0 wrx engine

[Stroke]

Originally posted by ZoomnWRX
why not just turbo your current engine?
you can put down just as much power as the 2.0 wrx engine

Easily more.
I'm thinking if I were to do a swap for my 98 RS, it'd be EJ20. I'd do my best to find one that's been in a rollover. It's plenty of power for street driving, which is all i do, and then I'd think I'd have even MORE tuning options.

Do the RS transmissions have to be swapped out as well? I really like my quick 1st & 2nd.

[mykrrrr]

You can keep your RS drivetrain and it will make the WRX/RS conversion faster off the line than an OEM WRX. You lose the top end though.

Yamarocket630 did a WRX motor swap w/his RS drivetrain and he loves it.

-mykr.

[beobe99]

I own a 99RS with a 2002 WRX engine swap. The car runs awsome, and was worth every single penny put into it. I could of easyly bought a WRX car but then i would of been one of what like 25+ thousand, and growing people driving around the states with with a wrx. Instead I bit the bullet and bought a wrecked WRX, had the engine swapped in my RS. I get nothing but ooooo's, and ahhhh's every meet i go to. If I had a wrx i would need to lay down some serios money to stand out, and not feel like im driving what the 40 year old women who went to the dealer and bought. I wanted different. (if they dont make it build it)

DONT listen to people saying that if you have a wrx your tranny IS GOING TO BLOW. most if not all of the people that say that dont have a wrx, or dont have a swap. If you beat on a car the tranny will go no matter what your driving. YES the wrx trannies, AND the RS trannies aren't the strongest, and should be improved. But thats no reason to think twice about getting a swap. When you read that someone blew there tranny ask them this..how do you drive..most likely they drive the hell out of the car, rip through gears on a daily basis.

UNLESS your planning on getting the swap, then dropping like 5k on top of it for mods would i START worring about the tranny.

Your best bet would be to get a 2002 + wrx engine, tranny, and the ecu. Reason I say this is because theres a great aftermarket for the engines here in the state, and a newer engne most likly. Unless your planning on getting a JDM STI swap. Of course no matter what year most if not all the parts are interchangable. but the important part is the US ECU. Here in the states we have the ECUtek. its awsome, and what i have done. Great thing about the ECUtek is that it keeps all the stock beauties like it will adjust to different temps round year, built in knock, etc etc.. unlike some stand alones..

So basicly to swap, or not to swap...ID say swap. Even though the WRX's are nice theres just so many great things about haveing a GC8 WRX.

plus cheaper insurance rates heheheh!!! Bob

[beobe99]

Originally posted by ZoomnWRX
why not just turbo your current engine?
you can put down just as much power as the 2.0 wrx engine

if you put a turbo on the RS engine yeah you'll have just about the same HP as a stock WRX, maybe even more. BUT thats pretty much it, it stops there. 10psi is the highest ive heard run with a RS 2.5L turbo. after that you should do internals, get stand alone, and cross your fingers that everything is done right...having a 2.5 L turbo engine is the sh**, and would love to build one up, but its not AS reliable as a stock turboed engine.