The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

Hi all,
I have a 1990 Liberty that had an NA engine in it that crapped itself. The car seemed too cool to get rid of (cool custom tint, mags, etc) so I decided to get hold of an EJ20 turbo engine from a liberty that had had an engine swap done in it, going from NA to turbo, by Autocraft (local subaru guys here in Newcastle) with the intention of getting someone to swap it into my car. It's a legacy import engine, and the liberty was a 1991 (so similar to mine, only it was a sedan, and automatic, and mine is a manual wagon).
Anyway, I pulled out the engine, wiring harness, computer, and all I/C piping from the donor car. I got a mate to start the swap, but he had a family crisis and too many other commitments, so he didn't finish it. At this stage, the engine is bolted in (with gearbox hooked up, etc) but I need to wire it all up and connect up all the piping (as well as weld up the new exhaust). I spoke to Autocraft, the guy was rude and not interested in helping, so I'm trying to work out whether someone local to me will finish the job for me for cash in hand, or if there is somewhere I can take it that won't charge me a bomb to finish the job. Theoretically, the wiring should plug straight into my dash, and I should have all the bits to get it running. But since it's something I've never dabbled in before, I'm reluctant to try it myself. I've played around with cars, swapping gearboxes and other parts and doing basic wiring (stereos and the like) but this is a bit out of my league.
Anyway, any help or suggestions is appreciated. If it's going to be too much of a drama I'm probably just going to sell it, I really don't need any more dramas in my life!
Cheers
Matt

Pity your not in adelaide

Contact Al at Amauto.com (.au?) - he'll know what to do.

If the wiring is plug and play you should just have to swap it out - the best way to do it would be to label everything on both looms, then pull out your lib's wiring and replace the turbo wiring in there.

The exhaust can be done at any exhaust shop - you'll just have to get the car there without driving it as it'll sound like a tractor and will be a cop magnet.

Best of luck with it. Don't give up on it - seen too many people do that then regret it.

Cheers

Bennie

Thanks guys. Trying my damn hardest not to give up on the project, but it's difficult to keep hanging on. Right now I'm trying to get my life on track and part of that is getting my car situation to a more ideal position. I was happy to pay the original guy to do the whole job, but his personal life got in the road and he was unable to continue, leaving me in a pretty crappy position (seems to happen to me a bit too often).
Looks as though amauto.com.au is based in QLD (assuming that's the same people you were talking about?).
And yeah, the exhaust part doesn't seem too complicated, and the intercooler stuff is probably fairly straight forward, it's just the wiring I want to get right, and I also want someone to just look over it all to make sure I don't miss anything. Don't want to start it up and destroy something in the first 5 minutes of operation!
Matt