EJ Power Steering rack into EA82 car

[Gloyale]

So......title says it all.

 

We are doing an EJ22 swap into an 85 GL 4wd. The GL came originally with manual steering.

 

In order to take advantage of the EJ PS pump, and better handle the power, we are going to upgrade the car to PS.

 

Trick is, we don't have an EA82 rack, we only have the EJ rack from our donor swap car.

 

We are going to cut a hole in the EA crossmember for the lines, and play with tierod combos to get it right.

 

Going over there now to cut the crossmember, and take some measurements and pics.

 

Hoping it all goes smooth.....as I have 2 other cars with leaky worn out EA racks, that I'd like to replace with easier to find, cheap, EJ racks.

 

Anyone that has any experience with this type of EJ to EA rack swap PLEASE chime in.

 

Pics to come.

[Bram_R]

Hi there,

 

I did put a EJ steering rack in my EJ20G-XT at first.

Indeed cut a section out of the crossmember.

The PS-lines fit much nicer when you're using the EJ engine and PS pump together with the EJ-steering rack, instead hooking them up to an EA-rack.

 

Problem I had was that the angle how the splined shaft comes out of the EJ rack is somewhat steeper than the EA one.

For this I modified the u-joint overcoming the extra length I also needed.

Unfortunately, the angles for the u-joint were too sharp resulting in jerky steering.

 

I need to take some time in taking a closer look in this matter. At the time of this project, I just wanted the car to run for taking it to inspection, so swapped the EA-rack back without investigating options.

 

Maybe mounting the EJ-rack slightly tilted may work.

On the XT by the way, the steering shaft comes in at a fairly low angle. On GL cars, in which the drives sits a little higher and upright, the angle of the steering shaft may be better.

 

Below some pics:

 

engine x-member with extra hole for PS lines

[/img]

 

extended u-joint

[/img]

 

mounted in XT with EJ rack

[/img]

 

left one is EJ, right one XT, not very clear, but EJ has a steeper angle how the splined shaft comes out of the steering rack. It's also a bit longer, making it harder to line up with the u-joint.

[/img]

 

You can use LI tie rod ends when using an EJ steering rack and EJ hubs.

The have the same conicity as the EJ steering arms and the same thread (M14x1,5) for the rod ends.

When using EJ rod ends, you'll have toe-out even when screwed fully in.

 

Bram

Edited December 4, 2010 by Bram_R

[GeneralDisorder]

Just some info - I needed to go from EA82 PS lines to my EA81 rack. A1-Coupling in Tualitin soldered JIC fittings to the existing hard-lines on both sides and built me custom hoses for a perfect fit. Cost was less than $75 out the door. Beautiful work too.

 

GD

[Bram_R]

Just some info - I needed to go from EA82 PS lines to my EA81 rack. A1-Coupling in Tualitin soldered JIC fittings to the existing hard-lines on both sides and built me custom hoses for a perfect fit. Cost was less than $75 out the door. Beautiful work too.

 

GD

 

That's a very good option too.

I tried the EJ rack because I was thinking of upgrading it at some point to a quick ratio rack, which is readily available for the EJ cars.

 

Now I maybe too can better reconsider a set of custom lines from the EJ pump to the EA rack.

 

Thanks for the idea,

 

Bram

[Gloyale]

 

 

engine x-member with extra hole for PS lines

[/img]

 

 

Thanks for the pics. Nice work. It looks like you had to bend the lines over a bit where they come up through. We were lookin at it and thinking we'd have to do that.

 

As for angle, that should be fine. Figured we'd have to make a new coupler anyhow. Unless we get real lucky and the Legacy coupler is the right length.

 

Gotta get it installed first.

[Yo'J]

If I remember right, Rgyver the guy from canada with the ej20ed awd brat made some shims and it popped in the brat but he didn't show any pics of it. I'm not sure but I think the ea82 angles are really close to the ea81s. The angles in the pics look about right to the experiment I posted about. I should still finish that some day:rolleyes: My pics didn't show it.

[Bram_R]

I don't remember having to bend the lines that much, but it's over 1,5 to 2 years that I modded the x-member, so can't tell for sure...

 

You can indeed install some (wedge shaped) shims to rotate the EJ rack a bit if the u-joint doens't line up. But if you're not in need of a quick ratio rack or something EJ special, I would consider the EA rack and spend some effort and money on custom lines.

I guess it won't be so hard to source an EA rack somewhere as plenty of older Subs are parted out.

 

Keep us updated on the install!

 

Bram

Edited December 4, 2010 by Bram_R

[Yo'J]

The ea81 stuff is getting really rare here. The last of the goodies you find out here are rebuild-able, but, not really in good 'use-able' shape. I've seen the ea82 stuff get harder to find too. Its all new gen stuff 6-10 to 1 of the older.

[Bram_R]

The ea81 stuff is getting really rare here. The last of the goodies you find out here are rebuild-able' date=' but, not really in good 'use-able' shape. I've seen the ea82 stuff get harder to find too. Its all new gen stuff 6-10 to 1 of the older.[/quote']

 

Aha, well in that case you could the EJ rack a try and I'm looking forward to your results.

 

As said before, if you're also going to use the EJ knuckles for 5 lug swap, you can use the L1 steering rods. These have the same dimensions for the thread and ball joint as the EJ ones, but are a bit shorter.

 

Bram

[Gloyale]

Aha, well in that case you could the EJ rack a try and I'm looking forward to your results.

 

As said before, if you're also going to use the EJ knuckles for 5 lug swap, you can use the L1 steering rods. These have the same dimensions for the thread and ball joint as the EJ ones, but are a bit shorter.

