So really... how much?

[TheSubaruJunkie]

After everything said & done, how much were you guys in on your EJ Swaps?? If you don't mind sharing. Ball Park average...

 

I am seriously considering the swap on my Brat, and just need to know where the savings account should be, before I decomission my daily driver.

 

[Caboobaroo]

With everything I've gotten for my RX since I got the engine, clutch radiator and fans (engine was minus all the intake piping, PS pump), all the little stuff, tranny and rear end, I'm still below the $1000 mark.

 

Lets see if I can do a break down

Engine with new clutch, resurfaced flywheel, radiator, harness and ECU - $550

EJ N/A 5-speed with matching open rear diff - $40

Driveline shortening - $60

Various intake piping, PS hoses and random crap - ~$200

 

I traded my 3.7LSD for a 3.9VLSD and traded some SPFI parts for a tranny bearing.

[GeneralDisorder]

It really depends a lot on how long you want to wait for the "deals" to come your way and your personal skill level with fabrication and wireing. If you have a couple years to wait for enough deals to come along, you could conceivably do it for just the cost of the parts you *have* to buy (for most people the adaptor and flywheel) - that's assuming you want to use a bunch of used and cast-off parts and get freebies where you can - I was given a '93 Legacy wagon a couple years ago for example. Free and clear just needed an alternator. Would have cost me nothing to part that out for it's 160k engine - I chose not to because the car was pretty nice.

 

Then on the other end of the spectrum - renob123 (Jacob - I'm not picking on you - it's just an example) has spent a LOT of money getting the EJ22 and 5 speed D/R into his Brat and almost none of that went to me - I helped for the learning experience of it. He is well over the $2000 mark (maybe over $3000?) for the conversion - when you consider the flywheel and adaptor, engine, transmission, 5 speed EA81 cross-member, wireing harness, having the harness stripped by ShawnW, reseal and timing belt/water pump components, replacment failed parts, clutch parts, new shift bushings, custom exhaust, etc, etc and the list goes on and on and on.

 

There are really just too many variables. At the end of the day - I doubt *I* could do it *right* for less than a grand on my own personal vehicle. You could get all the major mechanical parts for free - they still need maintenance work/parts done to them prior to installation (IMO), and there are lots and lots of incidental costs that just keep adding up - hoses, belts, fluids, etc. And if you don't have access to the equipment to machine flywheels and build adaptor plates you are looking at expenses there that really can't be removed from the equation.

 

GD

[TheSubaruJunkie]

Gotcha rick, thanks for the insight. Im thinking of finding some to pay to do the wiring harness for me. Tranny will most likely remain the legacy tranny, as I plan on finding a parts car, instead of trying to piece together everything I need.

 

There are also other variables like front axles that will differ i am sure. I am not sure if i want to 5lug it or 6lug it and stay on the cheap.

 

Still have alot of thinking to do, but it will take a while to buffer the savings account anyway.

[obk25xt]

I bought (and drove home) a 94 legacy for like $500, it came with an "extra" ej22. I sold the tranny/rear diff, for i think 200? wheels and tires for 100, my ea82 intake manifold with (brand new) weber and adapter for 250, and my ea82 longblock for 200. Paid 150 for an ea/ej adapter, did the flywheel myself, did the wiring myself (with some help of a friend), spent 60 at an exhaust shop having pieces bent up, and lots and lots of time..... which IS money...... With doing the math that puts me at 60 bucks into it (I think??) but, the time invested is definitely WAYYYYYY more than the money invested. And since then so far I've ruined 2 rear diffs, 2 5sp d/r trannys, fried 1 clutch, and replaced the front axles at least once each. Regardless, if you play your cards right, are patient, dilligent and resourceful, it can be done very reasonably. That is my experience anyhow. I would definitely look for a complete car either wrecked or with a bad auto tranny. Hope this helps with your planning some.

