I have a dream...

[TexasSwift]

but then don't we all.
I'm new to the board and have a project in mind that I need you guru's to help me with since everyone has an opinion or is that an elbow?
The intent is to mate a late model 2.0 or 2.5 turbo motor to a early 90's Legacy FWD transmission. I am not sure of all the series for these motors, but if the answers to my questions support the idea then I will need to work that out. Oh, and no this isn't going in a Subaru chassis, but a undefined car at this point.
Now the questions:
1. Will either or both engine types bolt up to a 2.2L FWD tranny, auto or manual?
2. Would the stock ECU for the turbo motor work? I'm concerned with the change of transmission since all have sensor feedback and control today.
3. Were the early 90's FWD transmissions ever available with a LSD? Are there aftermarket LSD's for this tranmission?

As you might can tell Subarus were not my first love. They are like a siren calling to me and I want to try and stay off the rocks. I keep seeing them go like stink at every autox and of course that just gets you to thinking. I am sure there are many issues that I have not asked about, so feel free to add your $.02 worth. My skin is pretty thick and it wont be the first time my ideas made no sense after I woke up.
My regular ride is a Suzuki Swift GT (a GEO Metro on steriods)
Thanks for your thoughts and ideas,
Keith

[Huffer]

I'm probably no help at this point - but I'm pretty sure that depending on the years, you'll have no problems with the trannies matching the EJ22.

The later model trannies have a front LSD available, usually aftermarket. Quaife and OBX make them

It wouldn't be too hard of a job to find a 2.2L Impreza (like an L model) and just make it FWD. You could then boost it.

Alternatively I would just go the simpler route and find a BC Legacy sedan, that is already boosted, and make it FWD. the BC's also have the reportedly tougher blocks.

[sheepdog]

Don't make an awd trans fwd. Get a set of cryo treated gears and put them in an early 90s fwd trans. Any EJ series subaru engine will bolt up to the tranny. The ECU should not be an issue, you can use the stock turbo ecu

[Manarius]

Any engine starting with the letters "EJ" will bolt up to an "early 90's" FWD tranny. However, Subaru stopped making cars that were FWD in 1996.

Stock turbo ECU will work.

No turbo cars came with FWD. They always came with beefier AWD trannys. You'd have to seriously mod a FWD tranny with new gears so that it could handle the power of a 2.2 or 2.5 Turbo. No FWD's came with LSD's. My question is, why do you want simply FWD? Why not go with a AWD system, with a rear LSD (4.44 or 3.90) with a EJ22T or EJ25?

[TexasSwift]

Your assumption is that the engine and transmission would be in the front of the vehicle. Think 250-300 stock HP, stock engine management, mid-engine, low center of gravity H-4, small footprint, high power density RWD. What chassis would you pick?
It puts a smile on my face everytime I think of it.

[Huffer]

A mini.

[TexasSwift]

Maybe an MG Midget, an import pickup, a Fiero, a Miata...
I'm leaning towards an older Datsun, Toyota, LUV or Courier pickup. Remove the bed, fabricate suspension and engine mounts, cut the bed floor to clear the engine, replace the bed and add a bed cover with cutouts for the intercooler and radiator

[Huffer]

I know...

AE86 Trueno/Corolla. :twisted:

[Wiscon_Mark]

I know...

AE86 Trueno/Corolla. :twisted:

:lol:

Honestly though...probably easier (and maybe not as cool) to get an early Porsche and fix it up.

But your dream is honorable. Like many others have said, a FWD tranny will have to be HEAVILY modified to hold up to that much power.

www.gearboxtech.com (http://www.gearboxtech.com)

They may be able to help you out.

Also ask Mranlet (his member name) about his RWD setup that he got from an AWD tranny.

[Huffer]

I've seen a video of a twin engined drag racing Trueno. It was in the UK and it was gear-limited to "just" 250mph. Both engine put out 350hp. :D

[mranlet]

Sounds like it'd be cool. For MR, my chassis of choice woud be a Porsche 914.

To convert the AWD trans to RWD, I welded the center differential into a spool and removed the front axle shafts. I suppose you could do the same to convert to "FWD" by eliminating the driveshaft, but that might complicate things a bit.

You could convert the AWD trans to FWD, but you'd run into a few significant issues:
-Welding the center differential to a solid mass essentially makes the transmission 4-wheel drive all the time instead of initially driving one end or the other and "locking" when the driven end starts to slip. You'd need to weld the center differential and eliminate the rear drive mechanism (output shaft into driveshaft).
-Elminiating the driveshaft will leave you with a big hole in the back of the transmisison, which will spew out gear oil as soon as it starts to spin. If you plugged this hole, you might be alright.

I think you'd be able to get away with using a OEM FWD trans with cryo treated internal components. Proper cryogenic treatment can increase the strength of a component by 200%+, meaning that you'll have to do a lot to break it.

Another alternative would be to use a Porsche transmisison and clutch with a Subrau pressure plate and flywheel with a modified bellhousing. Right now I'm working on adapting a Nissan SR20/KA24/CA18 transmission to fit an EJ, but there really isn't any material progress yet.

[Plays_with_Toys]

list to this guy ^^^^ RWD outback drifting awesomeness. How are the ITB's coming?

Anyway, as for a chassis, only one thing comes to mind. A VW bug. rediculously light, body panels are cheap to get, and just a cult mobile anyway. I imagine you could do some suspension work to widen it, maybe adapt some baja suspension get some wider fenders (extra 3" maybe?), do an aluminum tube racing frame, and bam, you've got yourself a nasty little track car for, I dunno? $4-8k depending on what you can do and what needs to be done for you.