suprunner Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Hey all, I finally found a donor vehicle for the swap. I've been looking for over a year with zero luck. The local yards have had slim pickings for anything with an EJ in it. Where I live, anything imported is few and far between. Found a '93 Legacy L Wagon, with 233k miles. Guy hit a deer going 75mph. Radiator and passenger side fender/bumper got trashed. I believe that there might be a blown HG(s), since the spark plugs were all white. Got the coolant system operating, and have driven it around. Even with the Automatic Tranny, it still has some get-up-and-go in it. As I prepare to tear it out, I would like to have some advice on what maintenance I should do to the motor. I'm already planning on: 1. New Gaskets (heads, oil pan, f/r mains, Cams, valve covers, etc..) 2. New Oil Pump 3. New Water Pump 4. Reconditioning Heads 5. New Timing Belt kit 6. New Plugs/wires Should I open up the block? I have done compression tests, and I'll include the numbers: Cylinder 1: 165, 162, 165 Cylinder 2: 160, 160, 160 Cylinder 3: 165, 165, 165 Cylinder 4: 165, 165, 165 The FSM lists the range between 156 and 185 psi. Numbers look good, but experienced advice will help. I know any motor at that mileage could be ready to blow. My first impulse is to try and do this as quickly and cheaply as possible. Since I have to get a new clutch, and adapter plate, I was thinking that I could "make up" costs on NOT opening the block. Will I just be wasting time by not completely rebuilding? The local machine shop won't do rebuilds on Subaru motors (will only do the heads), so that makes me apprehensive to attempt it on my own. Looking forward to any advice! Thanks, Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Do all of the afore mentioned but do not bother pulling the block apart. If you are worried about the engine being too worn for the mileage, a lower mile engine is likely to turn up later for much less than rebuilding the block. You said cheaply and as soon as possible. slap it together and drive. expect 100,000 mi out of it yet if you do all that work. on the minimum, do this: cam crank and oil pump seals. Leave the rear main alone if it is not cooked and cracked. Re-do the oil separator gasket on the back. retorque and loc-tite the screws holding the back of the oil pump together. you decide if a new oil pump is desired, although it may not be necessary. do the oil pan. you can probably get away with leaving the HG be but might as well if the motor is on a bench. do the oil pan. do the water pump for sure. try to use new oem fit for the little hoses of death on the intake-to-block Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprunner Posted January 17, 2013 Author Share Posted January 17, 2013 (edited) Do all of the afore mentioned but do not bother pulling the block apart...... Thanks for the advice. I ordered all of the necessary items today. Just to be sure, I'm supposed to use a clutch kit from a XT6? I was a bit wary because the dimension given was 8 7/8" I believe. The stock Loyale says 7 7/8"... Still good? Also, what about the injectors? Get new ones? Get them cleaned by a professional? Thanks, Greg Edited January 17, 2013 by suprunner Extra question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 the xt6 and ea82 5spd are the same, the 7" is eaither a FWD or an ea81 if you get some weird cross references. Go for the xt6 as the pp is a little stronger. the er27 and ej22 are very similar in tq and hp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprunner Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 (edited) I've done everything necessary to pull the EJ, except that I can't undo the torque converter (TC) bolts. I've tried multiple tools and entry options... Even tried going under the intake manifold (removed oil pump). Will I have to take the Intake manifold Completely off?? Every time that I get a socket/wrench on, then put any torque on it, it just pops off. I am afraid that I started stripping one of the heads. . . Can I remove the engine with the TC/Flex Plate still attached? Edited January 20, 2013 by suprunner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 No, you need to remove the bolts. Theres only 4 of them and you can access them from the hole on top of the bell housing. Its to the left as you look at the engine and may have a black rubber cover on it. I use a 12mm socket (make sure its a good 6pt one). It can be a pain to break them loose sometimes. What I have done is smack the handle of the ratchet with my hand or use a soft blow hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 1/4 in. drive, swiveling head ratchet with a 12mm, 6-point socket. Or....a socket ended wrench. either will allow you to swing the handle back over the bolt center, and get a good bite and pivot. otherwise, remove the intake....it's easy to reinstall. If you do take the intake off, use new gaskets, and replace the O-rings under the coolant crossover pipe before putting the intake back on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 If you do remove the