Alphius's 1999 Legacy GT, WRX swapped - 7/16 STI 6-speed swap

[Alphius]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/aNn1VTYh-1.jpg

Current Mod List:
Exterior:
SUS grille
JDM Headlights w/5k HIDs and LHD pattern conversion (FX-R retrofit soon?)
JDM fogs
4" eBay shorty antenna to replace broken power antenna
20% window tint

Interior:
'02 WRX steering wheel
'02 WRX pedals
Color-matched Outback Limited heated mirrors with OEM heated mirror switch
Impreza/Forester compass pack
Pioneer stereo
'99 Outback Limited woodgrain
Two OEM subs, one under each seat
OEM tweeters
Firstgen Legacy trunk organizer

Drivetrain:
EJ22E/EJ205 8.5:1 CR hybrid swap done @ 224k
TD04 @ 18psi tapering to 12psi
565cc Injectors, TGV deletes, DW200 fuel pump
JDM Twin-Turbo intercooler splitter
GrimmSpeed turbo heatshield
GrimmSpeed 3-port EBCS
WRX harness merge and '02 WRX ECU
'04 STI 6-speed DCCD transmission w/3.90 VLSD rear diff
MapDCCD controller
TiC Holy Shift bushing kit
'06 STI turboback exhaust
CarBerry Group-N ROM
Road tuned with Romraider/ECUFlash by me!

Suspension/Brakes:
Prodrive P7 17x7 et53 gold wheels
'04 WRX wagon struts and springs
'94 Legacy Turbo 18mm front swaybar
'98 Outback 18mm rear swaybar
Perrin rear swaybar endlinks
WRX front/H6 rear brakes with braided lines and Hawk HPS pads



The Story:

Back in spring of 2014 I needed a new daily driver. I have always wanted a BD LGT, I've owned many Legacys over the past few years, 1st through 4th gen and the second gen cars have always been my favorite. I had never owned a sedan one though. My goal with this car is a nice, clean, OEM+ looking Legacy GT with all sorts of subtle goodies.

I started with this one-owner Legacy GT. Headgaskets replaced once at 156k and went bad again at 214k at which point I purchased it.
I'll give you a short rundown on the progress so far:

Getting a tow home:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/QTP4NbOh-1.jpg

I pulled the engine and replaced the clutch, flywheel, resealed the entire engine, replaced all the timing components and drove it for a couple weeks to feel the car out.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/6pmldsYh-1.jpg

Next, I started slow and put on a set of 2.5RS six-spokes.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/LarQiQVh-1.jpg

I put in a Pioneer bluetooth stereo and Impreza/Forester compass pack.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/a6qSXcfh-1.jpg

The mods start rolling in. Coilovers and JDM headlights:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/rCOzAoUh-1.jpg

Followed quickly by JDM fogs:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/62ySZCUh-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/GHFvPVvh-1.jpg

Staying with the subtle mods, a WRX steering wheel and some non-visible interior goodies:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/WKiRe22h-1.jpg

Finally, my favorite mod so far. A set of immaculate Prodrive P7 wheels in gold.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/mDEtLqIh-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/TrctOTOh-1.jpg

[98legwag]

Thats a good start. Its a good looking car.

[Zangado1]

Realy nice...The Gold wheels just take our Subies to another level..

[Alphius]

Got the windows tinted last weekend, it looks good.
I also live on a gravel road, so my car gets super dirty very quickly.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/McEryzsh-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/XHnLhnMh-1.jpg

I didn't expect to do this anytime soon but somehow I found myself towing home another junker...
I picked up a salvage title '02 WRX with an EJ257 hybrid in it to do a swap on my GT.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/1t21EWnh-1.jpg

[foohfooh]

Nice work dude. Impreza is a development, but i love the legacy more. The car is very clean and i like its subtlety. A true drivers car. So crazy its that immaculate with that many miles on it.