 

Spencer

[Gloyale]

For my EA wheeler:

 

Donor car with bad engine (harness, ECU, Intake) = 250

 

Adapter plate = $50 (had some made locally)

 

Good running EJ18= $50

 

SPFI fuel pump=$60 (seriously, this was the hardest thing to find a good one of)

 

New Tbelt set, water pump, hoses, clamps, and clutch set = $350

 

For my EA82 "road" wagon:

 

Totalled 96 Outback = $180

 

Adapter plate = $50

 

New radiator = $120

[renob123]

No hard feelings:)

 

This is kind of a loaded question, since you can substitute time for money and vice versa in most cases. If you're willing to wait a year or two to acquire the parts and put them together, you can do it for cheap. I was not. Also, I find that when a lot of people here estimate a price of something like this, they leave out the cost of the parts they have in their Subaru piles that they used. GD or Qman, for example, could probably do a swap for close to free in that regard.

 

I'm in over $3,000 easily by now, and the total keeps growing. However, I think I spent incredibly little time on it, considering how amateur of a mechanic I am.

 

Jacob

[bheinen74]

Why not just get a 89-94 legacy and install a D/r in it, and wheel it. Cheaper than a swap to a earlier body, and lots more comfy and more options.

????

[Gloyale]

 

I'm in over $3,000 easily by now, and the total keeps growing.

 

On what??? Did you have the EJ fully rebuilt?

Did you pay someone to do the swap for you?

 

$3000 is way more than nessecary.

 

One could go buy everything needed for less than a grand easily.

 

not trying to flame I'm just stating for the record, that 3k is excessively high for an EJ swap.

[Gloyale]

Why not just get a 89-94 legacy and install a D/r in it, and wheel it. Cheaper than a swap to a earlier body, and lots more comfy and more options.

????

 

Heavy and low.

 

Lots of money and parts to get lifted and good clearance.

 

Still have to either buy new axles, or swap stubs, or make some combo axle.

 

And also modify shift linkage, and have a longer driveline made.

 

And did I mention heavy?

[GeneralDisorder]

It all adds up if you want to do the job right.

 

You get a used engine - great. Now you need a timing belt/water pump kit for it ($121 off ebay), and the knock sensor is cracked plus you might as well put in a new O2 sensor and of course you want a new OEM thermostat so you head down to the dealer for those. Then it needs plugs and wires - no use going with used parts there. May as well do the valve cover gaskets.... and lets not forget the rear timing belt covers that probably broke on dissasembly . Even a free engine is going to cost $300 by the time it's all said and done.

 

Then there's all the new clutch parts - he used OEM XT6 components - not cheap. But it's a weekend racer so better to go with quality there. There was like $80 in all the 5 speed shifter bushings - but who wants a bowl of oatmeal for a shifter?

 

I can only assume that people are doing really poor swaps with junk components because even *I* can't do the job *right* for free. Sure I could do it - but I wouldn't trust the thing to drive anywhere outside my AAA towing range . And that would be lame IMO. And no one has even listed the cost of oil/filter, coolant, hoses (radiator and heater core at a minimum), etc. I doubt many of the people here would consider going used with stuff like that yet no one considers those as part of the cost for some reason.

 

GD

[Yo'J]

^^ I can second that!

I started a year and a half ago collecting parts.

 

$500 for a donor with a bad auto

Prolly $500 for all new seals tbelt the works

$200 xt clutch

$200 sjr conversion kit (or whatever he charges)

$200 wiring done by Shawn W

$300 new driveline w/ greaseable seals

$200 5sp trans

$200 power steering setup from Aarons auto

$150? water pump

$300 full exhaust

$150 for the rims, tires

$200 hoses, wires, fuses, clamps, fluids, ect....

installed, driven, tested.....blown head gasket...

 

Now it sits till I can get it out again with the parts to do the heads.

Its three grand plus, not counting the purchase price of the brat.

