kirzick Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I have a 1984 gl 4spd duel range. I have a clean 92 ej-22 sitting in the garage. A friend will sell me a harness and ecu for 50$. I still need a fuel pump, clutch,trans plate, re drilled flywheel, high pressure fuel line, front wheel bearings, fluids, and a cv axle. I have about $500 saved up. Can i get the swap done with this much money? i cant afford to have my car not be usable for more then a few weeks. Any input would be appreciated, thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 FWIW I've heard of a few people getting away with stock fuel lines. Might want to read into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprjohn Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 If you're like me, everything is harder, costs more and takes longer than you think it will... John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott in Bellingham Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 first of all have you ever drove a EJ swaped EA car? if you have you know the difference in power and that should help with your decision, can you sell the engine that's in the car? if so that will help with money 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soobie_newbie67 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 does it currently not run or something? if it runs drive it till you've collected everything you need for the swap so you and a buddy ( I prefer a friend around on big jobs) can nail it in one weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 If you're like me, everything is harder, costs more and takes longer than you think it will... John +1. sounds like a terrible financial decision. depending on your back up plan (when you don't have any money) or future plans, others around you, work, driving needs (how important is it really to have a car?)..etc - it could be a really bad decision or not a big deal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spazomatic Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Murphys law loves to strike when time and money are an issue...so ya hafta attempt to cut off all of murphys access to your project. So, If what you have now is still running ok, id wait until you have collected all of the pieces you'll need before you tear it down. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatchsub Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 +1. sounds like a terrible financial decision. depending on your back up plan (when you don't have any money) or future plans, others around you, work, driving needs (how important is it really to have a car?)..etc - it could be a really bad decision or not a big deal. +2. If this is your daily im going to go with no. You shouldnt take it apart and expect it to fly together effortlessly. There will be problems you run into and it will take longer than expected. I dont mean to sound negative but thats just my take on projects like that. If it was your backup car id say go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirzick Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Thank you everyone for the input. The car does currently run and drive but it is starting to get tired. I have a place to work on it now. My friend has a wrx swapped 87 rx that really inspired me to go after this swap. i found a job yesterday so now i have more income to put towards the car. Im 17 and still live at home so i dont have bills and i want to keep this car for as long as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudesmccool Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Do it man! if you don't do it now in your current state, you won't later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25percentbritish Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 Agee with the no, if you just entered the job market you will need a daily driver. Having positive cash flow is imperative to any project. Save up all the money you need for the project. Have at least a few hundred extra for contingency plan. Then buy another car for your daily driver or a Subaru body that needs a motor and swap it it in. Swap insurance between the two given insurance rates for 17 year olds is high. If your parents and/or friend has an extra car you can use at any time to get to the job a 2nd car for you is not necessary. If I sound like a parent, my apologies, I am .... I have a 17 year old son and we are doing just that .... We purchased it in December with a bad engine for $480, he is saving up for a 1995 to 1998 2.2 to put in his 1999 legacy. He needs another $600 to $700 for a 2.2 engine. He is fortunate to have a extra vehicle at his disposal during the project. Many times over the past couple of years we have worked on his teen project vehicles which has forced him into our extra family vehicle .. A 2001 gmc safari is known as the "man van" by his fellow students/ teammates at Fife High School ... It may not a cool van but he makes the best of it. I wish you the best of success in the project, life and whatever you decide to do I am sure will well thought out given you are seeking the advise of many which is very wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 Definately do it. JUst try to get all the parts toghether first to give yourself the best chance for it to go smoothly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinky26 Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 It'll be an awesome experience for you when and if you go through with it. Do you have the support of your Mom and Dad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 oh yeah, you're young, i like the sounds of this now! do it. good experience even if it is a terrible financial move. good chance of learning some important stuff along the way. at 17 living month to month and planning on spending money you don't have yet is the norm. later it's a pretty good recipe to live month to month the rest of your life like most of americans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingbobdole Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I'm pretty damn good at these swaps and it still takes me more than a month to do it. I've got limited time tho.m first step is to build the harness and get it all installed. You can do that without down time to the car. Having the fuel pump, relays and engine wiring already in place will make the install much easier. Then the engine install is quick physically depending on experience. Then you get to make it up as you go to finish it off. If everything is right, you win. If not you get to scramble to fix it. Not ideal for a daily driver. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25percentbritish Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 What did you decide to do? No worries on the financials, I just did not want to see you get into something financially over your head. At 17 I worked on my own car with no money and very few tools. I hope you are more fortunate than I and have some tools you can from friends and family. If not, Let me know if you need to borrow a tool ... I am just up I-5 an about an hour north of Olympia ... I do not have many Subaru specific tools yet but may have more over next couple of months. Auto zone has a great loaner program that was non-existent when I was 17. My son and i are headed to junk yard Saturday to get the Subaru engine. Time to learn a little about Subaru repairs for both of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dj7291993 Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 When you decide to do this, make sure you don't forget the cost of exhaust. Sit down and really figure out how much it will cost you. You could get the harness now, and start stripping it down, then start pricing out other parts. Don't forget prices for electric fans, radiator and heater hoses, clamps, bolts, wire, connectors, something to make the pitch-stopper/dog-bone mount work, and fluids. For me, the exhaust was the most expensive part. I got a '95 y-pipe and the flange of the cat for $80 from a local scrap-yard (they can't sell you the cat, but my exhaust guy wanted it to have something to weld to), plus the O2 sensor (i get parts wholesale through work, but they run around $100), and then $320 for the muffler, resonator, and the rest of the system (the guy gave me a deal on it. Unless you know someone who will do it without a cat, or you're gonna do it yourself, you're probably looking at more). And don't forget any maintainence you might want to do before you put it in (ie. spark plugs, wires, valve cover gaskets, timing belts, ect). The car is great after doing it, but don't think this is going to be cheap. Personally, if you're sure you want to do it, what I did is, after I got the motor and harness, started buying stuff here and there 'till I was ready to do it. Things like fans, O2 sensor, clutch, flywheel.... That way, when you do get to it, you won't have so much at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25percentbritish Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I'm doing a 2.5 to 2.2 conversion .... I found out today the junk yard will not sell me the y-pipe ... something about not setting me the cat as well. Different project than initial post ... I'm putting 2.2 out of a 1996 into a 1999 GT. I said to the junkyard, can't you just turn the other way and I'll toss it in my truck ... no can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dj7291993 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 95 and later should have the cat seperate from the manifold/y-pipe. 94 and earlier, it was one piece. He knows you don't want the cat, right? Maybe try another one. Normally, I would've gone to pull and pay, but they chop off a little more than they need to. Why bother with cutting the bolts when you could just cut the pipe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirzick Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) Havent done the swap yet. I have most of the parts now including some sort of exhust( two used cherry bombs of craigslist ) just need a plate. I wrecked the damn thing in the snow literly the day i put him all back together from a suspention tune up... Remember to watch out for curbs when sliding around a highschool parking lot at two in the morning. He will be back on the road soon hopfully. Now im stuck driving this stupid wrx. Gah! Maybe ill just take the engine and tranny out of the wrx and throw it in the gl. All that power will unbend the frame right? Edited April 20, 2014 by kirzick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25percentbritish Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Kirzick Bent frame, this is not a good thing ... Yoda Dj7291993 Got the right y pipe ... Initially the junkyard pointed me to the '94 and earlier y pipe ... Figured this all out later ... I drove down to Olympia / tumwater area junkyard and pulled it from it from a 1996. Cost $50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Havent done the swap yet. I have most of the parts now including some sort of exhust( two used cherry bombs of craigslist ) just need a plate. I wrecked the damn thing in the snow literly the day i put him all back together from a suspention tune up... Remember to watch out for curbs when sliding around a highschool parking lot at two in the morning. He will be back on the road soon hopfully. Now im stuck driving this stupid wrx. Gah! Maybe ill just take the engine and tranny out of the wrx and throw it in the gl. All that power will unbend the frame right? Swapping a turbo ej is a diferent ball game than swapping in a non-turbo ej.While a EJ22 swap could be done for as little as $1000 or less, a ej20 or ej257 is about a $3000 project.Not something to do on a high school budget when its your only car.For a solid offroader or daily driver just a non turbo ej22 is about perfect.The ej22 has roughly twice as much power at any point in the RPM band as an EA81.Obstacles that required full throttle can be idled up with an ej22. With the ej22 fwd on the street is useless until 35-40 MPH, because you will get wheelspin on all but the lightest throttle inputs. I had an 87 wagon that I swapped an ej22 into and in FWD I could do a rolling burnout at 25 mph in 3rd gear just by flooring it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubieBrat Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 I swapped my brat about six months ago. I am 17 years old as well. I was in the same situation as you are; however, my engine was starting to give out on me and finally did. I ended up having to drive my moms truck (our spare vehicle) for four months. I had to borrow some money from my friend and did mine with about $2500-3000 start to finish, but i had to rebuild the motor on the donor car(crank walk from bad tranny). If at all possible I would wait until summer comes around and do everything at once, especially since school is almost out. The 5-speed swap cost me about 700 for the transmission (but i bought it with the linkages already modified). I drilled the fly wheel myself with a drill press and cut out the adapter plate with a jigsaw out of aluminum and drilled and tapped the holes (took me a few day to get it right, use center punches that you can slide into the block and tranny hole to make sure you get them center), ended up saving me about 300 bucks. If you do every thing right, and have access to the proper machinery, you can probably do your swap fairly inexpensively. But prepare as much as you can before hand (including the harness) and I would imagine with help from a few friends you could probably do everything in a week or two at most. All-in-all i would say it is well worth it swap it. Especially if the kids at your school hate your car for some stupid reason. There is a satisfaction knowing that you have the knowledge to do this and also the power to beat your friends (plus you can rub it in their faces that you're getting good mileage while having the power). I love every minute of driving my brat and am so glad that I swapped it. Worth every cent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacewize Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 From my experience it's the little things that really add up. I collected parts for almost a year and found out there was a bunch of stuff I completely spaced. Took me about two months to swap while still going to school and working. My advice is find someone to let you borrow a car if you can.swap is worth it though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirzick Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 I was actually just kidding about the ej20 swap, but it would be cool as hell! I do plan to start working on the swap soon, I just need to get the car rolling straight. I really need to find a parts wagon. I also would like to switch to a ea82 suspension, So I could stiffen it like brumble beasts right up. Thank you all for your support! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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