[Dead91silvia]

Looking forward to seeing the outcome to this project.

[peugoby]

I like the green/gold combo. It will be a total sleeper with that 257 inside! I hope I see it around sometime.

[Alphius]

So crazy its that immaculate with that many miles on it.
I just rolled over 222,222 miles day before yesterday. :grin:


I like the green/gold combo.
Honestly, the color has grown on me. When I was looking for a BD I was really wanting to get a Rio Red one. I've always disliked the Subaru green. Seeing this car shine in the sunlight with a coat of wax on it has really changed my mind! I also like how understated and low-key it is; the car really doesn't attract much attention.



We'll see what happens with the WRX swap, the EJ257 shortblock may be in poor shape, there's metal in the oil. I'll tear it down and see what's up but I don't want to spend a bunch of money on what's ultimately a glorified daily driver. I'm investigating doing the EJ22e block instead with the WRX top end. Apparently quite a few people have good luck with that combo, like this guy: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1845766

My plan at this time would be to keep the engine nearly stock and get a reliable engine swap done. I miss having boost. I am leaning towards keeping the GT's 5-speed for the better gear ratios and replacing it with a 6MT if it ever breaks. The WRX trans in my donor has been beat on (just look at the rest of the car!) and it would suck to swap it in only to have bad synchros or something; my original 222k mile 5MT shifts flawlessly.

Whatever happens, this car won't ever be a monster, just a fun daily driver. I have my '84 Camaro with an LS1/6-speed swap when I want to drive fast. :smt023

[KNaph]

Man I really like the clean OEM look. Wheel fitment and ride height is almost exactly what I'm looking for on my wagon, just need to adjust my rear coilovers down a bit. I'm looking into doing an EJ22e turbo build also, I have the block but still doing some research to see what it's gonna take to build it like I want.

Interested to see what you're gonna do with your Legacy.

[Alphius]

Here's a better picture of my donor car.
Yesterday I pulled the engine out and got the dash out so I can start extricating the harness and ECU.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/GbsiLzXh-1.jpg

I also managed to find another complete EJ205 with exhaust, ECU, turbo, intercooler, accessories, etc. for $300 so I picked that up as well.
Here's my two engines:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/YDuPMkqh-1.jpg

Left:
'02 EJ205 with '07 EJ257 shortblock.
70-80k on block, 154k on heads/intake.
Seems to run OK but has bad blowby and metal in the oil. No knocking.

Right:
'04 EJ205 with 120k
120k on engine
Was removed for a V8 STI swap.

I also have two intercoolers, two ECUs, four TD04 turbos in various condition, an Innovate wideband, Prosport Evo boost and EGT gauges, two full sets of WRX alt, A/C and PS along with tons of other parts.

The plan at this time is to tear down my two engines and use all the best parts in combination with a known good early 90's EJ22 shortblock to build an EJ205/EJ22e hybrid engine and sell all the rest of the spare parts. Once that is done I'll be tearing my Legacy apart to start the swap.

[Alphius]

I picked up a low-mileage EJ22 for my build yesterday. I think I have everything I need to put together the hybrid engine now except for gaskets. My current high-mileage third-set-of-headgaskets EJ25D continues to perform admirably in the meantime. This weekend I'll be pulling the rest of the harness out of my donor WRX and hopefully getting it's shell ready to sell or scrap.

