Sooooo I found this car when I was looking for a pressure washer on the Facebook marketplace right when that feature was added for $200, the things that sold me on it was not the fact that the motor would barely stay running and smoked like no other car I've ever seen and a brand new Weber... It was the mounds of spare parts it came with, spare FWD tranny, EA71 block, complete spare EA81, Boxes of brand new parts, wheel bearings, balljoints, brakes, etc..

 

 

 

 

It sat in front of my house for a long time I started it every now and then and played with the carb alot which didn't do alot, still smoked, still wouldn't stay running..

 

So I found a donor for $175 with a bad tranny, tried to part out what I wasnt gunna use, sold absolutely nothing

 

 

Stripped anything and just about everything out of the 89 Legacy to swap into the DL.

 

 

Well since the legacy had 265k on the odometer, I'm guessing the motor was original, judging by the symptoms of blown headgaskets and oil leaking out of every seal. I pulled the heads, got them resurfaced and ordered a gasket kit and timing belt kit, still need a few more odds and ends

 

 

 

 

 

Motor reassembly will happen soon

Got 1 head on today, gunna get the other on soon, after the intake is back on I'm gunna pressure wash the long block and the engine bay of the DL.

 

Edited September 16, 20178 yr by Andymccauley

Looking good!

Looking good!

Thanks! Hope to drop the motor in, the next few weeks

Awesome! Love that old hatch. What part of Portland town do you live in?

Awesome! Love that old hatch. What part of Portland town do you live in?

SE Portland

And both the heads are on, might do the water pump and timing belt today too. Then threw the valve covers on and put the shaft seals in.

 

 

Edited September 19, 20178 yr by Andymccauley

So, I'm gunna be pulling this EA81 out soon, it's basically just sitting in the engine bay, everything is unbolted. Planned on using the flywheel for the swap, but I'm not sure on what clutch kit to get...

 

From what I've been reading the Xt6/ea82 kits are basically the same nowadays. But will they bolt On and work correctly to a ea81 flywheel and in the ea81 d/R 4spd?

So, I'm gunna be pulling this EA81 out soon, it's basically just sitting in the engine bay, everything is unbolted. Planned on using the flywheel for the swap, but I'm not sure on what clutch kit to get...

 

From what I've been reading the Xt6/ea82 kits are basically the same nowadays. But will they bolt On and work correctly to a ea81 flywheel and in the ea81 d/R 4spd?

 

 

No an EA82 kit will not work with a 4spd.  Step on flywheel wrong, Spline in disc wrong, Throwout wrong size.

 

You need a kit for a late model brat.  225mm disc, 7/8th" shaft........83+  I'd look it up as an 84...so you don't overlap the EA82 stuff

 

That 4spd won't hold up to a 2.2 for long.  Save the headache and get a 5spd D/R or an AWD EJ 5spd.....

No an EA82 kit will not work with a 4spd. Step on flywheel wrong, Spline in disc wrong, Throwout wrong size.

 

You need a kit for a late model brat. 225mm disc, 7/8th" shaft........83+ I'd look it up as an 84...so you don't overlap the EA82 stuff

 

That 4spd won't hold up to a 2.2 for long. Save the headache and get a 5spd D/R or an AWD EJ 5spd.....

Ok sick, I kept finding stuff for ea82 to ej22 swaps, not alot on ea81. Just wasn't sure of compatibility between the EAs.

 

As for the 4spd, this is a budget build I have maybe 600 into this swap including the adapter plate, an unequal length header, ej gasket/timing kit, heads resurfaced and both cars ;D so when the tranny goes I'll deal with that then

Edited September 20, 20178 yr by Andymccauley

Welp pulled the EA81 today, pressure washed the engine bay real good and found out that thing had a brand new luk clutch attached to it, so now I don't have to buy one.

 

 

 

Some minor stuff today. Removed the water pump and cleaned the gasket surface, the paper gasket was torn in the box so waiting on one from amazon.. crossover pipe o-rings, new coolant hoses from the block to intake, intake bolted on.

 

Just need a rear main, rear block seals and the flywheel resurfaced and I think I'll be good to go.

 

Edited September 25, 20178 yr by Andymccauley

Some minor stuff today. Removed the water pump and cleaned the gasket surface, the paper gasket was torn in the box so waiting on one from amazon.

 

If it's an EJ engine you want a metal gasket.

 

Paper sucks and is aftermarket cheap crap.

 

Factory gasket is metal.  Get one from the dealer for 6 bucks.  or skip it entirely and use Right Stuff sealant....but for gods sake don't use that paper crap.  

If it's an EJ engine you want a metal gasket.

 

Paper sucks and is aftermarket cheap crap.

 

Factory gasket is metal. Get one from the dealer for 6 bucks. or skip it entirely and use Right Stuff sealant....but for gods sake don't use that paper crap.

The one I ordered is nearly the same as factory, I've never had a problem with any paper gasket, as long as both surfaces are cleaned thoroughly and aligned correctly they always work.

Got the EA flywheel resurfaced, and hammered the EJ pilot bearing out a little, the EA and EJ pilot bearings are the same diameter so used the EJs as a guide and then painted where the EA flywheel holes need to be messaged.

 

 

What are you going to use to modify the holes?

Following your swap closely, thanks for the updates. I have a 87 Brat, bought 20 years ago this November. Just purchased a 93 legacy for my 2.2l swap. Have to use my 4 speed dual range also. Older Subarus are not that easily found in my neck of the woods. 

I can help you re-drill your flywheel if you need... 

What are you going to use to modify the holes?

I started using this harbor freight pneumatic rasp bit, got 1 hole almost done before it was completely trashed so whenever I get some money I'll probably invest in like 15 of them to go through lol

Following your swap closely, thanks for the updates. I have a 87 Brat, bought 20 years ago this November. Just purchased a 93 legacy for my 2.2l swap. Have to use my 4 speed dual range also. Older Subarus are not that easily found in my neck of the woods.

Dude that is way cool, the wiring portion of it I would probably go a different route on a car that I cared about, but this thing is pretty much gunna be a backup daily/Wheeler. So when I get there you'll see what I mean.

 

I love old brats, I would only want to own a clean one though. The clapped out ones make me sad to look at.

I can help you re-drill your flywheel if you need...

If you were local to pdx id say sure why not, come over, but I'm not shipping this dead weight anywhere.

The one I ordered is nearly the same as factory, I've never had a problem with any paper gasket, as long as both surfaces are cleaned thoroughly and aligned correctly they always work.

It will leak within a year.

 

not menat to have a paper gasket don't use it.

 

Years of experience and hundreds of water pumps replaced are speaking here.

 

I started using this harbor freight pneumatic rasp bit, got 1 hole almost done before it was completely trashed so whenever I get some money I'll probably invest in like 15 of them to go through lol

 

Skip the harbor freight and the pnuematic tool.  Unless you have a monster compressor, you will be waiting for the tank to refill to keep RPMs.  Buy a dremel branded end mill and a dremel to put it in if you don't have one.

 

slow, small passes taking just a mm or less at a time and you will be done with all 8 holes in an hour or 2 tops.  Don't be agressive and try to use the entire side of the bit.....just the tip and shave off little arching passes progressively deeper, layer by layer.  If you try to use the side of the bit against the hole like a grinder, you will struggle, and go through lots of bits.

 

I've done 3 or 4 flywheels now with the same endmill.  It's harder on the tip bearing in the dremel than it is on the bits.