LF engine and prices

Vertigo101

Vertigo101

Once you go Subaru nothing else is the same
Hello.

I would like to know what year Subaru Impreza WRX engine would fit my 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS coupe and how much they run for.

 
any year wrx/sti engine will fit your car. (correct me if im wrong) that's not the problem.

Problems are:

-need turbo crossmember

-wiring

-stiffen chassis due to the strain of the new found power (optional)

-radiator might have to be trimmed.

-cost=2-3k+

-add on another 1k just for bits and pieces you thought you didn't need

-add another 2-3k for a different tranny if you're unsatisified.

the only subaru engine I am aware that would require a lot of fabricating would be the h6 engine.

when looking for an engine look for an ej205 (wrx) ej257(sti) ej20k ej20g ej20h? ( think that's TT) and also the best of the best the ej207 jdm sti engine

There are definitely more problems, but I will let the more knowledgeable answer that!

 
sooch said:
any year wrx/sti engine will fit your car. (correct me if im wrong) that's not the problem.

Problems are:

-need turbo crossmember

-wiring

-stiffen chassis due to the strain of the new found power (optional)

-radiator might have to be trimmed.

-cost=2-3k+

-add on another 1k just for bits and pieces you thought you didn't need

-add another 2-3k for a different tranny if you're unsatisified.

the only subaru engine I am aware that would require a lot of fabricating would be the h6 engine.

when looking for an engine look for an ej205 (wrx) ej257(sti) ej20k ej20g ej20h? ( think that's TT) and also the best of the best the ej207 jdm sti engine

There are definitely more problems, but I will let the more knowledgeable answer that!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I thought I could just slap an engine in the car and call it good lol.

I never new there was so much work involved.

 
you can put the shortblock in and reuse the heads....not optimal performance....complete engine swap is a pain in the wallet...a big pain

 
yea its no walk in the park! if you're up for the challenge, definitely go for it. your car will be down for a while but totally worth it in the end... good luck with what you choose

 
I think it depends on the Mechanic used, the parts used, and the car being modified. I always get a kick out of the fact that when someone goes to buy a car like this everyone mentions how easy it is to swap a WRX engine in to it, then when someone mentions that they want to do just that, everyone seems to back track and say oh, well its not actually that easy, you will need $5k to do it.... Roger I think this is possible, but get the basics taken care of first like stop it from stalling and replace that god awful magnaflow exhaust it has on it. Who ever thought that a Magnaflow was a good Idea on this thing didn't know what the hell they were doing. Once it runs smooth and quiet enough that you wont rattle your teeth out at 3000rpm, then we can worry about a WRX motor. I have got a feeling all we need is a 2002 or 2003 ej20 with its ECU and our mechanic Matt, perhaps a tranny to go with it would be nice. If we look around we can probably, eventually find a deal on a wrecked WRX and transfer all the good bits. For now, your car is starting to look good and run fine and it won't rot out from under you now that we got all the cancer cut out and replaced with fresh metal. My only concerns over time now are things like the bumper reinforcements and the fuel filler neck cause they look a little scaly. The control arms are a little scaley too but I don't think they are bad. The car runs and drives and looks a lot better now than it did when you bought it and I think now that you got the repairs paid for and got rid of the other car, you need to work on the most important mod of all (as most people here will tell you) its the driver MOD. Meaning that learning how to drive the car will do so much more for you than upgrading it. For that, we need to go find some dirt and some snow over the next few months. Also this thing has been modified before you bought it, it is lifted and has some monster snow tires on it. I notificed a fair amount of snap oversteer in it already. Its fun as hell to drive, even compared to my 2009 WRX.

If you don't know what I mean by snap oversteer, it happens on Subaru's that are modified with taller suspension or stiffer rear swaybars. I think your car may already have both, but Im not sure on the swaybar part. Here is some reading on it, Im sure you can find article with a lot more relavance though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap_oversteer

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f4/t105041-dealing-snap-oversteer.html

 
Matt00RS25 said:
you can put the shortblock in and reuse the heads....not optimal performance....complete engine swap is a pain in the wallet...a big pain
Click to expand...
this wont work I tired
default_smile.png
.

I have doen a lot of research into this issue over the last 6 months (check my build thread on NES)

like sooch says you need and engine. anytime you switch engine on a subaru you need to do a wire merge. these can be bought from places like iwire. you will need the ecu, the fuel pump (unless you put in a upgraded unit) if you use a stock fuel pump you need the controller too. a turbo xmember will be helpful and one from an early turbo legacy is easier if you use wrx or sti you need to shim you control arms. you can notch your xmember but trust me this will make you nervous once you see how much you need to remove
default_smile.png
. you need the rad hoses ans heater hoses from the donor car (you can fudge this a bit tho. you will need the manifold up-pipe and down pipe from the donor and most likely the cat back. make sure this comes with all o2 sensors too.

so in a list

  •  
  • engine with harness, hoses
  • ecu
  • exhaust (may need to buy down pipe)
  • turbo (should be attached)
  • body harness from donor (you will send this and your body harness to the merger and spend a month and $600)
  • pedal set (if doing STi since it is drive by wire)
  • x-member
     

im probly forgetting things but it will run you about 3-5k for the swap if you do it your self and more if you send it to a shop.

if you pay someone to do the wire merger for you with is relatively strait forward tho and if you are good at wiring you can do that your self too.