Here's where I'm at so far with harness removal:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/4ozMFWOh-1.jpg

Also, thanks to Dead91Silvia I have the 99 Limited woodgrain in my car now!
The only question remaining is whether I should put in my woodgrain L.L Bean steering wheel as well? ;)

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/3HVBbWGh-1.jpg

[Alphius]

Washed all the cars on a beautiful PNW day!
The Legacy is back on stock suspension for now. Excuse the poor cell phone camera shot, one of these days I'm going to buff and wax the car and do a full detail and shoot some pictures with my nice DSLR.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/02/SMrH6LFh-1.jpg

Getting down to work, I disassembled a bunch of engines last weekend.
My EJ257 hybrid was in poor shape. First of all, it only held 8% pressure in #4 using my calibrated leakdown tool.
When I drained the oil, it didn't look all too hot.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/02/sOLGs5Rl-1.jpg

I got to work and popped off the heads. Yep, broken ringland on #4, gouged cylinder wall, scored cam journals and cams, and undoubtedly bottom end bearing damage as well.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/02/SRjOiuyl-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/02/tcy8Wirl-1.jpg

Got a huge parts order in including Tactrix cable, '06 WRX Exedy clutch, Gates timing belt kit, Company 23 WRX cam tool, misc. wear items, etc.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/02/bYYGEXDl-1.jpg

After I tore apart all of my engines I made an order with Subaru for headgaskets, engine parts, etc. along with an '06 WRX clutch fork, pivot pin and retaining spring.

After my order from Subaru comes in I'll be assembling my EJ22e/EJ205 hybrid. After that, tear the car apart and do a harness merge. Finally, drop the new engine in and tune it. I'm gonna take my time, so I'm hoping to be done sometime around the end of March. I really only get occasional weekends to work on the car so it'll be a slow process.

The plan with the clutch is to keep my stock 4.11 Legacy GT transmission and convert to an '06 WRX clutch. The parts to do this in my case are as follows:

'06 WRX flywheel (stepped)
'06 WRX complete clutch kit
'06 WRX fork (and maybe pivot pin, I'm not sure so I bought it anyway!)
'99 Legacy stock 5MT and stock hydraulics

According to what I've found, this setup should work fine. If you want to risk breaking your original clutch fork you can use the stock 5MT fork and throwout bearing, but for the marginal cost I'd rather upgrade to the beefier WRX fork.

[r3v_v3ng3]

The plan with the clutch is to keep my stock 4.11 Legacy GT transmission and convert to an '06 WRX clutch. The parts to do this in my case are as follows:

'06 WRX flywheel (stepped)
'06 WRX complete clutch kit
'06 WRX fork (and maybe pivot pin, I'm not sure so I bought it anyway!)
'99 Legacy stock 5MT and stock hydraulics

According to what I've found, this setup should work fine. If you want to risk breaking your original clutch fork you can use the stock 5MT fork and throwout bearing, but for the marginal cost I'd rather upgrade to the beefier WRX fork.

I never knew you can turn the push type trans into a pull type

[Alphius]

The '06-up WRX is push type. You cannot turn a push into a pull, all I'm doing is upgrading to the stronger '06+ push type turbo clutch.

[Alphius]

Well, I started my car today to go to work and the EJ25D had a rod knocking and no oil pressure. It's always had a slight cold start tick that I assumed was piston slap, but today it full-on knocked for 10-15 seconds with 0 oil pressure. After that, oil pressure started to come up and the knock faded away but I can still hear it lightly when I rev the engine.
Farewell, EJ25. These truly are the worst Subaru engine. This one has had three sets of headgaskets and now a bad bearing after only 225k miles. I'm only the second owner, both myself and the previous owner followed all recommended maintenance and changed the oil regularly.

I guess it's a good thing I'm ready to swap it

Block stripped down and ready to build:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/KqQL5mth-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/dDYx1Tnh-1.jpg

With the magic of forum posts it's done already!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/HAxvaSkh-1.jpg

End result will be:
'91 Legacy EJ22 shortblock
'04 WRX shimless bucket heads
'02 WRX intake manifold/TB/etc
'02 WRX harness and ECU merged into '99 Legacy body wiring
'04 WRX TD04 with '04 WRX intercooler
'07 STI turbo-back exhaust modified to fit my chassis
Stock '99 Legacy 4.11 trans
'06 WRX clutch setup

I'll be road tuning the combo myself after it is swapped.
Hopefully I'll be done with the harness merge/engine swap and be driving again by the end of the month.