 

Looking back on all the work...I'd do it again, but Id do the heads too!

For all that the 2.5 doesn't look so bad!

[renob123]

On what??? Did you have the EJ fully rebuilt?

Did you pay someone to do the swap for you?

 

$3000 is way more than nessecary.

 

One could go buy everything needed for less than a grand easily.

 

not trying to flame I'm just stating for the record, that 3k is excessively high for an EJ swap.

 

Well, like I said, you can substitute time for money, and I wanted it done for the first rallyx of the season, which didn't give me a lot of time. $3,000 is more than necessary. I spent less than that to get it running, but it only lasted 12 hours, threw codes like crazy, and had no exhaust. I could have gone without the 5-speed upgrade too, but I don't know where I would have been stuck when it failed. I could have cut corners all over the place, but I wasn't ok with the alternatives.

 

It also depends on what car you're putting it in. An EA82 with SPFI would cost way less.

 

Why not just get a 89-94 legacy and install a D/r in it, and wheel it. Cheaper than a swap to a earlier body, and lots more comfy and more options.

????

 

On my way to work today, I saw a couple Legacies. I didn't see a single Brat. That's why.

 

Jacob

[renob123]

^^ I can second that!

I started a year and a half ago collecting parts.

 

$500 for a donor with a bad auto

Prolly $500 for all new seals tbelt the works

$200 xt clutch

$200 sjr conversion kit (or whatever he charges)

$200 wiring done by Shawn W

$300 new driveline w/ greaseable seals

$200 5sp trans

$200 power steering setup from Aarons auto

$150? water pump

$300 full exhaust

$150 for the rims' date=' tires

$200 hoses, wires, fuses, clamps, fluids, ect....

installed, driven, tested.....blown head gasket...

 

Now it sits till I can get it out again with the parts to do the heads.

Its three grand plus, not counting the purchase price of the brat.

 

Looking back on all the work...I'd do it again, but Id do the heads too!

For all that the 2.5 doesn't look so bad![/quote']

 

What's wrong with the heads?

 

Jacob

[Yo'J]

OhYea! Add a surge tank to my list with the mpfi pump $120

Off the shelf parts from napa!

[Yo'J]

What's wrong with the heads?

 

Jacob

 

I'm hoping nothing but its pissing exhaust gas into the radiator pretty good. Its a sure bet the gaskets are bad but I don't know what the PO did to the motor.

[renob123]

I'm hoping nothing but its pissing exhaust gas into the radiator pretty good. Its a sure bet the gaskets are bad but I don't know what the PO did to the motor.

 

Oh' date=' head [b']gaskets[/b]. I thought you had something wrong with the actual heads.

 

From looking at your price list, I guess you didn't bother trying to cool the engine:) Also, you don't have any apparatus to affix the engine to the crossmember. I'd add a used Protege fan and STI motor mounts to your list. I could also waste another hour of time at work coming up with more things that nobody thinks of.

 

Jacob

[Yo'J]

Motor mounts were good. Yer right on the fan $25 amazon. I didn't put down the price of a new radiator either which I have sitting, or the kyb suspension package that is late in the mail. The old rad leaks a small bit when driving cold but stops when warm. I'm sure the exhaust gases in the coolant will take care of the rest of it in short order.

 

Add Tax!!!

Edited June 2, 2010 by Yo'J
tax!!!!

[obk25xt]

I did forget to add in the price of hoses, radiator and heater core. As far as fluids go I figure whether its a swap or not fluids are necessary, so for me, thats a consumable/maintenence item, such as welding wire, argon mix, t-belts, seals, clutch stuff, gasoline! Alot of this stuff is normal maintenance on most subarus and would have to be done at some time anyhow. I agree, what better time to do it then while its all apart, but, conversely, I also have the mindset if its not broke don't fix it. I don't count consumables/maintenance into the price of acquiring parts, thats just me tho, Its kinda like collateral damage IMO.

