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Whats the biggest engine that could be fitted into a EA/EJ body?

torxxx

By torxxx,
in Subaru Transplants

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torxxx Subaru Master

torxxx

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I got a few spare cars laying around up here in the frozen north. Good straight bodies, some with no titles so me and a few buddies have been thinking about what the biggest engine we could stuff into a a wagon body/chassis. I know its gonna take tube framing the bottom to accept Dana Axles.

 

Possibilities we have come up with:

 

4.3L Vortec mated 4L60E trans running Dana 44 axles

 

350 Vortec mated to 4L60E trans with Dana 44 axles with 3/4 ton shafts and ujoints

 

300 Ford Inline 6 mated to a 4 speed Manual with a Ford 9" rear and 44 Front

 

Dodge 3.8L V6 mated to a Trans axle, but the engine would be mounted conventional setup. The diff on the transaxle would be welded, one side would be used from the rear axle, the other side to the front axle

 

Thoughts?

 

I know that engines this big are gonna bend/track and possibly destroy the Subaru body/unibody. This rig would be mainly used for mud drags/bogging

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idosubaru Elite Master of the Subaru

idosubaru

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a V8 350 (i guess, I don't know my V8's) was put in an XT...."could" fit whatever your skill set allows. got torches and welding gear you can do whatever you want.

 

the more interference you run, the more spacing you put between motor and body right?

 

take some measurements of how long each motor is?

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Numbchux Elite Master of the Subaru

Numbchux

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Depends on your definition of "fit".

 

By ditching the Subaru transmission layout and going to divorced tcase/front diff, then the longitudinal position of the drivetrain is no longer dependent on the location of the front axle.

 

 

So you're only limited by physical dimensions. Which means you're limited by how much modification you want to do, and the details of your build.

 

 

Subaru engines are very wide, so you shouldn't have any trouble with width.

 

In the front, is really just the radiator, which can be moved forward, or moved somewhere else entirely.

 

In the back, is the firewall. Which is just sheet metal. Behind it...HVAC....which can be modified/removed/moved/replaced.

 

Underneath will depend entirely on your suspension/steering setup.

 

 

 

If you were building a rock-crawler the center of gravity is a major concern, so you would want to cram all of that in the smallest vertical package you can, which would mean that some options would be easier than others.

 

But, for a mudder, that doesn't matter as much. Pick an engine, stuff it in there as high as reasonably possible, and then see where your axles will fit best.

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torxxx Subaru Master

torxxx

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so a 350 has been tried and done in a Subaru. As long as its been done, I dont know if I want to do it lol. Might have to try to fit a big block in it then.

 

Goal is to keep firewall intact, radiator would end up in the rear anyways just for safety and to keep it clean. and since its gonna be on solid axles, the length of the tranny/xfer case really shouldn't

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idosubaru Elite Master of the Subaru

idosubaru

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so a 350 has been tried and done in a Subaru. As long as its been done, I dont know if I want to do it lol. Might have to try to fit a big block in it then.
he never drove it on the road that I'm aware of. i'm not sure which engine it was, only recall it being a V8. i believe it was Yukon on the old XT forum put one in an XT like 10 years ago.
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monstaru Elite Master of the Subaru

monstaru

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a V8 350 (i guess, I don't know my V8's) was put in an XT...."could" fit whatever your skill set allows. got torches and welding gear you can do whatever you want.

 

the more interference you run, the more spacing you put between motor and body right?

 

take some measurements of how long each motor is?

 

You alkways have the same ************ing answer.

Have you not seen his name around here forever.

Thanks Captain Obvious.No really, I am sure he needed to hear that.

Jeezus.Stay in one place in the forum.Where newbs are preferably.

