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VW type 3 conversion


oorabus
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I have a '72 Type 3 squareback that has a seized motor. I am looking into repowering it with a Subie motor for several reasons. I am looking for reliabilty and economy. I have no problem tearing into the wiring for MPFI and my fab skills are above average. I can pick up a 1989 EA82 (complete car 4 dr. 129000 miles) for $300 a few blocks from the house. I also have a line on an 1992 Legacy for $500 (186000 miles on it) I was leaning towards the EA82 because I am lead to believe it is not as wide as the newer EJ22 motors. I will need an adapter for either. The EA82 is rated at 90 HP and 103 ft/lbs which is double what the stock VW motor made. Any more and I'm afraid the transaxle wouldn't hold.

 

My biggest question is 'Which motor is wider?' Does anyone have the dimensions for either motor handy??

 

Any thoughts on this swap would be greatly appreciated!

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the EA-82 is the Widest motor besides the XT6's ER-27 motor that Subaru has ever made and the EJ-22 is the wiser decision and as for tranny that tranny will handle anything that a stock subie motor can muster out if anything get a second tranny and have a tranny shop weld the gears that way you don't have issues but if you don't drop the clutch much and drive it sensibly it should survive the HP from a EJ-22

 

 

as for the rad I would recommend mounting it up where the spare tire goes and duct it from behind the bumper to under the torsion bar housings and then for lines run stainless steel pipe for the majority of the lines from the rad to the motor

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Thanks for the input guys! I went and drove the EA82 last night. It did not run very well and the check engine light came on. I am thinking the EJ22 will be the way to go. I am going to look at a Legacy with transmission problems today. Now that I know the EJ is not as wide I am leaning that way. Probably be easier to sell the adapter if everything fell apart too.

 

As a side note- the EA82 would fit in the squareback- it's not quite as wide as the motor thats in there. (36" wide) The alternator would have to be relocated though. ( Hits the floorpan/firewall)

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Hey oorabus

 

On the transaxle, as soobnut said the stock box is tough, but if you plan on driving it hard look into swapping in a later bus trans (Type 4).

 

And I truly don’t wish to divert discussion away from this great new forum, but I’d hate to see you go through a lot of extra effort re-inventing the wheel… its been done many times before. Check out the “Conversion Perversion” forum over at shoptalkforums:

http://www.shoptalkforums.com/index.php?sid=f6ac9ba42d2104e45fcf2102e5b1e720

Gary

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Definitely do not want to re-invent the wheel. I have done quite a bit of research and read alot of what's on the 'conversion perversion' website. I decided to ask my questions here because you guys seem to know alot more about the differences in years/models and whatnot.. Most of the shoptalk guys seem to be all about speed and hot rodding. As I stated in the first post I am concerned #1 with reliability and #2 with economy. 100+ HP in a squareback seems like plenty!!!! I am just trying to figure out the least painful swap($$ and time). It's good to know that the transaxle can handle the power!! I really want it to be fuel injected too. The car was originally one of the first fuel injected cars on the market. But someone ripped it off and dual carbed it.:-\

 

I am definitely putting the radiator in the front spare tire slot. There's plenty of room for a spare elsewhere. I want to try and use a billett grill from a mini cooper to give it some style.

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The EJ will make that squareback a totally different machine. I've got an EJ22 in the back of a standard beetle. HAHAHA! It's crazy!

 

Don't waste your time with the EA82. Too wide, not a whole lot of power, weird timing belt situation that makes it the least desireable soob motor to slap into the back of a vw (the kennedy adapters have no provision for timing marks on an EA82. Putting the timing belts on just became an olympic sport.)

 

The EJ22 is gonna be challenging in the wiring dept. however. Hope you can follow a schematic.

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Well I bought a 1990 Legacy LS AWD today. The motor runs great!!!! I drove it the 70 miles home! The guy was getting rid of it becuse the trans was going out. It won't shift past 3rd after it gets warmed up. Almost seems like too nice of a car to take apart!! The chassis has 236000 miles on it, but the motor was swapped for a wrecking yard '93. I was told that the new motor had only 85,000 miles on it when he put it in, and has only been driven about 5,000 since. Anybody need any parts??? :brow:

 

Is there enough interest on this board for me to post progress pics??? Lemme know.

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