 

Thanks, Spencer

[gwilson87]

+$180 for my donor car

-$125 selling trans and rear diff from donor car

+$75 for adapter plate

+$50 for 2 part driveshaft from a legacy then I had my cousin cut and shorten it

+$120 for xt6 clutch

+$90 for 5 speed dual range and "Transfer case" according to the junkyard

+$75 for flywheel, flywheel resurfaced and redrilled

+$15 for power steering x-member

+$80 for custom power steering soft lines

+$25 for slim electric radiator fans

 

So around $585 give or take. I am not including the various tools I bought along the way also. Or the parts I bought, and never used. probably add like $50 for various bolts, nuts, radiator hoses, and zip ties.

[Turbone]

EJ22's are a dime a dozen, finding one with low mileage is just a tad harder.

Finding a good EJ22T is another story

I wasnt really looking, but when the deals came around I jumped on them.

 

$300 for a long block and harness, plus some other stuff to go with it.

$300 for a cut harness, ready to go. Also got a bunch of other stuff with the deal, which I sold and recouped some $.

My flywheel I already had (XT6) and I did some trading with Scott to get it redrilled.

The adapter plate I traded a set of EA82 rear discs for.

Misc other stuff I got, but doesnt add up to $1k total.

I have waaay less in this build than my previous EA82T, and I'm already collecting parts for building a hybrid engine (300hp+)

Wheel and deal baby

[GeneralDisorder]

I did forget to add in the price of hoses, radiator and heater core. As far as fluids go I figure whether its a swap or not fluids are necessary, so for me, thats a consumable/maintenence item, such as welding wire, argon mix, t-belts, seals, clutch stuff, gasoline!

 

While I agree, I also do a lot of for-pay wrenching and when I write up a receipt for the work I performed I still charge for all that stuff and the labor to do it. So while it may have needed to be done eventually anyway, as far as engine swaps are concerned the point is that it's ALL got to be done at once. And to not figure all that stuff into the total cost of taking a running, driving car - ripping out the drivetrain - and then putting it back in operation again..... well that would be a mistake. Not only from the perspective of potentially having to do these things before they would naturally be due for service but also because that's simply the cost of the job as a whole. Wheels up to wheels down. Just as I charge a customer for time spent driving to pick up parts - I have to consider the entire scope of the job into the cost.... so I guess that's just how I think now.

 

And I also think that the total cost from road-worthy car brought into the garage and then back out again in a similarly road-worthy state is the spirit of the question being posed. That is going to include incidental maintenance expenses - which will drive up the total cost of the job.

 

If I agreed to do an engine swap for someone, but neglected all these incidental maintenance costs accociated with the job in my quote - I would probably be out a lot of money off the top of my labor bill.

 

GD

[suberdave]

well i will not tell you how much i have into my EJ swap, but im sure its many times what my car is worth.

 

however if you are interested in an EJ18, i have an engine and harness ready to go i will sale you for the Homie hook-up price!

 

Plug and play...

 

just have to find a way to get it down south...

[Uberoo]

for mine I had to go threw three engines to get a good one buts lets pretend I got it right the first time:

 

engine: $150

wiring harness: $15

computer: $15

XT6 pressure plate: $60

fan: $60

fuel pump: $100

adapter plate: $15

EA81 two core radiator: $45

having Noah Strip the harness: $200

gauges: $30

hoses: $30

 

so at that point it it was at $720 and I didn't even have an exhaust on it.

it could be done cheaper if : I stripped the wiring harness, and found a used fuel pump and fan at the junkyard.it had the coolant and oil at my house(wait you mean its not normal to have at least 3 gallons of coolant and crates of motor oil around the house at all times?)

[Trevor]

Non lifted with SJR's adapter I was at just around $1100. I have yet to do Tbelt and seals / gaskets. Got a complete donor for $200 with 200K and my wagon for 300 non running.