Fitting an EJ Motor into an MY or L Series Subaru

Any thing and every thing ever asked about how to do an EJ conversion to an L series and MY. Includes Brumby and Coupe.
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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Sun Aug 17, 2008 3:07 pm

heath wrote:can anyone tell me the location of the new holes in the crossmember for the ej engine mounts ? im allso running the ej gearbox.
It's not actually a requirement to modify them at all, but yeah most people just slot them a few mm outwards. It just makes the initially fitting easier but you can get away without doing it at all if you can maneuver the engine enough on your hoist chain - a load balancer is the go for this. Either way it has no drawbacks once it's bolted in. Using EJ gearbox or not doesn't have any bearing on the engine mount situation at all.

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heath
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Post by heath » Sun Aug 17, 2008 4:08 pm

got the engine box and exhurst fitted and the loom but cant get any spark. or fuel pump wont start any ideas or could it be one of a thousand things

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Brumble
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Post by Brumble » Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:28 pm

can someone please tell me if I will be able to fit air conditioning in my '92 brumby if I do an ej conversion. This may seem like a ridiculous question but I live in Darwin and go without AC in my regular drive car is not really an option. If not i will probably go with my original plan to rebuild and improve the original ea81 engine.

Another possibility is to fit an ea82. I am already fitting an ea82 gearbox which I have picked up for $50, the same bloke has the matching engine which he will give me for another $50. Is it worth it?

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Outback bloke
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Post by Outback bloke » Fri Feb 20, 2009 7:21 am

If your car already has AC then it is dead simple. The AC compressor actually sit up on top of the motor so clearance is not an issue. You will have to get 2 custom hoses made up and do some minor wiring.

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El_Freddo
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Post by El_Freddo » Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:02 am

Brumble wrote:Another possibility is to fit an ea82.
I'd recommend NOT doing this - the EA82 is a bit of a backwards step from the EA81 in my opinion... The EA82 was a bit of a marketing tool for subaru to introduce an overhead cam engine. Its poorly designed and after a few pull downs they're frustrating and painful to work on. The EA81 will easily outlast the EA82 if looked after properly. Shove an EJ in there and you won't look back...

That said, I hope Ruby Scoo doesn't catch wind of this posting, I could be walking to work :???:

Cheers

Bennie
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Brumble
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Post by Brumble » Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:39 pm

Thanks for that guys. I'll have a bit of a look around for a cheap ej20 up in Darwin but I don't like my chances, looks like i'll be getting stuck into the ea81.

The ea82 gearbox that i have picked up has the hi/low range selector controlled by a push button activated solenoid. Is this normal and morer importantly are they reliable? I tend to prefer mechanical over electrical in most cases as they are usually less buggy.

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Outback bloke
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Post by Outback bloke » Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:48 pm

The box you have doesn't sound like a dual range. Could be but doesn't sound like it. Have a look at the front of the box. Just above where the cv shafts go on. Can you see a linkage there that goes in to the box and an arm that runs right to the back as well?

You may have a constant box with centre diff lock or you may just have a 2wd/4wd box. Post up a pic if you can and we will be able to tell.

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Brumble
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Post by Brumble » Fri Feb 20, 2009 4:48 pm

My apologies it is a 2wd/4wd box. The selector is for the 2wd/4wd.

I have found an ej22 from a liberty up here through one of the local wreckers. I am looking at $820 for the complete engine. the wrecker has also told me that he has an ea81 turbo that I can have for $300. He has told me that it is complete and it turns over without a problem but aside from that he doesn't know what condition it is in.

How well did the ea81 turbos perform, can much be done with them?

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Post by El_Freddo » Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:28 pm

Brumble wrote:I have found an ej22 from a liberty up here through one of the local wreckers. I am looking at $820 for the complete engine. the wrecker has also told me that he has an ea81 turbo that I can have for $300. He has told me that it is complete and it turns over without a problem but aside from that he doesn't know what condition it is in.

How well did the ea81 turbos perform, can much be done with them?
Bugger about the gearbox... If you're wanting to offroad, probabily best to chase down a dual range version.
With the EJ - make sure you get the wiring loom from the engine and under the dashboard including the all important ECU, you'll have to strip this down to fit it in the brumby and run the engine.
The EA81 turbo - I know a few people who may be interested with this, GTlegs is after one for his '77 sedan... Dunno how far you can push these things cos i've never looked into it or had one to play with.