[r3v_v3ng3]

The '06-up WRX is push type. You cannot turn a push into a pull, all I'm doing is upgrading to the stronger '06+ push type turbo clutch.

Gotcha.. This is actually a pretty good/cheap alternative for the non turbo setup then. I think I payed almost $600 just for the ACT clutch kit. Probably can get a decent setup clutch kit/flywheel/forks for half the price.

[nepbug]

You've got quite a few lumps of metal sitting along side the garage. I totally understand how that happens though, can't pass up a good deal when it comes.

[KNaph]

Looking really good! I'm pretty interested in how you go about this swap since this is pretty much what I've been researching and have been wanting to do. Rochester is probably a good hour south from Tacoma I think, there's quite a few WA guys on this forum.

[Alphius]

Gotcha.. This is actually a pretty good/cheap alternative for the non turbo setup then. I think I payed almost $600 just for the ACT clutch kit. Probably can get a decent setup clutch kit/flywheel/forks for half the price.
Yes, I bought a good condition slightly used flywheel for $40, a brand new WRX Exedy clutch for $270 and the fork setup was about $30. For less than $350 it should hold up to a decent amount of power.


You've got quite a few lumps of metal sitting along side the garage. I totally understand how that happens though, can't pass up a good deal when it comes.
All my cars? I've had the Camaro since high school and done all the work on it myself including wiring, paint, suspension, etc. The truck has been in the family for over 10 years, and I always have a daily driver Subaru to go along with the collection. My wife has an '02 Outback Limited 5MT as well that I scored a couple years back with a hole through the block for $1500. I always have my eyes peeled for a good deal, whether it's on cars or parts.


Looking really good! I'm pretty interested in how you go about this swap since this is pretty much what I've been researching and have been wanting to do. Rochester is probably a good hour south from Tacoma I think, there's quite a few WA guys on this forum.
Yeah, I've noticed there's a lot of guys in the PNW on here. I used to have a couple first generation Legacy turbo sedans and spent a lot of time on the LegacyCentral forum, they have meets every once in a while that I've attended before and probably will again. Maybe if there's a PNW SLI meet sometime we can get together and check out each other's cars.

[lord flashheart]

Dang dawg! This thing is sick!
Your Lego is so clean I love it. I'm super jealous. My legacy would give a lot of people a run for their money in two categories.. Fastest.. And (unfortunately) probably the ugliest.

[Alphius]

Thanks! You'll be faster still but I'll be stylin'. ;)

If anyone wants to see my wiring merge worksheet check this link out:
https://docs.google.com/a/thecornman.com/spreadsheets/d/15YeiTRZZdTR8wm6Fq7KO9w8l-aLN6bVwx96skvS8md8/edit?usp=sharing
That should be all the engine/ECU wires that require merging, the rest of the wires are self-contained in the engine harness of the WRX. Also have to merge the wires for the coolant temp gauge and oil pressure warning light, but that's only two and they didn't go into my spreadsheet easily. I'll get them taken care of when I merge the harness.

I'm going to be taking my Legacy apart soon and getting the merge done, after that all that's left will be to bolt it all in and hope everything works!

[lord flashheart]

Its good to see someone wanting to do a swap who knows what they are doing. Its good that you took the time to make that. Very nice I'm stoked to see this.

[Hinyo]

THIS IS ALL HAPPENING MUCH TO FAST YOU ARE MAKING US ALL LOOK BAD!!!! HOLD YOUR HORESES!!! my brain is slowly sizzling with delight(but please PLEASE do continue!!!!) cant wait to see the outcome =) hoping to build mine "soon" lol

[lord flashheart]

In the cool people thread we were just talking about noobs showing up and being so productive it makes the rest of us look like lazy assholes

[Alphius]

I may be a noob on SL-i but I'm not a noob to Subarus or wrenching. I had a MegaSquirt ECU and self-built engine harness on my Camaro for a few years, then did a complete wiring harness and ECU to swap the LS1 in. I've built MegaSquirts and harnesses for a couple friends with crazy engine swaps in other cars. I have done so much work on my Camaro and truck that I bet I've turned every bolt on them. I painted my Camaro myself and have done some bodywork on other cars as well as they need it.

