93-94 tourer engine swap

Uncreative_Nickname · Post by **Uncreative_Nickname** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 3:03 am

I am thinking about buying a 93 or 94 turbo touring wagon, and am wondering what kind of engines I might be able to swap into her at a later date. (Please say a JDM EJ20TT from 95-99 would work, cause that would be one bad-ass grocery carrier)--these would be AT cars (would that affect an engine swap?), so what kind of investment am I talkin'? What additional parts besides an engine would I need? Would I have to make major modifications to the engine compartment? I know these are basic questions, so if I need to cut and paste this elsewhere, please tell me.

Thanks

Jon

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 3:15 am

Why would you want to swap a lesser engine into the car?

Uncreative_Nickname · Post by **Uncreative_Nickname** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 3:18 am

that would be the jdm 2.0 L Twin turbo engine

250 hp

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 3:42 am

Oh, I know what the EJ20TT is, but why would you want that, when you could just as easliy mod the EJ22T you already have to make more power? Cost a hell of a lot less, and you'll have a lot better bottom end.

Plus, Twin Turbo is counter productive when you are shooting for big numbers.

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 4:48 am

Let the poor guy do what he wants.

To answer your question, a ej20tt will fit in the engine bay, but thats about it. The tt was built for rhd only markets and so the second turbo is in the way of the steering linkage. You could probably make it work, but it would be no walk in the park.

I haven't heard many good things about the TT engine, i think it's either left alone or a single turbo is used to replace the stocker. I thought it was 270hp?

You can find legacy postal wagons that are rhd in our domestic market if you look hard enough, but these are vehicles that have seen a lot of life.

The stock ej22t does have the advantage of the displacement and is known as subaru's toughest engine ever. So you would do just fine doing as BAC said and modifying that to suit your needs. (you couldnt have a better place to start)

Another alternative would be to get a NA car, throw on some turbo visual cues (like the hood and the bumper) and swap in a jdm engine or a 22t. The advantage to this is that there are a hell of a lot more NA's running around to choose from and it could work out to be a bit cheaper in the end. Turbo wheels and shocks are gonna be blah or blown anyway, why pay for them? A front cut would be very useful.

Generally, i dont think the wiring for any of these alternatives is too horrible, but i cant say ive done one myself. Good luck with whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll get pleeenty of imput here.

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 7:33 am

I'm just asking why you'd want to do that. If uniqueness is your goal, go for it. If you are looking for power and more reliability, stick with either an EJ20T, or build your EJ22T.

Twin Turbo's are a bad idea save a few specific applications (i.e. single turbo per bank).

93Leg-c · Post by **93Leg-c** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 4:40 am

Can a 2.5 turbo be swapped in fairly easily?

entirelyturbo · Post by **entirelyturbo** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 5:04 am

Can it be done? Yes. Easily? Not really. The wiring would be a nightmare, that's for sure.

The EJ20TT's secondary turbo will not only interfere with the LHD steering system, but from my understanding, will try to occupy the same space as an LHD brake MC.

I agree with the others, why would you take a unique car like a Touring Wagon, which comes with Subaru's best engine, the EJ22T, and put a less-reliable, and far more common, EJ20?

Uncreative_Nickname · Post by **Uncreative_Nickname** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 5:23 pm

Alright, so what do you suggest doing to the 22T?

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 7:59 pm

Subyluvr - Also note that Twin Turbo's are not the optimum mode of creating higher power numbers. Why? The smaller of the two sequential turbos runs out of huff pretty early. This creates 2 situations. 1) The smaller turbo becomes an intake obstruction since it is spinning slower than the larger turbo is capable of. 2) It is heating the air, as the turbo blows past its efficiency range. And a side-note 3rd would be overworking the smaller turbo, limiting it's lifespan.

As for what to do to your EJ22T, I'd suggest searching around for what others have done.

I'd HIGHLY recomend intercooling, exhaust work, a Fuel Cut Defender, and running 10 to 13 psi for starters. After that, the mods get a bit more involved, but still cheaper than doing a complicated and basically unfulfilling Ej20TT swap.

Even if you DID find an EJ20TT front cut, it wouldn't be from a BC/BF, so it wouldn't do you much good save the engine. If they DID make a BC/BF powered by an Ej20TT, and you DID find a cut, it'd be easier to do a full on JDM swap (including the right hand drive) than to asimilate it over to LHD.

That said, I STILL want to find a GC8 JDM Sti front cut and then buy a USDM GC8 and do a full on JDM V.6 swap

. I saw a cut on e-bay (including dash and steeringwheel) for $3600. I wish I had the money, I would have bought that in a heartbeat. It was the most complete front cut I've ever seen.

georryan · Post by **georryan** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 8:31 pm

BAC5.2 wrote: That said, I STILL want to find a GC8 JDM Sti front cut and then buy a USDM GC8 and do a full on JDM V.6 swap .

You mean H6?

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 8:36 pm

He means "version 6."

It's funny... In the Subaru world V6 and V8 mean something different from in the rest of the world.

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 8:55 pm

Yea, V6 = Version 6.

Often I will use Subaru Jargon to those not "in the know" and they will think Subaru now puts V8's in the STi. Usually with a response similar to "GM really has Subaru by the balls now."

OH MY GOD, MY CAR WORKS!

entirelyturbo · Post by **entirelyturbo** » Sat Sep 11, 2004 4:29 am

BAC5.2 wrote:Subyluvr - Also note that Twin Turbo's are not the optimum mode of creating higher power numbers. Why? The smaller of the two sequential turbos runs out of huff pretty early. This creates 2 situations. 1) The smaller turbo becomes an intake obstruction since it is spinning slower than the larger turbo is capable of. 2) It is heating the air, as the turbo blows past its efficiency range. And a side-note 3rd would be overworking the smaller turbo, limiting it's lifespan.

I agree with everything you said, I was just talking about fitment issues though

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93-94 tourer engine swap

93-94 tourer engine swap