Cheers

Bennie
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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:09 am

EA81 turbo do not both with, you will get left for dead by 15 year old Hyundia Excels. Go the EJ, you won't look back (except to see EA81 drivers trying to keep up!) :)
For that price for the EJ22 make sure it's relatively low kms like less than 180,000kms and get something in writing regarding a warranty. If you can get that then it's a good price.

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stinky
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Post by stinky » Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:08 pm

what CV inner boots are used on the brumby->ej gearbox ? my right one shredded yesterday and about all that's left is the rubber directly under the steel clamps.
'91 brumby, EJ-Turbo with VOSChip, 2" lift, 15" superlites, Dual Range AWD.

'93 Subaru Legacy, 2.2 auto, automatic seatbelts, LHD.

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brumbyrunner
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Post by brumbyrunner » Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:24 pm

Standard Brumby boots.
Settlement Creek Racing

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Brumble
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Post by Brumble » Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:47 pm

Are there any legal implications with regard to cutting into the chassis rails to fit an ej20t? I would have thought rego inspectors wouldn't be to impressed with the idea. As much as I would love to have a turbo engine, I have to be able to register the car once it is in.

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Brumble
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Post by Brumble » Thu Sep 24, 2009 10:06 pm

I have spoken with the Motor Vehicle Registry here in the NT and so long as I submit an application for modification approval prior to starting and any welding to the chassis is completed by a ticketed welder and certified there shouldn't be any problem modifying the chassis to fit an ej20t.

So long as I can gather all the required details and submit the application by next Wednesday they will be able to give me a response the following week, otherwise I will have to wait until the following month.

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openflame06
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Post by openflame06 » Wed Oct 07, 2009 7:21 pm

Ive been looking into the legal stuff as well. On the RTA website (for NSW) and I think this forum has links as well there is a Vehicle Standard Information sheet that outlines some of the details about doing an engine swap.

From memory it was pretty basic, but I remember it saying something like you can go 15% on top of the original engine capacity so say for example L series 1800CC you can fit a 2 litre engine since thats 15%.

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/ ... v_2007.pdf

The link above is the sheet i was reading just found it again. Seems going to an EJ20 would be fine as long as all manufacturer parts are kept and not modified and no structural modifications are necessary.

If modifications are necessary apparently it has to be engineered. I havent been able to find an updated version of that VSI sheet, its dated 2007 but no later document seems to be on the site.

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tommo
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Post by tommo » Thu Dec 10, 2009 9:35 pm

Here's a question.
When putting an NA EJ20 into a non lifted L series sedan, does the exhaust that came with the engine (impreza or something) clear the underbody?
I think a lot of people put EJs into cars with lift kits which gives you plenty of clearance but just wondering about stock height cars.
Thanks

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drof351
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Post by drof351 » Thu Dec 10, 2009 10:18 pm

Gday tommo, i've just fitted a naturally aspirated ej into an l series that hasnt been lifted, engine and exhausts fit in with no problems.

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GOD
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Post by GOD » Fri Dec 11, 2009 12:41 am

tommo wrote:Here's a question.
When putting an NA EJ20 into a non lifted L series sedan, does the exhaust that came with the engine (impreza or something) clear the underbody?
I think a lot of people put EJs into cars with lift kits which gives you plenty of clearance but just wondering about stock height cars.
Thanks
The EJ header pipe will clear the underbody as long as you don't put really thick wedges under the engine mounts. 9mm works for me, 12mm was too thick. The rest of the exhaust, i.e. cat-back, must be L series with a slight modification/

Dane.
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tommo
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Post by tommo » Fri Dec 11, 2009 10:27 am

Not sure what you mean about wedges under the engine mounts Dane, care to ellaborate? And yeah, it's just the header and cat I was wondering about.
Thanks.

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AndrewT
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Post by AndrewT » Fri Dec 11, 2009 11:43 am

The EJ engine crossmember has a flatter angle on both sides where the engine mounts sit. When you sit them on an EA crossmember they are at a greater angle which can eventually lead to premature breakage of the mounts (they are only rubber and usually quite old to start with). It's a good idea to make small triangular wedges to bring it closer to the original angle. A few people have posted photos of what they've done. It's not entirely required but a good idea. You do need to space the mounts up slightly anyway otherwise the bellhousing hits the crossmember slightly.

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