2000 WRX Engine or drivetrain swapped into 1987 Subaru GL 4wd station wagon. Can it be done, does the motor use the same block, can the whole drivetrain bolt in with minor fabrication, has anyone else tried this?
Totally different engine. DLs, GLs, and Loyales use the EA82 or EA82t motors, which are not closely related to the EJ series of later years. The swap has been done a coulpe of times, though. There's some welding and some wiring to do, and if it's a DL or GL it's going in, you'll lose the dual-range tranny. The DL/GL/Loyale has such a huge engine bay that you can fit just about anything in there.
Check these guys out, especially the Ultimate Subaru Message Board - www.ultimatesubaru.net
Totally different engine. DLs, GLs, and Loyales use the EA82 or EA82t motors, which are not closely related to the EJ series of later years. The swap has been done a coulpe of times, though. There's some welding and some wiring to do, and if it's a DL or GL it's going in, you'll lose the dual-range tranny. The DL/GL/Loyale has such a huge engine bay that you can fit just about anything in there.
Check these guys out, especially the Ultimate Subaru Message Board - www.ultimatesubaru.net
So your saying that the engine will fit , or the whole driveline can be grafted in, with some fabrication? By dual-range tranny, your talking about part time 4wd instead of full time 4wd right? And would the EA82t engine by chance be turbo'ed from the factory? If so, would you happen to know if this engine has any real potential, or is it a weaker engine that wouldn't take much boost? I would really like to graft the whole WRX driveline into the GL(Engine, tranny, front diff, rear diff) and would be willing to change some mounting points, but I dont want to cut up the car too much.
1. Yes, it will fit. I don't know how much needs to be changed, but expect some welding and some wiring. Engine and tranny for sure are different.
2. Not only part-time, but with the ultra-low granny gears. Dual-range trannys can be clicked from high gearing (normal) to super-low for the tough stuff. As opposed to the tranny in mine, which is single-range - just high. There are also full-time trannys in a few of the old GLs and such, but they're rare, and kinda weird. Also single-range only.
3. EA82t is indeed turbo from the factory, but it's not going to make a whole lot of power without a bunch of work. It has 115 HP stock, over the NA's 90 HP.
4. You won't have to cut up too much of the car, if I remember right. Trust me, crazier things have been done, such as one older Subaru that has something like 25 forward gears(!)
Damn! I was thinking the same thing when I saw a nice mid 80'd GL 3 door hatch in the junkyard with a killer brush guard on the front! I guess great minds think alike(either that, or we are all equally nuts!)
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If you can, snag that brushguard. It'll fetch some decent money on www.ultimatesubaru.net . There's probably other good parts too, especially if it's got alloy wheels.
I wasn't aware that the old Subaru's had low-range trannies. I think I might make it into a wannabe rockcrawler if the one I want to buy has the granny gear tranny. How about getting more travel out of the suspension? I think iv'e seen some lifted Subarus somewhere, but I dont remeber how it was done. Can you somehow get more travel out of the suspension without cranking up the hight too much?
Most liftkits used on the EA82 chassis lift the car about 3", and it's a body lift. Therefore, the car remains very driveable and keeps its road manners quite well. Adding more suspension travel can be achieved by using custom struts, as well as removing the factory sway bars, etc. etc.
Suspension lifts have also been made, but they tend to adversely affect the road manners of the vehicle.
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. I wish I coulda got it since it loked cool, and was in good shape.Besides, I really need a sixth car!
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