v5 STi RA swap in progress

The subaru went under the knife last night and we got to where we wanted to be. Today we're gonna work on the wiring and install the new motor when we get the wiring back. The wiring should take about a week. Enjoy

 

It went very well!! We would have had that engine out in about 3 hours if we hadn't stopped to eat dinner. Started at 6:30pm and where cleaning up by 10pm. Kevin and I got about 2/3 of the wiring out yesterday, but it just got too hot and will save the rest for tuesday when its back in the 80's.

Tune in for more updates!!

 

making progess. We should be able to have the wiring completely out in the next couple days.

 

Ok so a little update is in order. Today we got the rest of the interior torn apart. HVAC out, crash bar out, and the rest of the wiring out of the car. Next moved onto the crossmember. Got the old one out, new one in and the new sway bar in. Clutchwise, got the flywheel resurfaced, new throw out bearing in. Lightened pulleys were installed on the new motor, BOV was mounted. All in all a good day, I just wanted to get the rest of the wiring out, but since we were at it we decided to get everything else done. Now Kevin and I can take a break from this damn sooby until the wiring gets back. Wiring will be sent out on Monday Once the wiring get's back we can put it back together and enjoy this beast of a car. Enjoy.

 

Yet another update.

Worked on her a lil bit today, got all the wiring off of the old motor and both sets of wiring boxed up and ready to ship to Cali tomorrow. Got the Sard R2D2 BOV completely mounted and situtated. Found some random vacum lines in the bottom of the box full of the JMD wire mess that had been evading me for some time. Its a great feeling knowing all the vacum lines are all accounted for and attached to their appropriate locations.

This mess isn't as scary as it once seemed, just gotta take it step by step.

Almost forgot one more thing, got the frankenstien intake assembled utilizing a Blitz SUS (the stainless steel filter) that I aquired recently. I think the 5" filter inlet will flow just fine!!

 

COOL! thats a very pretty motor. good luck with the car, and keep us updated.

 

That will be a sweet ride when yur done with it man...can't wait to see it drive! I see my old pullies on there are still alive...lol. Good luck with the project!!

 

Another update



Wiring boxed up and shipped out. Garage Tuning is swamped right now I guess, they said it could be a few weeks!!! Ahhhhh oh well, gives us time to solve an new found exhaust issue and get the motor back in since they didn't need 1/2 of the wiring that we pulled out. Motor will now be going back in before the wiring gets back.

 

so..um...is this a race to see who gets their swap done first? lolz

I just have to figure out my wires....my sensors are all fine..so BACK to the wires again...lolz

 

Yeah, Fuji, I was gonna do the wiring, but I just saved a little more and am having Garage Tuning wire it for me. I know I have to wait longer, but I an banking on (hoping like hell) that it will start when I turn the key!! I think it should run before the end of the month as long as I get the wiring back soon, the motor will be going back in next week and then I have to solve my JDM DP to USDM 2.5 RS exhaust issue!!

 

haha....the exhaust you can just get some flange and custom up one.....unless you want some shiny stainless steel stuff from the market.
I'm running with the DP alone for a while until I get something figured out. HOPEFULLY there isn't too much fire under there when I let off the throttle with my atmospheric Perrin BOV.

I DO however have a stock muffler at the end......makes me stealth...lolz

 

Yeah, from what I hear, i just need to extend the JDM DP a few inches, should be easy enough. The guy across the street has a MIG welder I will comandeer from him. Yeah, I can't wait to see if I get a nice fire ball from the SARD BOV too!! Who cares about paint on the bumper, mine is peeling like cancer from the guy's before me ****ty bumper re-spray!! Maybe we can have a fire ball competition next month at Firestone!!

 

skip all the custom and Buy mine jdm sti v6 tbe

 

What kind of engine has a coil pack on top of the engine?

 

Another Update!!

