I just bought a TD04 turbo that came off a 2003 WRX.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33742&item=2439919541

 

I plan on putting it on my 87 RX. The exhaust impeller is a little bit smaller with more blades than the stock RHB5, but the intake is a little larger and has 6 blades instead of 5. Will I get a HP increase? Or am I wasting my time?

it will not fit on an ea82 without fabricating new flanges on your exhaust. There are many other things that should be done before a larger turbo is needed. You can run 14psi on the stock fuel system, and you will be possibly be able to get to 14psi quicker with the new turbo, but you won't be able to go much higher without fuel management and forged pistons.

You will require intercooling and a aftermarket programmable ecu, it will work without one, but expect a dead motor. Yes you will get increased power.

If it were only that simple. The first thing you should notice is that the EA82 turbos make a 90 degree turn to put air into the compressor, on the WRX turbo, it is a straight shot, so some sort of adapter will need to be fabbed, then the up pipe and down pipe need to be fabbed. As long as you keep all the stock hardware, I don't think you'll need the aftermarker ECU or an I/C, but both would be good safety pro-cautions. The whole rotating mass on the T04 is lighter so it will spolls up faster, that also equates to less turbo lag. This also means that you will be pumping a larger compressed mixture into the compustion champer faster, so you will feel quick acceleration. Your HP will be increased, but there is a lot of work.

go for it!

I have been looking for a "cheap" wrx turbo to do a similar conversion. yes at least intercool it. programable ecu? mabey if you are looking to run high levels of boost ect.

the flange mods are not a real drastic problem as they are verry similar to the stock set up. while you do that you should go ahead and make custom up and down pipes. the flow helps out a great deal.

 

if it works out let me know

or i fyou decide not to do it you want to sell that turbo?

good luck

For anyone looking for them, http://www.uniquemotorsports.com (subachad from nabisco) sell flanges for the td04's.

I have modified the turbo to bolt up to the factory cross pipe. Two of the holes already matched and there was room to drill the third hole to match. I will probably keep the same exhaust setup that I had before but with the new flange. Just a pipe coming off the turbo pointed at the ground. I dont plan on increasing boost until I get an intercooler. Ive already killed one engine with too much boost. One of the vacuum solenoids is in the way. Im going to use longer vacuum line and put it somewhere else. I like the idea of a custom up pipe. Ill figure something out for the intake. Right now I have the engine out to change a head gasket. Its probably going to be a week or so before Im finished.