 

Bram

 

Yeah, finding a good, not leaking EA82 power rack is getting harder.....finding an EA81 PS rack.........almost impossible. I'd pretty much have to go up to one of the Subaru on;y yards up north and spend some coin.

 

ON the other hand, I have several EJ racks and if they work in EA cars I will be doing this swap to 2 other vehichles.

 

We will not be 5-lug swapping the GL, just adding power. Hoping to use the EA82 tierods, they are shorter than the Legacy ones.

 

The Legacy rack, with inner tierods attached, is only about 1/2 inch longer than the EA. I'm hoping there will be enough adjustment to toe it in properly.

 

If not, thread down the shaft a bit more with a die, and trim the ends?

[Yo'J]

1/2" shorter! Get a thinner locknut?

[carfreak85]

*Subscribed*

[Caboobaroo]

Gloyale, I have a rebuilt rack that I've been toying with the idea of selling.

 

My RX has the EJ22T PS pump and half the lines. I went to Napa and for $23 they took the ends of the EA PS lines and mated them onto the EJ PS lines using some swivel adapters that tighten down when you tighten the lines down. I'll see if I can get a couple pics tonight if its not too dark out.

 

I also have comparison pics of a WRX rack next to said rebuilt EA rack but I haven't uploaded them yet

[Yo'J]

Also on the same note Fittings inc can do you up for cheap as they supply most of the places with hardwear yet are open to the public and make their own hoses in house. They talked me out of $100 hoses for a $2.65 fitting for my ej swap.

[Gloyale]

Also on the same note Fittings inc can do you up for cheap as they supply most of the places with hardwear yet are open to the public and make their own hoses in house. They talked me out of $100 hoses for a $2.65 fitting for my ej swap.

 

EJ lines will join directly to EA lines at the passenger side cross member.

 

Why would you need to have custom lines?

[Yo'J]

From a brat? How? My ej lines end metric female without a flair cone and the ea81 lines end male flaired or you got that silly fitting that shoves the lines into the ej exhaust thats female- female. I re-bent my ea81 lines to the other side of the crosdsmember and got a metric fitting from compression to compression, cut the ea81 line to use the compression and stuffed it to the ejs (thankfully) same thread pattern. Return...well you know. Ea82.... I dunno. Been to long.

[Yo'J]

EJ lines will join directly to EA lines at the passenger side cross member.

 

Why would you need to have custom lines?

 

To make it look pretty/professsional in my Brat....

 

I really didn't succeed but its a fitting away from all subaru.

[LeoneTurbo]

Just to prevent any confusion: if Bram is talking about L1 he actually means EA81

[GeneralDisorder]

EJ lines will join directly to EA lines at the passenger side cross member.

 

Why would you need to have custom lines?

 

That is not true of all models and years - for one thing the EA81 and EA82 rack lines use a totally different style fitting - one being an o-ring seal and the other a flare fitting. I also encountered differences in a couple of EA82 PS line's and fittings that I was looking at using..... in the end the easiest solution was to just switch to JIC so I would have no incompatibilities.

 

So EJ/EA are not always the same since EA/EA are not always the same.....

 

GD

[Gloyale]

This thread is about EA82

 

EJ and EA82 PS lines will bolt directly toghether.

 

I get it that everyone wants to put power steering in there old EA81

 

But that isn't what I started this thread about and frankly it's just making the whole thread confusing. I'd like this to be an addition to the USRM. However if it get's cluster farked by arguements, it's useless.

 

No offense to anyone, but please look at the title, and try to keep the conversation directly related to that.

 

I'll try to follow my own advise:grin:

[Yo'J]

Any revelations? Hows it looking?

[4x4_Welder]

So, at the rack end, are the fittings the same between the EA82 and EJ cars?

[Gloyale]

Rack is installed. Barely enough threads to make the toe work, but it does.

 

As for fittings, the connection that is from the engine lines to the pump are the same.

 

Also, the intermediate fittings at the crossmember (not at the actual rack/steering unit) are the same. Although joining the EJ to EA lines here makes for a funny bend, but it works.

 

I'll try to update this with pics. Kinda forgot about it it worked so smooth:rolleyes:

[Bram_R]

Also, the intermediate fittings at the crossmember (not at the actual rack/steering unit) are the same. Although joining the EJ to EA lines here makes for a funny bend, but it works.

 

 

For my info, you now got the EJ rack installed, but still running the EA engine and PS pump? In your opening post you're refering to an EJ22 swap, so I figured you are all EJ now!

 

Anyway, did you have any problems fitting the u-joint between steering rack and steering shaft? Does is turns smoothly lock to lock without any 'jerkiness'?

 

You probably also cut a section out of the subframe to pass those PS lines, right?

 

Bram

[Gloyale]

For my info, you now got the EJ rack installed, but still running the EA engine and PS pump? In your opening post you're refering to an EJ22 swap, so I figured you are all EJ now!

 

This car yes, we did an EJ22 swap, so all pump, lines, and rack are EJ (legacy)

 

In another car I have joined EJ pump to EA82 lines at the pump. The long hardlines have to be shoved over into the airbox area(I've got a cone filter on the EJ22)

 

IN yet another car, I used EJ lines from the pump, but mated them to the EA lines at the intermediate connector. this required a unbolting the EA lines from there clamp, and twisting the softlines a bit to get the right angle, but it all works, and is arguably a "cleaner" end result.

 

Anyway, did you have any problems fitting the u-joint between steering rack and steering shaft? Does is turns smoothly lock to lock without any 'jerkiness'?

nope, I believe we used a Legacy coupler, just fits. Another 5-10mm longer would be nice, but it works.

 

You probably also cut a section out of the subframe to pass those PS lines, right?

 

Bram

 

Yup. Not too hard at all. Even after, still you need to unbolt the hardlines from their clamp and nudge them outward away from the rack mounts.