27 replies to this topic

[DGmachinist]

I have asked this question on other forums, and all I have found are upgrades for 96+ Impreza's. I am just looking for simple (and not so simple) bolt on parts that will improve fuel economy/horsepower. (I know that the 2 don't go together, sshhh, don't tell the wife)
The car is a 1993 Impreza AWD, 5spd, 1.8L.
Any suggestions?

What about adapting newer Impreza's upgrades to work? (ie, exhaust, intake)

[subarubrat]

Easy upgrade:

Drain oil,Drive car. "ooops, wife dear, the engine blew, I'll fix it!"

Replace with EJ20T. If you are careful you can keep the project under $2000. Then you can slip in small upgrades to suspension and wheels/tires for udner $1000 at a later date.

That gives you a $3000 WRX (well faster due to less weight)

[DGmachinist]

That wasn't very helpful....

I am just looking at optimizing what I have now. Maybe later down the road I'll toy with the idea of an engine swap, but not now.

Any one else have good ideas?

[subarubrat]

Well, your not very welcome.

[Legacy777]

DGmachinist,

you might want to be a little more receptive to ideas. While subarubrat's idea may not be for everyone.....no reason to say it's not helpful.

Don't expect to get much from mods. But if you're just looking for bolt on stuff, you can look into underdriven/lightweight pullies, msd dis 2 ignition, magnecor wires, TB bypass mod, and just a simple tune up....replace all filters, run some injector cleaner through, etc.

[Dr. RX]

To be more correct, the engine is an EJ20G, not an EJ20T. And yes it is possible to install one of these from a Japanese front clip, it is not a bolt on mod like I think you are asking for. There is not much difference between the EJ18 and the EJ22 that was also available in the early Imprezas, so some of the perfomance enhancements that work for those should work with yours. For some reason Subaru choose to make the wires harnesses on the 1.8 different then the 2.2 and 2.5 models, so converting to either of those engine would not be easy. In fact even the fuel delivery system is different, it is much more complicated on a 1.8 then on the 2.2. Legacy777 gave you about the best advice so far. SubaruBrat gave you the other end of the scale. One thing to note about the WRX conversion, because you are staring with a car the has the EJ18 setup, the conversion is actually simpler then if you had one with an EJ22 setup, there are fewer wires to splice with the EJ18 setup.

Also, on a courtesy note, if you don't want suggestions, maybe you shouldn't ask, or be more specific about what you are asking.

[DGmachinist]

Sorry about that, I didn't mean to tick anybody off.
I understand what you guys mean about engine conversions, and I wish that I had the money to do that...
Right now, all I would like to do is squeak a bit more power out of the stock 1.8.
Bolt-on is nice, but I'm not against fabricating or retro-fitting.
I am open to all ideas, I just ended up sounding sarcastic. Once again, sorry about that.

[Dr. RX]

Too bad you are so far away, I get leads on these front clips all the time. I just sold one to a guy in Portland, and there was another that I knew about down in Tacoma. Prices range from $2000 to $3000. For another $300, I'd do the electrical conversion for you. Like I said, the EJ18 pwoered cars are the easiest to convert, I'd charge $500 for converting an EJ22 powered car. Yes, I know, for a lot of people, that is alot of money, but to get a car with 240 to 280 hp and only spend approximately $3000 to do it, that's really pretty cheap.

Do what Leagcy777 said, that should help get what you are looking for.

[rugbyben]

I feel ya.. i love the people on this board they know more then I ever will about mods. But it is easy to think everyone has the same ability to do them, when some of us dont have the time or the money to do engine swaps. But they are all good people, and give the best advice i have ever gotten.

Anyway there are definetly things you can do, that are often overlooked as performance upgrades. usually you stick them on a vehicle that is already humming. but alone they can help quite a bit.

Two easy bolt ons i have done are a simple cool air intake. and a short throw shifter. Both take no longer then 30 min. and are very cheap. and both improve gas mileage, and the cool air gives better HP and throttle response. and the short shifter gives the sensation of more torque b/c the engine doesnt spool down as much between gears. if you have a manual trans that is. if you have an auto there aint much you can do with shifting..
Also you should look into nice alloy rims. the lower the weight, the less rolling resisatance = better pickup and lower break useage.
nice clean filters all around, are the best advice you can get though..
I have also found that a good wash and wax job makes me feel like im going faster.. try that one, it works for me when im contimplating dropping $3k on mods that i cant afford.
Best of luck.