Last night was a two steps forward one step back night. Got the damn Alt. AC Compressor bracket off the USDM Motor and swapped onto the JDM motor and the USDM AC compressor and alrernator wsapped over as well. Unfortunately I had to take the Intake Mani off AGAIN, so it stays off now until the wiring is back, so i can get the engine harness in more easily, also will be less to damage when putting the engine back in which will hopefully happen sometime next week. Will be cutting the end off the JDM DP and the front off my mid pipe and welding in a connector (or maybe u-bolt clamps for the mean time) This will eliminate the reducers around the flanges and keep it at 2.5" to 3" exhaust. Thats all I have for right now, I think I have an ulcer from the head aches and added stress already!!!

 

mini update: The swap garage is lighter one H4 engine. Sold the old 2.5 motor to a guy from Detroit Lakes. He stopped down today and picked her up in a Brat, no turnin back now!!! Plus a lil more $ in the pocket too!!

 

sweet, more pictures of the progress would be nice!

 

Not much to take pics of right now, the engine bay is still empty, we will be getting the engine back in this week and bolted up, still waiting on the wiring from GT.

 

Hey Matt, good to see the project is still coming along haha ..... for anyone who hasnt seen this car or engine in person its seriously bad AS*... just wanted to say thanks for the engine, got it in the forester and its working great.. just as you explained thanks again

 

Glad to hear, she still has plentty of life left in her, might want to tend to the timing belt one of these days, i can't remember if Subaru replaced it when they did the timing belf tensioner and water pump. It was a great motor for me, can't beleive i miss it, but I am sure that will all change soon!!!

 

Upcoming events:

The plan is to drop the motor in on Sunday, minus the intake manifold the engine and wiring that we didn't need to send out should be back in place. We will get the fenders back on, and all parts under the front end will be torqued since we took quite abit apart to get the new x-member in. Then i should be able to solve the exhaust issue once the down pipe is bolted to the turbo and i know exactly where the end of the Dp will end up. Also will be swapping the RS fuel pump for the RA pump too. If we get this all done, we will have nothing left to do until the rest of the wiring comes back hopefully in less than 2 week!!! Wishful thinking on my part I think!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yet another update!!

We where able to get the engine bay wiring back inplace, after finding out we didn't need to remove it, oh well, no biggie!! Got the new Spec stage 2 clutch installed, note the nice kevlar facing on the clutch plate. Its hard hidding a pretty pressure plate like that, if all goes well, we won't see it again for a while.

Got the whole front end suspensing re-torqued. We where also able to get the motor dropped back in, the new STi motor mounts are much much stiffer than the old RS ones. Very little movement once everything was torqued down. All and all we got alot acomplished, few stupid problems but those where to be expected. I expect the wiring back either this week or next, hopefully this week!!!!

 

yet another update!

More progress was made, between Justin Kevin and I we where able to get a bunch of small loose ends wrapped up.

1. Fenders back on, all wiring underneath they was secured back in place.
2. Swapped RS fuel pump for the RA fuel pump.
3. Was able to get the down pipe to mid pipe problem solved by extending the midpipe forward and modifying the flange to meet of with the JDM down pipe. Thanks Kevin, your a much better welder than I am!
4. Picked up a bunch of vacum lines, was able to get all vacum lines replaced w/ new ones.

All we are waiting on now is the wiring, hopefully if GT comes through for me it will be here by the end of the week. Which means, all going according to plan, the beast should be alive by the end of next weekend.

 

nice swap going on! keep updating us as you go!

 

Mini Updte-



Made a custom bracket for the charcoal canister/ mounted, radiator back in, front grille back in, AC compressor lines back on, inlet to intake problem solved. If GT is able to get the wiring out and overnighted today, the i will have the wiring tomorrow. I am keeping my fingers crossed!!! If all goes as planned, me might be able to attempt to start it sometime on Sunday!!

 

Care to share how much for GT to do the wiring? I may still do my own, but it may be worth the $$ to have them do it....time is money after all.

