engine swap

[kingmario]

is it possible to fit a 2.5L turbo engine into a 1996 impreza if so what is involved thanks :-)

[86BRATMAN]

Labor, wiring, and parts.

 

And the search function. Its all here.

[idosubaru]

are you looking for an easy swap or very difficult, labor intensive with extensive wiring is okay? for turbo information your best bet is NASIOC. if you don't know what that is, you should! search yahoo or google.

[Numbchux]

possible.....very much so. I'm doing the wiring for a guy who's doing an entire '05 WRX drivetrain swap into a '96 imp LX. the STi stuff wouldn't be all that much different.

 

 

easy.....hardly.....but mostly just the wiring side, and mostly just the '96 side of that. as that newer FSM wiring diagrams are a breeze to read compared to the older ones.

 

 

 

but take this advice. this being my second WRX -> GC swap project. buy a whole wrecked donor car. that way you know you have everything. and you'll be able to part out/sell the stuff you don't need. the first one I did was an '02 WRX into a '95 L. he had the whole donor car (IIRC the wrecked donor car cost ~$4k in his driveway), we did the whole swap: engine, tranny, interior, dash, etc. in about 2 weeks. the second one we started getting parts in July....and are hoping to have it running within the next week, but even that's looking grim :-\

[kingmario]

what if i still want it to remain fwd thanks for the help much appreciated:)

[idosubaru]

what if i still want it to remain fwd thanks for the help much appreciated:)

then the same questions and comments apply. reread the last few posts and answer my questions. FWD verses AWD doesn't particularly complicate things at all, that's benign (ignoring DCCD stuff which doesn't matter). the wiring is going to be HUGE. if you're good with automotive stuff and have lots of time to devote to the wiring - then no problem. if you're not then this is way over your head. the one thing you have going for you is that the EJ turbo engine will drop in and bolt up to the cross member and should bolt right up to your transmission as well, whether your transmission will hold it very long is another question. exhaust isn't a big deal, even if you can't do it yourself it's not that hard to have someone weld it up for you. but the wiring and computer interfacing, that's a chore.

 

almost any engine swap is possible. you can put a V8 in a subaru if you want to or a jet engine in a car (both have been done). depends on time, money and resources. automotive advice over the internet is hard enough with all the information you can possibly verbally give....not having any information makes it much harder. are you doing this work yourself, is someone else doing it? what are you trying to do?

 

i think you should check out NASIOC, have you stopped over there yet?

[Numbchux]

why would you keep it FWD?! with an EJ257, even in stock form, you'll be pushing close to 300hp. Traction will be a huge issue.....heck, I hate driving my car in FWD with 120hp, even on nice sticky summer tires. Also, an older 5-speed will be hard pressed to hold up to that kind of power. at least upgrade to a WRX 5-speed, if not the STi 6-speed.

 

 

and, as someone who has actually done it *ahem*, let me say that if you swap the whole dash/HVAC/etc, the wiring project is actually pretty simple, and the project quickly turns more mechanical than electrical. the hardest part is trying to get any usable information out of the '96 FSM diagrams.

 

and, if you want to do it, you can always just pay someone to do the wiring modifications. there are a few companies out there who will do it. I can do it for a few hundred bucks, or you can send it off to the larger companies like East Coast Swappers or Garage Tuning and get it with a warranty and stuff for a grand or so. which, in a project like this, is a pretty small expense.

[idosubaru]

and, as someone who has actually done it *ahem*.

sorry if you're annoyed when i say it's hard and electrical (has come up a few times recently), and i don't mean to over-emphasize that. but it's usually because i'm trying to figure out if this is really someone who can and will do this. if someone is asking good and serious questions i won't do that.

 

i totally agree with getting a wrecked vehicle, piecing together a swap can be a chore....particularly with the kinds of questions the OP is asking.

[kingmario]

awsome thanks everyone for the imput its been very usefull now im going to find me a wreck