Lifeisgood Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I own an '82 Brat that I would someday like to swap an EJ22T into. The car is mainly used as a daily driver, but also for the occasional Rally Cross event or back road camping rig. I'm planning on using the engine/ECU from the Legacy and merging harnesses so I can keep the Brat dash/cluster. The car currently has the original 4 speed hi/lo range transmission, which is great in the snow, but at anything over 70 MPH I'm running about 3500+ RPM which really sucks... gas that is. At first I was thinking of finding a used 5 speed hi/lo tranny from an older GL and building an adapter plate to fit the EJ as described in the EA2EJ.pdf However now I'm wondering if it would just be easier to use AWD EJ tranny. I realize that I would not have the hi/lo option or selectable 4WD which I really do like, but would it make the swap a lot less work? If I did just go AWD, what else would I need to swap out? Rear diff, driveline, axles, etc. Another option would be if the AWD swap is that much easier, is to go that route first and then swap a 5 speed hi/lo when I find a good one at a later date. Any opinions, criticism or comments would be much appreciated. Also, does anyone know what the final drives of the 4 and 5 speed hi/lo transmissions are compare to the AWD 5 speed that comes with the EJ22T? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Look for Renobs thread in this forum. He installed a EJ22 in his Brat. Cant recall what he's using for a trans, but he Rally X's his quite a bit. I have the stock trans in my RX with a EJ22T swap and the original trans grenaded after 3 weeks of running. The one I have in now is doing much better but eventually I plan on swapping the trans to a EJ. Its a lot more involved then keeping the stock trans. Finding the cross members, having a driveline made up etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1982gl4 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I believe Renobs has a five speed d/r in it right now, and by the sound of things it has been working really well! I have a feeling that you will want more then the 4 speed I have heard they don't match the 2.2 very well I have an AWD trans I just put in mine with a 2.2, I would tell you how it goes, but I don't currently have it running, it's still in the build stages. The convertion wasn't that hard, but the drive shaft will have to be lengthened, and the cv's will have to be shortened if you go that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeisgood Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Great, thanks for the info. I'll do some more searching and reading. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeisgood Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 This is all that came up when I searched for "Renobs"...? http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/search.php?searchid=1230847 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 the 4MT is.....not ideal. Depends what you're doing with the car. If you plan to lift it and put big oversized tires on it, you're going to want to sacrifice the street traction for the 1.59:1 low range of an EA82 part-time 4WD 5MT. But for every other use, EA82 5MTs leave a bit to be desired as well. IMO the only upside is PT4WD is great for a DD, as you still have 4WD for when it gets nasty, but you have FWD for mpg. BUT, with the torque of even a non-turbo EJ in there, combined with EA front suspension geometry, means you will have wheelspin in FWD. Even if you're not really hammering on it. If you're going for a turbo motor, you're obviously ready to sacrifice some mileage for performance. Which IMO is a waste unless you can put it to the ground effectively. The EJ trans will be a bit harder to install in an EA81, but not much more than an EA82 5MT. But it'll all be worth it. You will need a custom crossmember to hold it up, modified shift linkage, modified driveshaft (just for length, the slip yoke splines are the same for all subaru transmissions). Look for a '96-'99 Legacy L (2.2l) transmission. It will be a 3.9:1 axle ratio, so you won't need to change your rear diff, and cable-operated clutch, so you won't have to worry about converting to hydraulic. (Imprezas of similar vintage might have that gearing as well, there's a serial number on the bellhousing near the starter. throw that into google to know for sure) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeisgood Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Wow! Great information Numbchux. That makes my decision much easier when the time comes. :-) Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 dont forget that the axle issue needs to be solved. you would have to hybrid an axle. the axle is 23 splines, where an ej trans is 25. i am unclear that a turbo 3at 23 spline DOJ(larger cup) fits oon an ea81 axle, as it does on an ea82/xt6/ej axle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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