intake, a deep wall 12mm socket works good as you cn brace it against the timing window for some leverage. The trick is to not round off the bolts. If you booger them up too bad, it might be a good idea to replace them. These bolts have a shallower head, and a different thread pitch than other bolts around the car. It is good practice to leave the TC with the trans, but if it comes out, make sure to read up on proper installation so you don't ruin the pump. good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 If you booger them up too bad, it might be a good idea to replace them. These bolts have a shallower head, and a different thread pitch than other bolts around the car. Short head, but common pitch. M8 x 1.25 hardened. Can be replaced, but best to use hardened, and short head or grind the head down a bit. Flywheel to crank bolts have the super fine pitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprunner Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 I'd like to thank all who have been helpimg me out. This motor pull is much different from the Toyota motors that I'm used to dealing with... I ended up pulling the Intake Manifold, which by the way, every bolt was barely snug... I was able to get two TC bolts off, and then rounded two more. I figured I'd start loosening the bellhousing bolts... Got the two on top, barely moved the lower passenger side, but now it's starting to round. I'm using 6 point wrenches and sockets. Will a dremel be effective to cut the TC/ flex plate bolts? I only need the motor and harness. Don't really care about anything else on the car.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprunner Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Thanks those that have replied. I ended up removing the Intake Manifold (IM) (which I will probably do in the future), getting two of the bolts off the plate, and then completely rounding off the remaining two. Bought a Dremel, and cut those babies off. The two bottom nuts for the bell housing were my next nightmare. I couldn't get a good angle on them for the life of me. But I kept my cool and got them off. Again, thanks for all the help! Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 They are different from the toyotas, I've got an 82 Celica Supra I've been toying around with for the last few years. I'd much rather play with the subaru. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprunner Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 on the minimum, do this:....Re-do the oil separator gasket on the back. try to use new oem fit for the little hoses of death on the intake-to-block Where is the Oil Separator gasket? The rear main looked pretty clean. Does Subaru sell a hose kit? When I took everything off, I noticed that the PCV was completely clogged. Should I be worried about anything detrimental that this might have caused? Thanks, Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Where is the Oil Separator gasket? The rear main looked pretty clean. Does Subaru sell a hose kit? When I took everything off, I noticed that the PCV was completely clogged. Should I be worried about anything detrimental that this might have caused? Thanks, Greg The pol separator is part of the PCV and crank case vent. It is the trapezoidal shaped piece on the back of the case to the right of the rear main. If you get the fel=pro bottom end conversion set, this gasket will be included. It originally is a cork gasket. mid 90's engines have a plastoc cover. The older ej22's have a cast piece. IF you go to the dealer for this gasket, it is superseded with a steel stamped piece that uses ultra grey instead of a gasket, and requires new screws, which one of the screws is specific than the rest. Do replace the clogged pcv/hose. You can get these parts from the dealer which is recommended to fit properly. If not clogged, a lot of times these hoses are brittle and crack. They are made of vinyl. This will help with oil consumption and the oil itself's longevity. If you are replacing the hose and changing the oil, i would not worry about any detriment it may have caused. You should replace the cam and crank seals anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 It originally is a cork gasket. mid 90's engines have a plastoc cover. The older ej22's have a cast piece. IF you go to the dealer for this gasket, it is superseded with a steel stamped piece that uses ultra grey instead of a gasket, and requires new screws, which one of the screws is specific than the rest. Subaru specs Fuji-bond sealant for this from the factory. They do not use a cork gasket, and I would not recommend it. Just use a Good sealant....."The Right Stuff" brand works very well. There is a German product called "Dirko" grey that works well too. You can pic up a tube for less than the cost of the Felpro conversion gasket set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprunner Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 The pol separator is part of the PCV and crank case vent. It is the trapezoidal shaped piece on the back of the case to the right of the rear main. If