lowering EJ engine in MY

[SUBIIE]

Hi team,

am mid way pulling the EA81 out ofthe brumby and consquently doing the same to the half cut.

Have noticed that people have dropped the engine in thier EJ conversions to fit it under the bonnet.

Can someone who has done it before (genuine's only please) confirm on how far you drop an EJ20T in a brumby.

Am then assuming that people buy the parts from a lift kit producer (e.g. BYB) with both the engine crossmember spacers and a new steering column shaft?

cheers team

1996 JDM WRX into a 1991 Brumby, running standard MY engine crossmember.

[AndrewT]

I'm not somebody who's done it personally but I know this...

The engine crossmember needs to be spaced downwards about an inch and the steering linkage modified to suit for bonnet clearance. This is not necessary on a lifted vehicle. This will make your camber more negative and flatten your front CV angles.

(From the main sticky thread in this Conversions section).

Hope that helps!

[Outback bloke]

I have never dropped the engine.

[Gannon]

I didnt realise you had to.

Although, im planning on putting an EJ20 in my MY sedan and thought i may have to drop the engine to fit the EJ 4sp Auto gearbox in the tranny tunnel

[SUBIIE]

Hmmm,

i am very confused now. Like i said i havent ever fitted one but its not like im a punter, as the half cut is half disassembled.

As Andrew T said and from some of the stuff i have seen, people who have not fitted a lift kit to their MY and converting it to a EJ have needed to drop it 'an inch or so' to fit it under the bonnet.

Bu if BYB555 reckons you dont need t that is the strongest advice i could get.

thanks fellas

(by the way dont think this is the last stupid question)

[resin]

Like Brett said, you don't need to.

To fit the auto box in the tranny tunnel you will though to some extent or you end up with a bad angle for the front uni in the tailshaft. I've had a lot of troubles with this and I'm going to be putting a spacer in over christmas, probobly 10-15mm first to see how it goes.

PS. Its much easier to lower the body onto the engine then it is to lower the engine into the body

[AndrewT]

I saw Tim's coupe (the dude who started off that sticky thread) and he definitely needed to lower the motor to clear the bonnet, but I certainly don't doubt that other people have gotten away without doing it. Brett has probably been involved in hundreds of converions so chances are you won't need to do it. My guess is that some model EJ engines have certain ancilliary items that stick up higher than others. Perhaps slight differences in oil filler necks etc (I know my oil filler cap if pretty close to the bonnet in my RX L series).
You will likely just have to wait and see, if you need to make a change do it, it's not a major one anyways.

[AndrewT]

PS. Its much easier to lower the body onto the engine then it is to lower the engine into the body

Having done it both ways personally I find it easier to lower the engine into the car (without the gearbox attached) and then fit the gearbox from underneath. I think this is purely a matter of personal preference.

[resin]

there is a 2mm spacer on the rear bolts of the crossmember mounts only, to give the gearbox more clearance (autos are big).

Reversing the manifold will cause clearance issues, RS throttle bodies will foul, TT ones are smaller but you still have to bash the bonnet a bit. Its also hard to make the cooler piping fit between the rad and the engine when reversing the manifold, hence I went back to normal (note the alt mounted on the side)

[Gannon]

there is a 2mm spacer on the rear bolts of the crossmember mounts only, to give the gearbox more clearance (autos are big).

Cool, thats good to know.