[DerFahrer]

Guys, guys, don't trash the EJ18!

There are TWO Impreza 1.8 turbos local to me, one is owned by a well-known Subaru tech who originally had an EJ20T in his 95 Brighton 2-dr. He blew that up and instead, decided to turbo the EJ18. The car is a beast, easily stock WRX material.

The other one isn't really all that impressive to me, it's a 4-door FWD auto, but the kid has still turbo'ed it.

I understand that either haven't blown up their engines yet, I'd in fact be interested in picking up a cheap 1.8 Impreza just to tool around with it and see what it's made of.

[DGmachinist]

Thanks for all the tips guys.
After some serious consideration, I have decided on this course of action: Overall tune-up of the 1.8, try to find a CAI, (where do I get those, BTW) and run it until next year.
While the year passes, I would like to get my hands on a more powerful Subaru motor and completely go thru it and rebuild if neccessary. What are the good choices, as far as cost vs. HP?
My 93 is a 5spd, AWD. Would I need a new tranny?

Thanks for all the help,
Seth Madore

In the meanwhile, I will just keep on researching

[Setright]

Is your air-filter box on top of the engine or down the inside of the fender? The second type already draws cool air from the fender cavity. However, you can remove the silencer that lives inside the fender cavity to gain a small amount of high-end HP due to less restriction, and if you use a proper velocity stack to replace it, you get a lovely race-car intake noise when you mash the throttle!

That's real cheap and easy. Next up comes the K&N panel filter dropped into the stock air-filter box. New spark plugs, maybe plug leads too. Injector cleaner, as already mentioned. Then change your engine and transmission oil. Helps to squeeze those last few percent of power out of the driveline. Make sure you use synthetics. I have a thing for Mobil and Castrol myself.

A free-flow exhaust silencer will add a few HP, again mainly at high revs, like above 4000, but will increase noise levels at all engine speeds and throttle positions, which may not suit you.

Personally, I think the first suggestion of running you EJ18 without oil was a waste of a post. Yes, sure, to really increase HP requires more cubes or a turbo, but engine swaps are time consuming and hardly "bolt-on" mods.

[Kostamojen]

You would be surprized how many items work for any model impreza between 93 and 2001. Alot of power mods still work even for the new model Imprezas.

I know this link isnt to a thread on this board, but it is where almost everyone I know who knows anything about the older L models is. Its a great thread to read, you will see alot of stuff that will apply to your car:

http://forums.nasioc...threadid=153798

[Dr. RX]

Well, now that the cat is out of the bag, look at what I did to my 1996 1.8 Brighton, http://www.ultimates...ead.php?t=17638

[subarubrat]

"Personally, I think the first suggestion of running you EJ18 without oil was a waste of a post. Yes, sure, to really increase HP requires more cubes or a turbo, but engine swaps are time consuming and hardly "bolt-on" mods."

Yuck
Fou


An engine swap such as that is a bolt in opperation. You don't need any special tools or fabrication of adapters and it can be done in a weekend. For less than the cost of a used 12 year old minivan you can have a sleeper that will humiliate just about any sub-$40,000 car in a traffic light to traffic light setting. If that isn't cost effective I don't know what is.

[Legacy777]

Guys.....let's play nice or we won't be playing at all!

[Dr. RX]

Subarubrat, it is not quite as easy as a weekend job, and Setright, with the exception of the wiring, everything IS a bolt in mod. If you don't think I know what I'm talking about, look at my 1996 Impreza Brighton, http://www.ultimates...ead.php?t=17638 , beleive me, I know what I am talking about. And now that I have done this one, and another similar conversion in an EA82 series car, if I were to do another one, it wouldn't take me half as long to do it. I know a person who does this for a living, and he averages about a week of 8 hour days to do a conversion, he is now working on number 15, so maybe if you knew what you were doing you could do a conversion working long hours, starting Friday after work until late Sunday and you might get the conversion done.

[subarubrat]

I speak from experience, weekend.

Friday night, engine out, exhaust out, ECU out, old fuel pump out- new one in, Xmember dropped.