As far as Subarus go, they've always been just daily drivers to me until this car. Most I've done is basic engine/trans builds and swaps until now.
Started with a $400 '87 GL-10 turbo and did HGs, intercooler, 5-speed DR swap and a few other things to it. Since then I've had 15 different Subarus: 4 turbo BC/BJs, 5 BD/BKs, a random assortment of others including a Baja last year. Usually I jump on good deals, tow them home, fix and sell.

I like the BD most out of any Subaru, I've owned first gen sedans and wagons, second gen sedans and wagons, third gen Baja and wagons, fourth gen wagons and a GD Impreza. I just like the BDs most out of all of them so I decided to build the BD Subaru never gave us and keep this one for a while. I can't bear to have a project in my garage and not work on it so I move fast. ;) Today I'm breaking the GD WRX body harness down into just what I need and hopefully by the end of the weekend my Legacy will be stripped down and the harness merging will be started.

[Alphius]

Throwing away:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/A1wLjcih-1.jpg

Keeping:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/pJQ2OqHh-1.jpg

[lord flashheart]

Yea you move quick. I like that. I also love seeing someone who knows exactly what they are doing. At this rate you will have the swap done in no time. I'm pretty stoked on your build. I've subscribed to it.

[Alphius]

Well, we'll see how fast this process goes. I don't like having my car out of order for longer than I have to. I got the WRX harness torn down and pulled my EJ25D today and then ran out of motivation so I haven't started pulling my interior apart yet.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/zp6ifezh-1.jpg

[Alphius]

I made a video to help people remove the gauge cluster in a 95-99 Legacy without tearing up the dash and without removing the steering wheel. It's surprisingly easier than you would think, I don't know why I've never seen anybody figure this out before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjfktz_WIJ8

I've got the dash pulled in order to remove the body harness, but I have a few hours of family stuff to do so I might not get as far as I wanted to today.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/jSyGzLsh-1.jpg

[lord flashheart]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/f3d02f7aab140d564dc58bee088259fd-1.jpg

[Alphius]

The Legacy harness is out! It has a white block on the left side above the fusebox that holds a bunch of wiring; it has a spot built in already for the WRX SMJ already!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/e4F23nJh-1.jpg

I always like to throw the dash bar back in so the steering column doesn't hang from the firewall.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/BsvvUmeh-1.jpg

Zoom in... the WRX ECU bracket and ECU bolt right into the Legacy chassis like they were meant to be there.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/2rtCmA3h-1.jpg

I also tossed in my WRX pedal covers for a little bling-bling. I put the whole WRX accelerator cable and pedal in, it fits perfectly. The cable is longer to reach the throttle actuator on the other side of the throttle body.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/Hdda0Rgh-1.jpg

Engine bay with the relevant wiring removed. I'll be swapping the crossmember for a Turbo Legacy crossmember this week and cleaning everything up.https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/1ecqY7sh-1.jpg

Right now the plan is to do the wiring merge this week, then a friend of mine will be coming over next weekend to help me put everything back together; hopefully my engine works and my wiring job is right!

[Alphius]

OK, wiring merge is complete! I have to wrap the harness up still but the hard part is done.
My friend will be coming over Saturday morning and we are hitting it hard all weekend to hopefully wrap this swap up.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/8ysTVVrh-1.jpg

This is what I mean about that bracket that holds the WRX SMJ like it was supposed to be there:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/Nx1FXDVh-1.jpg

[KNaph]

Wow really tidy work, even if it isn't wrapped yet. What was all of the excess that you threw away? Did you lose or scrap any functionality or was it just not needed with the new engine harness merged in?

