stephen115 Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 (edited) ok guys I havent been on in awhile because the brat broke and I got a WRX:banana: But im looking forward to fixing the brat after college and I thought I would go ahead and get my idea out there incase anybody has any ideas on how to make my ideas better ECT... ok so I have a 1984 brat 4WD 1.8L 4-speed dual trans The cam blew on the 1.8l( which is why im not driving it) I want to take a EJ20 2L short block and put it in the brat. I also want to turbo it with a stock 2006 WRX turbo(TD04) Possibly swap trans and put a 5-speed dual range in it because I want to be able to still switch between FWD and 4WD because I want to keep it an 80's Subaru. I also want to do a custom drop on the back to level out the brat. Im going to have to do a 5 lug swap or get custom wheels made because my wheels have a slight "angle" in them so they shake at high speeds. I mainly want to make this a fast car. there arnt any of these around here and I would like to have the first:) I have a few questions so will start with the main one first: Can I even swap a EJ20 2L short block into an 1984 Brat? and if I turbo it will an 80's 5-speed dual trans hold up to that much power? or should I go AWD? Feel free to give me your opinions. any help will be helpful. SJ Edited July 20, 2011 by stephen115 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81EA81 Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 They make EJ _EA Kits. I know you need the wiring harness from the car the EJ came out of to run the ECU...ECT. Also SJR has an engine to tranny adapter plate. honestly thats about all I know when it comes to this. If it were me Id keep the wrx for going fast and leave the Brat to where it won't become a crumpled up chunk of metal that was once bad rump roast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92_rugby_subie Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I dont know the power levels of the EJ20T But a Frankenmotor Brat that was built by GD and Renob123 was VERY carefully driven in FWD on the streets and in 4WD on the track... GD once told me they were going to be doing the AWD swap because the EJ transmission could handle the power (it was driven lightly because if you clutch dumped the FM on the D/R tranny, youd rip every gear apart) and AWD would be very wise in the rain/snow because it currently wasnt the safest vehicle to be in the rain with (this was back in October/November when it was raining more, but who am I kidding, its July and still raining) Frankenmotor I believe is around 180hp... I know the D/R can handle the EJ22 because its only 135hp... but I think youd be pushing it with a WRX motor... I could be way off on my numbers... but I think Im pretty close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 The DOHC heads of the EJ20T will not fit between the frame rails of the EA81 chassis without modification. You will have to cut and box in the frame rails to clear the heads - it will also be really freakin hard to replace the spark plugs. If you put ~240 HP into a 5MT D/R you will destroy it. They were not meant for that. Besides the fact that this much power into a primarily front wheel drive transmission will make the Brat handle like poo and be very scary to drive. Trust me - I've done it with less power than that and the Brat's suspension (even with aftermarket sway bars on both ends, etc) is not up to the task. AWD is a much better choice - it doesn't load the suspension up like a FWD will and will be much more tame at the 200+ HP levels. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen115 Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 well dang, now I need to start all over. what engine would fit perfect and what trans would be perfect for this? I want to make this a racer but if its really not possible Ill go with a 98-2001 impreza RS. thanks SJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roostema4328 Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 It is possible to make it a racer. just a lot of work. You would have to pretty much rebuild the whole thing. Like stated. You would need to notch the frame to make that engine fit. Its not impossible. Just not easy. There is other engines that would fit easier that are SOHC. You could use a EJ25 SOHC engine with cams and low compression pistons and run a turbo. That would be easier to fit. You would have to change the transmission for sure. Use what ever trans that would hold up to the power you would be making. not the D/R. 6 speed would be ideal. Of course you wouldnt want the stock struts and shocks. or the brakes. because a brat with anymore power than a stock ej22. would be unsafe with stock suspension and braking for sure. so 5 bolt swap and possible coilovers and larger sway bars. etc etc. ha ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92_rugby_subie Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Get a 5 speed transmission and put some FXT gearing in it (4.44) and youll have a beast if you do a frankenmotor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renob123 Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 well dang, now I need to start all over. what engine would fit perfect and what trans would be perfect for this? I want to make this a racer but if its really not possible Ill go with a 98-2001 impreza RS. thanks SJ What kind of racer? That means very different things to different people. Also, what's your budget? We can only offer limited help without knowing those things. The only thing I can really say for sure is that a WRX engine and 5-speed DR transmission is a dumb combo. Jacob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 (edited) EJ22t out of a 90-94 legacy turbo is the best fit for a brat. Phase 1 sohc heads, so it fits in between the brat frame rails. Use the AWD 5mt that comes with it, or use any other 5mt AWD you can find with the matching first gen legacy rear diff to put in the brat. You need XT6 rear hubs and brakes for the 5lug and rear disk swap for the brat. Back down the preload on the rear torsion bar to level it. The axles/knuckles/struts combos are covered pretty good on here for the front. I would recommend using a WRX wiring harness and computer to run the EJ22t. It's the cheapest well supported standalone tuning system you can get, and available in a junkyard near you. You will need to swap out the timing belt crank sprocket to match reluctor teeth to what the ECU expects and check to see if the cam trigger is the same. A tuner can shut off the evap and rear o2 sensor options in the ECU. A franken motor will not "rip every gear out of a FWD trans" The d/r 5spd is arguably the same strength as the phase 1 AWD tranies were. It will however rip the steering wheel out of your hands if one side catches more traction than the other, go sideways instead of forwards if you try to take off quick at a light in the rain, and run through tires pretty quick. AWD makes the power much more manageable. Edited July 22, 2011 by WoodsWagon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renob123 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 (edited) EJ22t out of a 90-94 legacy turbo is the best fit for a brat. Phase 1 sohc heads, so it fits in between the brat frame rails. Use the AWD 5mt that comes with it, or use any other 5mt AWD you can find with the matching first gen legacy rear diff to put in the brat. "Best" is always subjective, but that would be a sweet combo. A franken motor will not "rip every gear out of a FWD trans" The d/r 5spd is arguably the same strength as the phase 1 AWD tranies were. It will however rip the steering wheel out of your hands if one side catches more traction than the other, go sideways instead of forwards if you try to take off quick at a light in the rain, and run through tires pretty quick. AWD makes the power much more manageable. ^^^This. Although I never caught enough traction anywhere to rip the wheel out of my hands. Jacob Edited July 22, 2011 by renob123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I think what would likely kill a D/R 5MT under the give scenario (200+ HP) is the tendancy for people to get frustrated with the crazy wheel spin and drive it around in 4WD Hi all the time on dry pavement just to prevent the wheel spin and give them that desireable "launch" ability. I agree that if driven with sanity and if the 4WD is only used on slippery surfaces, etc.... probably would be fine for a long time. But "boy racer" here will not drive it like that - he will drive around in 4WD Hi all the time and that will eat up the tranny in short order. 200 HP clutch dumps in 4WD Hi WILL kill the D/R. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 (edited) "Best" is always subjective, but that would be a sweet combo. Although I never caught enough traction anywhere to rip the wheel out of my hands. Jacob When it comes to fitting a decent turbo motor in a brat, the EJ22t is kind of it. The OP obviously has an interest in having a racer brat with a turbo, so that's the easiest route to it. The more offset you run on the wheels, the more it jerks the steering wheel around. Stock size wheels it's not a problem, but when you start getting big and wide, the steering feedback gets harsh. AWD helps mellow its harsh a lot by spreading the power to the back. It's fun to take a auto EJ25 legacy and put in the fwd fuse and take it for a drive. When you find how easy it is to squeal the tires, you realize how much the AWD is really doing, all the time. Edited July 23, 2011 by WoodsWagon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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