Sat, new xmember in (cutout for upipe), engine in, exhaust hooked up, intake and IC done, radiator in, ECU in wire harness run (wired in spare time prior to go day)

Sun, cooling system, ECU plugged up, and power/gnd/pump/fans etc. hooked up, scoop installed, various odds and ends...

Sunday night, fired it up, fixed the intake issue and the backward fuel pump check valve (oops). Took it out and romped it.


Best BRAT EA81 to EA81 swap time 50 min.

Best BRAT EA81 to ER27 swap time 2 weeks (all sort of non bolt in)

[DGmachinist]

Okay, tell me more....
IF I was to do something like this, exactly what engine, from what model years, do I look for?
Are there any good write-ups?
Will I need to swap a tranny?
Seth

[Setright]

Honestly, the tone here is below standard.

A new intake can be fitted within ten minutes. A new silencer might take as long as thirty minutes. You could do this in the office car park on your lunch break.

Try swapping an engine in that time.

[DGmachinist]

Well, I'll probably do those mods^^^ to my 1.8.
But, since I have always wanted to do a swap/engine build, I think that I will spend the rest of the year planning it out. I understand that it will take awhile to accomplish, but hey, it'll be fun!

[Impreza_WRX_STi]

Don't be discouraged by 'subarubrat'--Duty Honor Mind Control -- slash -- stupidity. Must be some great Army General or something, talking about replacing old carburated ea81's in a weekend.


Plan your swap, but in the mean time do some cheap or free mods. Like the silencer removal, the various intake mods, suspension (you can keep this after the engine swap, too!) suspension make a big diff on Soobs!

This will keep it fun and you'll learn things about your car toying around with it.

take a look at www.scoobymods.com

Max

[subarubrat]

Performance costs money and takes effort. If you expend neither you will not have the results. Some may be willing to gather around you and pat you on the back pretending that by removing your intake silencer and going to a $20 Autozone turbo muffler you have created a performance vehicle but I am not. Or to be more direct, putting a tornado POS intake and an FPR on a stock engine.

This sort of swap can be done in a weekend, it is pretty basic on the scale of things. It is just petty and small to go around bashing those who can do what is beyond your personal skill or $$$. I don't have the skills or the funds to pick up a Z06 Vette and all the goodies to do an 800Hp build but I won't go calling Lingenfelter's work stupidity because he can and does. I don't have the desire to make myself feel better about where I am at by tearing others down. So you go on and believe that real perfomance is stupidity or what have you. I had people tell me that the BRAT couldn't be built as I planned or that I was dreaming, I had people tell me the turbine powered XT6 was not do-able, but I chose not to be bound by someone elses limitations and I did it. And I assure you that I have an ear to ear grin as I drive by the nay sayers.

The only stupidity here is for someone seeking real performance and a uniqe vehicle to be held back by a nay sayer. You may also want to check your dictionarys for the meaning of discouragement. You will find that discouragment is telling someone that it can't be done, not that it can and has.

[Dr. RX]

DG, I can help with the wiring conversion, and the little odds and ends, just shoot me an e-mail when you are ready, corkysrocks@isomedia.com .

SubaruBrat, my hats off to you if you did that conversion in a weekend. I was looking at your web site and didn't see any mention of any such conversion. What vehicle did you start with and what engine (drive train) did you install. I just recently completed my second one (pictures in earlier post here), so let us know more about your conversion.

[subarubrat]

It was done for a friend (the swap) the BRAT and XT are my projects. I wish I had the time to document every project of mine. I assure you I have just as much classic arcade stuff going on that is completely undocumented. I know how much people like Hassey, Adam, etc. helped me out with their documentation and I try to help others. This swap in particular was in an OBS and in all honesty it was an easier venture than the factory turbo parts onto an EJ25 we did on Blaster88's 00 RS. They key is prep, have the harness ready, have the tools ready, have a clear plan. You can start on Friday and take it to work on Monday if you are prepared. If you start off with nothing prepped, ECU unwired, digging around for tools or making runs to the store, forget about it.


The XT747 project (allison A250 turbine in XT6) is getting well under way. That will take probably as long as the BRAT did if not more. Now THAT is not a bolt in opperation. Sure, give me 20gs and a full shop and I could have it done in a month, but I don't have that. Plus it is getting interupted by the BRAT shifter kart.

My point here is that an engine swap such as a WRX engine into the 93 this fellow has is an affordable bolt in opperation that will provide real performance.