Thanks

 

right now its $500

 

more pics more pics more pics

 

Just out of curiosity. Did GT get you the wiring harness? I've been waiting since March on my brakes, clutch and flywheel and I waited forever for the tranny (and they shorted me on the axles, driveshaft, and a few other bits). If I wasn't still waiting on parts I'd make a write up of how much I hate them right now

 

so matt, did she finally starts? hurry up...u owe me a race...lol

 

Well I have had to stay on they like several times a week. I bug Kevin and Brian from GT quite often. Yeah I know what you mean about the waiting thing though. I had paid for my motor in early March and didn 't get it until late June. PLus I happened to call them and was asking whne it was gonna ship and they said, oh it already did, and it showed up a few days later. I odn't want to bash them, they have my wiring still, should be overnighted today I HOPE. I do know that they have more work than they can handle right now. Thats good for them, but maybe they might want to expand, or tell customers it gonna be an indefinite wait and that you might want to source another shop for the mean time. If the car starts when I turn the key, it will all be worth the wait, if not, well lets just say, I won't be a happy camper!!

 

Had to BUMP this!!!! Everything is ready to go, just waiting on the wiring!!! DAMN Garage Tuning!!!!

 

That sucks, I hope they don't make you wait too long.

 

****, they have had the wiring for a month and a half already, they said a couple to a few weeks, so that means to me like 2-4 not a month and a half!!!

 

how many miles are on your usdm ej257 shortblock?

 

Sorry, she has been sold already, I think its in a forester already running actually!!

 

http://www.khilgers.com/forumpics/sti_startup.avi

 

Very nice, congrats on the good start!

 

still waiting on video to download =D

 

It's ALIVE!!!! nice

 

Sounds great :biggrin:

 

k, well we got the car to idle fine, idles right around 800. Took it for a drive and there is another issue. The car only revs to about 3-4k and does alot of backfiring and pops out black puffs of smoke. Car smells like its running rich, but not sure on the exact culprit. I am too tired to try to tackel anymore today, callin it a night!!


Oh, but it sounds like a fu**in beast, just cant wait to get it running right to feel the power.



any ideas guys??

 

http://www.khilgers.com/forumpics/sti_moving.avi

 

Well.........Its fast as ****!!!!! The problem was the wiring under the intake mani was hitting on the black coolant cross pipe and the hard fuel lines under on the bottom of the intake manifold and resting on the wiring running underneath it. This wasn't allowing the intake manifold to seat itself completely, we are talking a tiny leak, but it makes a night and day difference.

So the car idles fine, engine barely moves, and even when reved it might deflect a 1/4" to 1/2" at most. Drove the car around the neighborhood and it feels great, no real power under 2500, but just under 3k it pulls strong, feels like my buddies STi, I have no idea what it feels like over 4k, didn't want to hit little timmy chasing a ball across the street!!!!

Still isn't safe to drive without the headlights and brake lights not working, we think it might have something to do with the CompuStar car alamr that isn't hooked back up yet.

But all and all I have to give a huge thanks to Kevin and Brian and all the guys @ GARAGE TUNING, even though the wiring took longer than both parties had expected, it was more than worth the money to have Kevin tackel that portion of the swap for me. Also have to thank JDM Brian at BCIMPORTS.COM for making sure I got this motor.
This is truely one badass machine.

so if anyone has any ideas on the headlight and brake light issue and wippers not working please throw in your thoughts! I still think it has something to do with the CumpuStar though.

 

Most importantly, I have to ththe two best guys to work on anything with 4 wheels, Kevin Hilgers and Justin Hoff, without them and kevins garage this swap would have never happened. Its not over yet, but the light is definitely at the end of the tunnel!!! I think Kevin has learned way more about horizontally opposed engines then he ever wanted to!!! Thanks again guys, I oculd have never done it by myself!!