'86 Brat + EJ-22 OBD-II STARTS!!!

[moped]

So this was going to go into the "New Generation of Subarus", because I figured I might find more people with OBD-II engine experience there. But as I was typing up the post, the light came on. 15 minutes later, the car started for the first time. Here follows what I was going to post:

 

First off, this is actually a swap question, since the engine is in my '86 Brat. However, it's from a 2001 donor vehicle, which is not the donor of choice in the transplants forum. So I figured I should post it here, where there might be more people with OBD-II cars reading.

 

With that out of the way, here's what I've got:

 

'86 Brat (manual)

EJ-22 from a 2001 Impreza (automatic)

Wiring harness from the same 2001 Impreza (automatic)

ECU from a 2000 Impreza (manual)

 

The mismatch between the engine, harness, and ECU was because the junkyard I sourced it from had the whole car from the '01, but only the ECU and engine from the '00. The rationale was to take the '01 engine, because they could start it in the car, the '01 harness, because it's the one they had, and the '00 ECU, because it was manual, like my car.

 

I have a Mitchell's subscription for the '01 (since that's the harness I have), and the wiring for the engine performance circuitry is the same for the manual and automatic, modulo a couple wires in the starter interlock and neutral/inhibit switch end of things.

 

Without further ado, here's where I am.

• I've verified that I have power and ground in the right places on the ECU by checking the plugs with the ECU detached, and the ignition on.
  
• I've verified that when the ECU is plugged in, and the ignition is turned on, the main relay closes.
  
• When you turn the ignition to on the fuel pump (an aftermarket Walbro for FI engines) is turned on, and then off again after a few seconds.
  
• The ignition coil and ignitor assembly have power and ground when the ignition is on.
  
• The fuel injectors have power when the ignition is on
  
• When you wire a volt meter up to the CEL circuit, you get 12 volts when the ignition is on and the engine isn't running, and 0 volts when cranking. Which means the CEL is acting normally.
  
• An OBD-II scan tool indicates that computer is working, detects the correct intake air temperature, etc. The only code I get is for the fuel tank pressure sensor. Which naturally doesn't exist.
  

At this point, I have not yet started cutting down the harness. I figured that I'd like to start the project with one problem (starrting the car) rather than two (starting the car and oops, was I supposed to cut that wire or not). So the whole harness is just sort of laid across the spare tire area in roughly the orientation it would be in anyway. With that explained, here's a list of the connections I'm making:

1. Main relay grounded to the block
   
2. Fuel pump grounded to the block
   
3. Fuel pump + plugged into the harness
   
4. starter sense wired to the starter (see below)
   
5. Always hot power taken from an always hot fuse into the harness
   
6. Hot in run or start power is taken from <--- This is where the light came on. The remainder of the list follows for completion
   
7. Brown engine plug
   
8. Grey engine plug
   
9. 3 computer plugs (B134, B135, B136 on the wiring diagrams)
   

And of course what hit me is that everything I've tested so far, has been done with the ignition in the "ON" position. I had never verified that the fuse I was pulling ON/START power from was actually hot in start. This is largely because I don't have enough hands and eyes to simultaneously probe the fuse panel, turn the key, and watch the volt meter. So I borrowed my room-mate's eyes, and sure enough it wasn't hot in START.

 

When I hacked in the wire a month or two ago, I had just picked a fuse that was hot in run and off in off, without paying much attention to what it was. I'll fess up to being an idiot, because when I checked today, I had picked the one for the lighter (among other things). Whoops. I probed the other spots in OFF, RUN, and START, and decided on the ignition coil fuse, since there is no ignition coil any more (at least not on that circuit).

 

And wouldn't you know it, crank, crank, crank, VROOM! Day-umm! She is loud! I haven't bolted up even the Y-pipe yet, figuring I'd spare myself the trouble of doing so until I had at least gotten the car started, chopped the harness down, and gotten it started a second time. Because lets face it, that's probably going to be some hassle involving raising up the car on jack stands and rolling around on my filthy garage floor, and who wants that. Not I before I've made sure I can at least start the car.

 

End result, I am *VERY* happy

 

More details about the (slow) progress of the swap to this point will follow in another thread. The heavy work actually started in late September (when I pulled the engine), but work interfered for a couple of months, and then it was winter. I'll probably write it up later this week or early next. I'll also put together some information on the OBD-II particular parts of the swap, since I might be the guinea pig on it. In my neck of the woods, OBD-I donors are few, mostly because Cleveland loves salt in the winter.

[XT6 Magic]

Congratulations!

I would like to see pictures. What trans are you using, and which adapter? How is the clearance between the frame rails? I always thought an EJ22 and an XT6 5MT would be a nice combination for Brat.

[moped]

I'm not going to lie, it's a little cozy in there. At the driver's side rear of the engine, there's a metal guard I had to cut down because it was going to hit the brake master cylinder otherwise. And I'm not quite certain how exactly I'm going to change the spark plugs. I think I'm going to need to hunt down one of those chintzy flexible socket extensions. I can get the socket down in there, but I can't withdraw it with a rigid extension attached. Or I may do something clever with some string or something. Either way, it's a little tight. But it does fit, there's probably about an inch and a half (or 4 cm, if you prefer) on each side of the engine.

 

The transmission I used is the stock EA-81 tranny, 4 speed, dual range, part time 4wd. I used the SJR adapter plate.

 

I'll get some pics when I get some daylight :-)