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EJ20 Questions - engine swap
Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 7:27 am
by onie
I have a 96 Subaru Wagon Legacy with a 2.0l N/A engine, 4speed Matic Tranny, AWD. I just got a front cut, JDM 93 Subaru Legacy Turbo intercooler engine that im planning to install on wagon...here are my few questions....
1. The JDM engine that i got is turbo intercooler (watercooled) and the engine tag is quad cam boxer engine turbo intercooler (with 4 speed auto tranny), can anybody tell me how many hp it is.
2. Since its front cut, would it be easy to adapt the turbo engine wiring harness to my N/A harness?
3. Should i use the 4spd matic turbo tranny or just stick wd my old N/A tranny....i'm positive that it's interchangeable since my both engines has an EJ20 code on it.
Thanx for the help guys.
Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 7:39 am
by onie
anyone here that can help...tnx
Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 9:45 am
by rsstiboy
you will need to swap the wiring harness over to accomodate the new ECU, best off posting a new topic on
www.rslibertyclub.org/forums theres a guy on there that converts cars for a living.
Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2004 4:38 pm
by Matt Monson
I can tell you how much power that front cut has if you get me the numbers off of the plate in the driver's side strut tower. But with an auto tranny and an AWIC I am pretty confident it is a 200ps LibertyRS.
As for the wiring, it is a bit of a pain, but doable if you are patient. I have finally got off my arse and started wiring mine after a couple months off.
As for the tranny, it is up to you. There will be very little extra wiring to convert to auto. But personally, I am leaving the stock 5 speed in my car...
Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2004 5:13 pm
by bignose
will the NA tranny take the extra torque from the turbo ?
Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2004 8:49 pm
by Matt Monson
Yes,
We are not talking about a 300hp engine here. This is a 200ps engine. Furthermore, all of the Subaru transmissions are very very similar. STi's get hardened gearsets, but basic WRX and other turbo model Subbies don't have incredibly different trannies than the NA cars.
My USDM 2.5RS has over 200hp at the crank. The tranny has 110k miles on it. I have driven this car very hard. I don't do drag launches. I rev match when I downshift. If you don't drive these cars like an idiot, the trannies will take a lot of power. My 1st and 2nd synchros are going, but that is to be expected...
ej20
Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2004 8:09 am
by onie
Matt,
Ok, i'll post the Tag plate code with in the week.
Tnx,
Onie
Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:26 pm
by ej22t
Hi Matt, how bad is the wiring if you are going to DIY?
I have already installed the engine to my Legacy turbo but still using the US Legacy turbo ECU and the car still running fine.
The JDM ECU just sitting in my room and I have nothing could do to install it since I don't have diagram and all the informations.
I did try to just put the unit to my car and the car could run but in only 2 cylinder.
Do you have any detail diagram to show to get install?
Please help
Ben
Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:38 pm
by rsstiboy
I doubt the motor is a Liberty one, more like a JDM one, it will be a 220HP @ crank one as they have good fuel over there
Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2004 9:54 pm
by Matt Monson
ej22t wrote:Hi Matt, how bad is the wiring if you are going to DIY?
I have already installed the engine to my Legacy turbo but still using the US Legacy turbo ECU and the car still running fine.
The JDM ECU just sitting in my room and I have nothing could do to install it since I don't have diagram and all the informations.
I did try to just put the unit to my car and the car could run but in only 2 cylinder.
Do you have any detail diagram to show to get install?
Please help
Ben
Sorry for the delayed reply. I am not around much these days. The USDM and JDM wiring are very very similar for this generation. I am at least 2/3 of the way done with my rewiring and it is all very straight forward. I just printed the USDM pinouts this afternoon to double check my info against the WRX pinouts. Give me a few days and I will be able to tell you exactly which wires you will need to move to make the WRX ECU run right, but it shouldn't be more than a handful. If you PM ,me with an adress, I can mail you hard copies of them if you like...
So. let me ask this. Are you using the USDM ignitor with the EJ20's coil on plug ignition? I am looking for a WRX ignitor because I was under the impression that this wouldn't work and this is likely why only 2 cylinders will fire...
Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2004 4:38 am
by ej22t
Hi Matt, let me gives you more detail on my swap, I have a first gen. JDM Legacy turbo engine into my 92 Legacy turbo. The engine running with 92 turbo ECU (Canadian spec.) with all the old wires.
I don't run with the JDM ignitor system since it won't work on the old wiring.
I did try to put the JDM ECU, the engine could start but it seems like running with 2 cylinder.
Are friend of mine told me that I could just run the ignitor wire from the JDM ECU, but since I don't have enough info so I didn't take that ricks to try.
I am waiting for your more update info.
Thanks man
Ben
Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 4:52 pm
by Matt Monson
You are definitely only firing on 2 cylinders when using the JDM ECU. This is because your stock ignitor is only a 2 channel ignitor and is only plugging into 2 of the four connectors to the ECU. I have come up with several solutions for my issue, which will also solve yours.
1. splice into the wires leading to the ECU so that in essence the JDM runs a wasted spark ignition off the 2 channel ignitor, but the ECU sees all four.
2. Run 2 2-channel ignitors
3. Run an SVX 6 channel ignitor, using only four of the channels
4. Go to an MSD 4 channel ignition
5. Find a JDM 4 channel ignitor
I am going to try #1 this afternoon and see if I can get the car to turn over. Long term I want to get the JDM ignitor, but it is a hard part to come by in the states. I will update with more in a day or two...
Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 5:31 pm
by Legacy777
even if you went with an msd 4 channel ignition, you'd still need a 4 channel ignitor
Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 10:48 pm
by Matt Monson
Legacy777 wrote:even if you went with an msd 4 channel ignition, you'd still need a 4 channel ignitor
Right, but many of the "kits" I have seen sold include the ignitor...

Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 10:52 pm
by ej22t
Thanks for replying, in my case, the JDM ECU comes with the 2 wires spark plug cover in each cylinder, does the one on the top of the spark plug boot are the coil or ignitor??
One of the other JDM engine swap guy told me I just need to run 2 wire to each cylinder from the ECU and the car will run with my JDM ECU, is that right?
My ECU is sitting my basement for more then 2 years and collecting dust, and I would like to make my car to be totally JDM.
BTW, other then the spark plugs problems, what other problem I have to solve for install the JDM ECU?
Thanks for all help.
Ben