you get the fel=pro bottom end conversion set, this gasket will be included....The older ej22's have a cast piece. ... stamped piece that uses ultra grey instead of a gasket, and requires new screws, which one of the screws is specific than the rest. I've got just about everything put back together, except a few hoses, and that separator. To be honest, I'm a bit worried to try and crack it open. When I tried taking the screws off the back of the oil pump, I busted two philips-head bits, and trashed one of the screws. I replaced the oil pump phillips-style with some grade-8 allen key style screws. I'm afraid that it'll be the same thing for that separator. It is a cast plate, and not a plastic one. If there's no sign of leakage, should I still re-seal it? I've been using a RTV compound from Toyota. I've used it on a few motors before, and have had great luck. My local Subaru dealership only sells their special goop in large containers. I think that it's the same stuff though. I've decided to not use the timing belt cover. Hopefully all goes well. Also, I've been starting to get a "cold feet" feeling with this swap. Will the power difference be noticeable? I'm not really looking to squeal tires or keep up with any WRX's, but I would like to be able to hit mountain passes and stay out of 3rd gear/ keep the hazard lights off? Is this possible? Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprunner Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 They are different from the toyotas, I've got an 82 Celica Supra I've been toying around with for the last few years. I'd much rather play with the subaru. I think that that is true with some items. Not all though. For example, in all of the Toyota's that I've played in, wiring is very universal. My 1990 Supra 7MGE swap into 1986 4Runner was a breeze compared to the EJ swap that I'm doing now. Not to mention, almost everything within the Japanese-made Toyotas (Land Cruisers, 4Runners, Old Pickups..) is serviceable/rebuildable. Everything is extremely over-built as well. BUT, if I were to have to choose, my Loyale is a much more enjoyable ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprunner Posted February 23, 2013 Author Share Posted February 23, 2013 Update: I have been trying my best to strip the wiring harness down. This is what I've done so far: I went through a Legacy ECU pinout, and labeled/sepparated every wire that pertained to the ECU. Was this the correct way to go about it? Now I have a large pile of wires that didn't directly go to the ECU, and then the four plugs and their corresponding wires that connect to the ECU. Are these all I will need? Or did I just make myself a mess...? Thanks, Greg 1992_Legacy_ECU_I-O.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprunner Posted February 24, 2013 Author Share Posted February 24, 2013 Here is a quick visual of what my harness looks like. By appearance, does this look about right? Thanks, Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Can't see pics. If you really need help, do what you can then ship me the harness. I,ll correct any mistakes and ship it back for a very reasonable price. PM me for details. Keep going, keep the faith. It will be worth it. Power is definitely noticeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprunner Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 Can't see pics. If you really need help, do what you can then ship me the harness. I,ll correct any mistakes and ship it back for a very reasonable price. PM me for details. Keep going, keep the faith. It will be worth it. Power is definitely noticeable. Thanks for the offer. I will keep that in mind. I'm getting very close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Also, I've been starting to get a "cold feet" feeling with this swap. Will the power difference be noticeable? I'm not really looking to squeal tires or keep up with any WRX's, but I would like to be able to hit mountain passes and stay out of 3rd gear/ keep the hazard lights off? Is this possible? Oh, yes... The power is very noticable. When I had a dead cylinder in my EJ22 it still drove as well as it did with the EA82 in it running on all 4. I could light up 29" dia tires if I wanted to and had to be careful taking off from a stop in the rain because both fronts would break loose. The legacy's had decent performance with the EJ22 and your car is 500lbs lighter than that. It makes the car fun to drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprunner Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 Oh, yes... The power is very noticable. When I had a dead cylinder in my EJ22 it still drove as well as it did with the EA82 in it running on all 4. I could light up 29" dia tires if I wanted to and had to be careful taking off from a stop in the rain because both fronts would break loose. The legacy's had decent performance with the EJ22 and your car is 500lbs lighter than that. It makes the car fun to drive. Thank you for the confidence boost! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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