 
My local repair guy Matt Welch should be able to do every thing. He only charges 30$ an hour and told me he could do a complete engine swap for around 1000 as long as I have every thing before hand.

I really want to do this and I am sure my RS should be screaming hehe

abenson100 said:
this wont work I tired
default_smile.png
.

I have doen a lot of research into this issue over the last 6 months (check my build thread on NES)

like sooch says you need and engine. anytime you switch engine on a subaru you need to do a wire merge. these can be bought from places like iwire. you will need the ecu, the fuel pump (unless you put in a upgraded unit) if you use a stock fuel pump you need the controller too. a turbo xmember will be helpful and one from an early turbo legacy is easier if you use wrx or sti you need to shim you control arms. you can notch your xmember but trust me this will make you nervous once you see how much you need to remove
default_smile.png
. you need the rad hoses ans heater hoses from the donor car (you can fudge this a bit tho. you will need the manifold up-pipe and down pipe from the donor and most likely the cat back. make sure this comes with all o2 sensors too.

so in a list

  •  
  • engine with harness, hoses
  • ecu
  • exhaust (may need to buy down pipe)
  • turbo (should be attached)
  • body harness from donor (you will send this and your body harness to the merger and spend a month and $600)
  • pedal set (if doing STi since it is drive by wire)
  • x-member
     

im probly forgetting things but it will run you about 3-5k for the swap if you do it your self and more if you send it to a shop.

if you pay someone to do the wire merger for you with is relatively strait forward tho and if you are good at wiring you can do that your self too.
Click to expand...
 
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abenson100 said:
I think a turbo kit as a lot cheaper and easier check out AVO
Click to expand...
I was told by my brother a while back if I installed a turbo kit to an engine that neverhad it that could damage the engine in the long run.

Is this true?

I am looking at the following two turbo kits.

http://www.avoturboworld.com/avoshop/turbo-deposit-p-133.html?osCsid=4mjok14006rqj7pa0cdl5vakl7

and

http://www.avoturboworld.com/avoshop/impreza-turbo-p-124.html?osCsid=4mjok14006rqj7pa0cdl5vakl7

How come one is 1,000 and the other is 3,000?? would the 1,000 kit be good enough?

 
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I have three busted NA gearboxes in my garage. Just think about trying to get to a clients house to fix their computer when your car is at the mechanics garage or the shiney new turbo motor opens up a can of whoop a$$ on that NA gearbox. I don't mean to be a jerk, it's your car do as you please, but some times you have to think about the big picture. I've had my RS on jack stands for 2 months and my Jeep motorless for 3. That road isn't fun to go down.

I know this is an unpopular mindset on this forum... But it's cheaper to make the driver faster than the car.

Best of luck with what ever you decide.

 
the kit is designed to work with the engine as is. that is why it has such low PSI. but like dan says if you are 100% reliant on this car then you may want to leave it as is or find a beater car first
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See that's what Im affraid of and a WRX engine setup doesn't seem much more expensive at the point that you start looking at $4000 turbo kits with questionable Daily Driver reliability. A WRX engine would have less likelhood of going boom without warning. Either way we would still need the transmission or end up with a reliability issue there as well. I learned all about replacing weak transmissions in my crappy Grand Am (backup car) which is on transmission #3 right now. If it would cost 5K for a WRX engine then it would seem to me that for $1000 extra you gain about 4x the reliability. I wonder though, if you upgrade the engine and the transmission then with the current CVs, Bearings & Brakes take it? I would think the brakes would, they look close to the same as my 2009. The rest.... I dunno. But then again this is up to Vertigo, he doesn't drive often or far anyway. He drives about 5000 miles a year or less and stays within 35 miles of home. I drive about 32,000 miles per year and may drive out of state on occation. Reliability may not be such a great concern for him on this build.

 
Also, does the WRX use a different shifter? I noticed this thing suffers from the "rowing in pudding" shifter syndrome and thought maybe a good next focal point should be the shifter, but if a WRX transmission would need a different shifter then he should wait, what do you guys think about that?

 
Iboc_C64 said:
Also, does the WRX use a different shifter? I noticed this thing suffers from the "rowing in pudding" shifter syndrome and thought maybe a good next focal point should be the shifter, but if a WRX transmission would need a different shifter then he should wait, what do you guys think about that?
Click to expand...
Shifter assembly is the same. I went from NA gearboxes to a turbo box and the only difference is clutch setup.

 
Ok, that's good to know, thanks Dan. BTW I thought that the WRX transmission had different gearing? Wouldn't the 2.5RS seem underpowered if on a WRX transmission? Wouldn't it accelerate more slowly?

 
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