for questions and answers about alternative power transplants on the T25, GTi, Porsche,Subaru etc, this is the place. You must register to post but anyone can read.
This winter I intend to convert my 1.9DG camper to Subaru power. The DG I'm running has a good number of years left in it and still pulls well both around town and on the motorway, where 70mph is not a problem. It lacks on really steep or very long hills, but not enough to stop me slip-streaming a lorry for a bit of help! I just want to ensure the van's future while I can afford it.
The REJS site is great (as I'm certain you know) but a little jargon led, as is the info in the wiki. The one thing that seems obvious to me, but that is left out of the literature, is the fact that the Legacy is 4WD and the camper 2WD. Do I need to look out for a rarer 2WD Scooby, or is a 2000 SUBARU LEGACY GX AWD 2.5 the right donor?
I promise I will keep any further questions to an absolute minimum. I just need a straight answer on which Subaru to get!
Considering your using the vw gearbox , I presume, whether the donor is 4wd matters not . It will be fine , if it's auto you will need to get a few other bits to convert to manual - flywheel etc.
I replaced all tensioners and belts on top of head gaskets while I had the engine out - puts my mind at rest
i'm going down this route as well , i will be using rjes conversion parts , i have just bought a 2001 subaru legacy 2.5 sohc , non turbo ,manual which i have now stripped , the worst job was stripping out the wiring loom which is going to be sent to rjes to be modified , i was told to steer clear of the earlier 2.5 dohc as they more prone to head gasket failure ? & also buy a complete car as it should work out cheaper
Thanks guys. I've priced up for the full RJES kit and am aware that I need a manual transmission vehicle. All the SHOC stuff baffles me a bit when searching for donor vehicles though! I'm keen to have the van shifting so the 2.5 is my first choice. I'll hopefully get the car in the next month so I can strip out, get the shell gone and get the van on the drive before the weather turns.
A new socket set, and some high lift equipment too, and I'm on it. Going to be "pooh" scary!
if you are ever around sutton, it's about an hour away from hackney if you drive at a sensible time, your welcome to have a test drive of the westy at lest it will give you an idea for what the 2.2 can offer.
I'm well on the way on my conversion.
I got all the bits from RJES who has been very supportive and his work and knowledge is great.
I bought my neighbors Auto legacy Sohc 2.5. Which had busted the gearbox at 100k. RJES supplied all I needed to change to fit to my manual.
Aiden has done my box and I got all the service parts from Importcarparts.co.uk.
I can't wait to get it in. I've had a lot to do so only now am I getting around to the engine. I've fitted the really well made loom and wiring and this gas motivated me to do the rest!
axeman wrote:if you are ever around sutton, it's about an hour away from hackney if you drive at a sensible time, your welcome to have a test drive of the westy at lest it will give you an idea for what the 2.2 can offer.
neil
Cheers Neil! If a 2.2 does well for you with a Westy then that size should push my reimo camper pretty well!
Just figured out that SOHC means 'single overhead cam', so that helps me make sense of the different engine types (or at least gives me a point to start a google search from). I've found a donor car that has already been converted to LPG (as is my camper) so that will save me having to open up the heads to fit the adjusters. I'll hopefully get it this weekend.
2 litre is 133bhp that's plenty more than the old 2.1 was at best, readily available at the moment and cheap so you can afford to find a spare engine once you have done the conversion
Aidan wrote:2 litre is 133bhp that's plenty more than the old 2.1 was at best, readily available at the moment and cheap so you can afford to find a spare engine once you have done the conversion
Thanks Aiden! To clarify, the 2.1 you speak of is the VW DJ/MV, in which case thats good as I'm replacing the 1.9DG from my camper (for now, I'll probably swap out the MV from the syncro too later down the line). The rest of your statement is pertaining to get the van ready for an engine as they're readily available?
I would stick to pre-2004, they introduced canbus for ECU comms then and the wiring gets very tricky, RJES won't touch them. If anyone on here is looking for a 2l I have a complete Legacy 2001 EJ201 with harness, key etc. I can supply with harness converted for T3 if needed. PM if interested.
Syncrosport (taking a break as of summer 2024)
Volkswagen Transporter, reloaded.
That's the problem with engine conversions. I spent months asking questions and mulling it over, it was a real headache. My advice would be to see who would let you drive their van that has done the conversions you are considering.
I've driven a 2.5 doka on 215/75/15 with 5:43 get box and it pulled really well, very civilised. Slightly less pulling power than my tdi Westy but that's not necessarily a bad thing. This was mixed driving of in town and dual carriage way.
I've also driven Neil's 2.2 Westy. From memory similar gearing and tyre size. I drove this on farm tracks and didn't get out of 3rd. Again it drove really well. Nice long power band. I definitely would rule this option out.
Get your self out of the big smoke and down to Surrey for a test drive. Working at home all day tomorrow. It may all seam a bit confusing but the nuts and bolts are surprisingly simple.