Gad amn

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Alaska Style Advanced Member

Alaska Style

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A looong looong time ago I saw a YouTube video of a crappy GL with a junkyard 351 2wd setup and it looked stock until it started and sputtered out a 2wd burnout... There also a few LS powered STI videos on there... Subaru's are cool because of their flat wide motors so width really isn't a problem. A Big Block would have the most potential and would have the most power if you built it up a little... The FWD setup with the welded diff has the best gear ratio for of road if you wanna do well with big tires and not re-gear or add a T-case . I've driven 2 of those before and it was so much fun, they felt extremely powerfull and spun 'm up to the top speed of close to 50.. but they got there in a few short heart beats... also, those were mid engine... I'm not sure how much front CV/Drive shaft your gonna have if you run it up front... maybe if you just ran one CV to a divorced T-case from a Nissan or samurai or something...

 

I just got done putting a 409ci (6.7L) SBC in my 88 S-10. I figured putting a v8 in an S truck was easy... nope. Its a nice street truck so the rules are waaay different than if it was a mud toy. But the steering, cooling, shift linkage, and headers were a pain in the a$$!!!!!. It's a super duper tight fit. I've also put loots of though into beef in up my old GL. My dream swap was a Vortec 4.3/4L60E and dual Toyota cases... I was thinking of keeping it road leagleish and very functional off road with my FZJ80 axles and 40's. But that was a dream.... along with many...

Edited by Alaska Style
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djellum Certified Subaru Nut

djellum

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Old cadies had a straight 8. If your moving the radiator anyway maybe removing the spare tire rack might yield enough room for one. no idea what there measurements are, but if your looking for something origional and not a V8...

 

I know you can make that ford 6 run almost like a tractor, it can make major torque if you build it right. I like the fords so that is my choice of the available motors. My roomates bronco with a 460 got eaten alive by a shortbed with a 300-6 in a sand race multiple times.

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idosubaru Elite Master of the Subaru

idosubaru

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You alkways have the same ************ing answer.

Have you not seen his name around here forever.

Thanks Captain Obvious.No really, I am sure he needed to hear that.

Jeezus.Stay in one place in the forum.Where newbs are preferably.

Gad amn

i agree, i'll tame the repeats....and yet same reply for the same general question, how big, how much, how fast, etc. like you, he's quite talented and well versed so his possibilities are broad.

 

there were also some questions, trying to see how far he's wanting to go with it.

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spazomatic Subaru Fanatic!

spazomatic

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picture.php?albumid=19&pictureid=2887

 

I know a ford 302 fits between the brat's frame rails with stock exhaust manifolds. They had to notch it to fit the headers though.

 

That is badass! I daydream a lot about stickin a 302/C4/dana20/dana44/9" combo in my GL. Using parts from an early bronco most likely.

You have more pictures?

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el_freddo Elite Master of the Subaru

el_freddo

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Theres a legacy in Oz? I think thats fitted with a V12 Toyota block.

Be fun if you could do that and some how keep 4WD.

 

Yeah it's a RWD and there's a build thread on NAISO or whatever the forum is called. An interesting read - the customer's requirements was that it needs to "rip good skids".

 

Cheers

 

Bennie

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ivans imports Subaru Master

ivans imports

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i have a 09 sti bottom end with twin cam outback heads turboed and in my 79 gl wagon with the intercooler and turbo setup is very tight had to strech the frame rails slightly and is very close to the master but fitts and makes crazy power. Has a high low 5speed and if you give it full power will blow trans have to drive it conseritivly.

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bratman18 Elite Master of the Subaru

bratman18

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i have a 09 sti bottom end with twin cam outback heads turboed and in my 79 gl wagon with the intercooler and turbo setup is very tight had to strech the frame rails slightly and is very close to the master but fitts and makes crazy power. Has a high low 5speed and if you give it full power will blow trans have to drive it conseritivly.

 

You need to figure out how to get pics up on here.

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peacewize Advanced Member

peacewize

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well 350's arent really that big when you look at them in my opinion. but if that can be done maybe step up to a 454. or a 4bt (if you can find one) or the triton v10. something no ones asked but are you going to fit this under the hood? Because if you ditch the hood than your options are fairly limitless if you have the time and effort anythings possible

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