Okay so i know theres a lot of threads about engine swaps but I have yet to find one with really solid info that relates to my situation. i have an 02 wrx with an auto transmission. a month after buying it i spun a bearing after punching it on the highway (it was a sad day). Here's my dilemma; Would it be worth buying a used ej205 with about 50k on it and swapping it? I would be able to do the swap with my dad so no added labor cost. also would i wanna go jdm or usdm? whats the difference? im so lost on all of this, this is my first car and i dont know a lot. another thing to add is i dont know how the previous owner drove it, meaning i dont know the condition of the transmission. Are 02 auto trannnys good/reliable? Ive seen them going for around 300 bucks on craigslist. would it be worth getting a low miliage one and replacing that while im already in there? I know I"m asking a lot but i just want my subie up and running. also note that i have a pretty low budget for all of this (around 2000). I would love any and all help i can get. Thanks
I need help. Engine swap question(s)
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My mechanic got me a used motor with 30k on it but he completely rebuilt it so it'd have rebuilt quality instead of used and The cost was as much as a motor from my tuner but I wish I would've known about my tuners' motors back then since they sell complete engines or just internal packages. Also from what I've heard, stay usdm unless you want headaches and to swap your harness to jdm as well. The auto tranny I have no idea but the manuals are known as glass boxes, so a 6 speed swap is typical, but that's way out of your price range.
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Flatirons tuning still sells brand new from the factory ej205s for about 2k buy that. Trust me used engines have way too many modes of failure to say they are worth it.
A JDM engine will make your car unable to pass any emissions testing anywhere in the us. It will also require a performance shop to tune the car, as well as you are likely to find a dud as that is very very common. JDM engines are pulled from junked cars and shipped here. Not new cars.
If you want it done cheap and good get a short block from flatirons tuning.
If you want to waste a bunch of money on a crap shoot buy jdm
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A JDM engine will make your car unable to pass any emissions testing anywhere in the us. It will also require a performance shop to tune the car, as well as you are likely to find a dud as that is very very common. JDM engines are pulled from junked cars and shipped here. Not new cars.
If you want it done cheap and good get a short block from flatirons tuning.
If you want to waste a bunch of money on a crap shoot buy jdm
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This is what I would do personally. Buy a brand new factory assembled short block, tear the heads down and have them professionally cleaned and rebuilt by a reputable machine shop (and have them resurface the mating surface).. new OEM MLS head gaskets, ARP 2000 head studs.
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About $1850 for the short block, $560 to refresh the heads (assuming they're in good condition), $120 for a new oil pump, $190 for a new oil cooler, $120 for head gaskets, $220 for head studs.. probably another $400-$500 for other miscellaneous stuff.
That's assuming you do all the work yourself. If you're having a shop do it I'd add on another $2000-$3000 for labor.
Of course when I've done stuff like this the cost end up being roughly double my original estimate..
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It's always the small odds and ends that really start driving it up fast.
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Did you have a thorough third-party inspection done on the vehicle prior to purchase? Did that include compression and leakdown tests? If not, take it as a lesson learned.
$2K isn't really a budget that I would go with on a 15 year-old car to keep it going and reliable, especially one like this. If you only have $2K to put in, honestly, your best bet would be to get the vehicle running again and sell it. I would NOT try to sell a car in non-running condition, as you will not be able to get much more than scrap value for it.
As said, at a minimum, you'll need a "new to you" shortblock (I would look for one with a warranty in case there's an issue once you get it on the car), heads worked over at a machine shop, oil pump / cooler, gaskets (head, exhaust, other various), new belts / pulleys, fluids, plus whatever miscellaneous stuff comes up during the rebuild process once you get everything out and torn apart.
That will eat up your entire budget (and possibly then some, although if you're not paying labor that will go a long way). That's not factoring in items like an aftermarket uppipe (that catalyst is known for failure, and eating turbine wheels when it does), turbo rebuild kit, etc. that you should really consider doing if you wanted to keep the car. For the cost of a few drill bits, you can always gut the uppipe cat (takes a few hours of your time), but you need to make sure you clean all the material out or else it's worse than putting it back in. If the turbo, upon inspection, doesn't have excessive shaft play, you could avoid having to rebuild it.
$2K isn't really a budget that I would go with on a 15 year-old car to keep it going and reliable, especially one like this. If you only have $2K to put in, honestly, your best bet would be to get the vehicle running again and sell it. I would NOT try to sell a car in non-running condition, as you will not be able to get much more than scrap value for it.
As said, at a minimum, you'll need a "new to you" shortblock (I would look for one with a warranty in case there's an issue once you get it on the car), heads worked over at a machine shop, oil pump / cooler, gaskets (head, exhaust, other various), new belts / pulleys, fluids, plus whatever miscellaneous stuff comes up during the rebuild process once you get everything out and torn apart.
That will eat up your entire budget (and possibly then some, although if you're not paying labor that will go a long way). That's not factoring in items like an aftermarket uppipe (that catalyst is known for failure, and eating turbine wheels when it does), turbo rebuild kit, etc. that you should really consider doing if you wanted to keep the car. For the cost of a few drill bits, you can always gut the uppipe cat (takes a few hours of your time), but you need to make sure you clean all the material out or else it's worse than putting it back in. If the turbo, upon inspection, doesn't have excessive shaft play, you could avoid having to rebuild it.
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Yep, the cheaper alternative would be to pull the engine and roll the dice on a used engine from a junk yard.. get it running, then sell it. Or you could keep it and hope for the best.. I just don't have much faith in junk yard engines with unknown background.
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Okay I've found a rebuilt long block with resurfaced head and race rod bearings and a 12000 mile warranty. If I were to go this route what would be involved in doing the swap?
Also I understand this probably wasn't the best subie. But if I can save it I want to
Also I understand this probably wasn't the best subie. But if I can save it I want to
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Being an engineer, building an engine, and putting one in are all completely different.
I would say set aside about a month, you may have it by then. It is a real mofo with all the connectors identifying each bolt, each clip. It all has to go back the same way it came apart or you can be in serious trouble.
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I would say set aside about a month, you may have it by then. It is a real mofo with all the connectors identifying each bolt, each clip. It all has to go back the same way it came apart or you can be in serious trouble.
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Well, I personally would replace all your gaskets, water pump, belts, hoses, inspect the clutch and replace if needed, you'll probably want to get the heads checked and rebuilt if required.
There are a lot of odds and ends that need done on a 14yo car. This can be very expensive, the total can easily top 5k depending on what you do and what all is needing replaced.
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There are a lot of odds and ends that need done on a 14yo car. This can be very expensive, the total can easily top 5k depending on what you do and what all is needing replaced.
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