What's the Best Engine...

Yoshiwrx

Yoshiwrx

New member
What's the best engine to put into a Bugeye RS...

*Note: All are boosted of course*

2.0L

2.2L

or a

2.5L with STI Rods & Pistons?

I've asked a few friends and all give different answers an I realize that's all based on preferences and opinions. But can anyone give me an answer with concrete info to back up their answer? Please help!!!

 
in what cars would I have to look for to find those? An in all honesty...don't know what "Closed Deck" is...I'll google it =P

 
Closed Deck:

closed_deck.jpg


Open Deck:

open_deck.jpg


You can see how the strength will be less with the open deck design. That is your typical WRX/STi motor configuration. For the Closed Deck models you are looking at getting a 2.2l Turbo Lecacy SS from the early 90's. They are becoming more rare every year though. and for the closed deck 2.0 you are looking at a JDM specC (I think) And that will be something that is far more rare. Although from the factory they had a dual map ECU that had a Street spec and a race spec. It was quite the setup.

If you have any more questions post them.

But I don't think you will have any problem making reasonable power with a well built open deck motor. And so to close, the best thing for "easy" would be to get an STi block or a 2.5l wrx block and build it lightly. You will make plenty of power and have good reliability at the same time. Just don't expect 200k out of a 500whp 2.5l block.

 
The sti engine (ej257) is not completely open deck. It's semi-closed deck. Meaning it has some supports for the cyl walls, but not totally closed.

If you have the money, why go for an older engine. Why not just with the modern turbo block and be happy.

 
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None of those will work well in your RS, unless you do the complete turbo swap, and merge harnesses. If you don't put a turbo on a motor that is meant for a turbo, the compression ratio will be way off and you'll actually have less power.

But I agree, if you want to build a motor to boost, the EJ22T would be just about the strongest option, but they are getting hard to find, and the ones that are out there are expensive. And none of these motors are going to be installed into your car on a budget.

 
IF YOU DO ANY KIND OF SWAP, HAVE A BACK UP VEHICLE.

Your best option is to keep your 2.5NA and learn to drive it fast.

If you swap in a turbo motor, you'll need to swap out the wiring harness and ECU for a turbo one, or merge the turbo one into your stock setup. PITA.

You'll need the turbo exhaust setup, all the wiring, the right motor, your gearbox is an NA gearbox not a turbo one (they bolt up, but why would you want to), etc etc.

For the time and effort you spend half assing a turbo motor into your car, you could have sold it and bought a WRX for less time AND money.

 
And as for the open vs semi vs closed deck thing. People aren't regularly cracking blocks on the semi closed blocks, so the circle jerking for the 2.2 is a little over rated. If anything stock semi blocks are hamstrung by the later year rotating assemblies having all sorts of fun issues.

Some argue you can boost the NA blocks pretty good and they hold up. I am of the more prudent camp, and think that just because you can doesn't mean you should.

There is a huge difference in having your car as a fun build up project and trying to mod your daily driver. Not that I know anything about that..............

 
That's good sound advice Dan, thank you. I think I'll go with that idea, just build it lightly an keep it N/A. Then sell it and pick up a Turbo WRX.

So once again, thank you all for the advice.

 
Do the driver mods first. Then start working with the car.

I don't know what you have done on it yet but my suggestion as to the progression of your car would be this:

Summer performance tire

Light suspension work (uprated struts and STi pinks or something to that nature

brake upgrade (PADS)

Learn to outdrive that (it will be a while

Then do the lower gain parts:

upraded motor mounts

trans mount

pitch stop mount

diff mounts

 
agreed with all above.....side note....a stock ej25 block with sti internals...rods/pistons....crank is the same as an sti can/has made awesome power...ex..300whp....requires a lot of work/money to build it right and reliable but its just as good as 2.2t

 
Just to add my extra 2 cents to make this thread worth a full dollar:

Unless you've blown your engine, financially it just doesn't make sense to swap it. I'll avoid being preachy; I enjoy and value fast cars. Get the fastest car possible, who cares? But my point is more based on the money.

1) If this is your DD, swapping just won't work. Unless you're Mikey and can do a swap in an afternoon while doing 6 people's headgaskets in between, it's just not plausible to do a swap on your DD. Hell, even Mikey has like 4 driveable extra cars, plus a motorcycle!

2) Never do a swap into your most valueable car. You could spend 4 grand and make that RS a WRX, but it will still be an RS on paper. It would make far more sense financially to spend that money actually buying a WRX.

3) It will cost more than you think. It will take longer than you think. It will be more of a pain in the DONKEY than you think. Get a project shell for it.

My final point: If you want to have fun and swap a badass engine into a less than badass body, do it. But do it on a project car. I fully intend to someday buy a 90's Impreza coupe shell to gut and swap.

 
Yoshiwrx said:
What's the best engine to put into a Bugeye RS...

*Note: All are boosted of course*

2.0L

2.2L

or a

2.5L with STI Rods & Pistons?

I've asked a few friends and all give different answers an I realize that's all based on preferences and opinions. But can anyone give me an answer with concrete info to back up their answer? Please help!!!
Click to expand...
actually, the choice is best determined BY WHAT YOU WANT THE CAR TO DO.

Otherwise, it's all hot air.

so if you want good advice and concrete info, give us a better target. hard to advise 'what's best' when you have no idea of what the end product will be used for.

 
2point5RS_Dan said:
IF YOU DO ANY KIND OF SWAP, HAVE A BACK UP VEHICLE.

Your best option is to keep your 2.5NA and learn to drive it fast.

If you swap in a turbo motor, you'll need to swap out the wiring harness and ECU for a turbo one, or merge the turbo one into your stock setup. PITA.

You'll need the turbo exhaust setup, all the wiring, the right motor, your gearbox is an NA gearbox not a turbo one (they bolt up, but why would you want to), etc etc.

For the time and effort you spend half assing a turbo motor into your car, you could have sold it and bought a WRX for less time AND money.
Click to expand...
All of this. Ask me how I know ...

 
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