I'm planning on doing the harness merge in the future for my build but I don't have much confidence that I can get the merge done cleanly and without errors.

[Alphius]

If you think about it, what do you need from the WRX harness? All you need are the things the ECU controls or gets information from. You don't need the WRX fusebox, under dash relays or wiring, instrument cluster stuff, front and rear light wiring, horn, blinkers, cruise, keyless module, pedal switches, etc. All that stuff already exists on your Legacy harness so it can be removed from the WRX harness. When you do the merge you are reconnecting the WRX ECU to the Legacy equivalents of what you cut out of the WRX harness and threw away.

You're taking the Legacy harness and removing all engine related wiring, leaving body wiring intact.
You're taking the WRX harness and removing all body related wiring, leaving engine wiring intact.
Once that's done, you just take care of the wires that cross the engine/body boundary and you are done. My spreadsheet has all of those wires listed except coolant temp gauge and oil pressure light which are pretty obvious once you're nearly done.

Having both cars' wiring diagrams printed out and referencing them while you merge each wire is literally the most important part for a first merge.

[bijon440]

Ok ok...you roped me in. Subbed.

[meepers]

In the cool people thread we were just talking about noobs showing up and being so productive it makes the rest of us look like lazy assholes

Now that IS Funny :smt065

[Hinyo]

I envy your productivity. Any tips for someone doing their first major wiring harness? any sources you used to help you with the wiring? Are you swapping the cluster/dash well or keeping it stock? Doing anything with the body harness or does it not need to be touched?

[Alphius]

I envy your productivity. Any tips for someone doing their first major wiring harness? any sources you used to help you with the wiring? Are you swapping the cluster/dash well or keeping it stock? Doing anything with the body harness or does it not need to be touched?

My tips for doing a wiring harness are to have and be able to read the wiring diagrams and have an intimate understanding of what every wire you cut or solder is for before you touch it. Once you understand how one wire works you will be able to figure out what you need to do with it. I did read through Brydon's wiring guide on RS25 before I started the merge but mostly just as a way to familiarize myself with how the WRX harness is laid out. Cluster and dash are stock, I don't care for the WRX dash and it's much more work to swap it in so I didn't do it. The body harness of the Legacy is where you do the wire merge, so yes it needs to be pulled out and cut apart.

So, Saturday morning started with a Legacy Turbo crossmember swap:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/wwpBqULh-1.jpg

And by Sunday night I was driving!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/7Jkt8Nkh-1.jpg

We got it running late Saturday night and spent Sunday cleaning up and reinstalling the interior as well as finishing a few small things up in the engine bay. I drove it about 3 miles to get gas and test the clutch setup with an open downpipe and then we pulled it into the garage and modified an '06 STI catback exhaust to fit the Legacy chassis. I welded new hangers for the axleback and welded an extension of about 4 inches into the midpipe on the downpipe end. Overall, pretty easy. Just from my short drive I can tell it's got an impressive amount of additional low end torque over a normal EJ205.

I do still have a small list of things that need to be done:
1. I need to do an alignment (I have all the tools for this)
2. Change oil and add coolant (It's got plain distilled water in it now in case I had to pull the motor)
3. Wire my heated mirrors back up (Had to cut my custom wiring to take the dash out, rewiring them in with weatherpack connectors)
4. Fix the airbag light (I probably missed a connector while I was plugging everything back in)
5. Road tune the car for the increased displacement and increased compression!
6. Find a WRX alternator cover to finish the engine bay cosmetics
7. Recharge A/C (I have the tools for this too!)

[lord flashheart]

:notworthy:

[redlegacygt]

If you think about it, what do you need from the WRX harness? All you need are the things the ECU controls or gets information from. You don't need the WRX fusebox, under dash relays or wiring, instrument cluster stuff, front and rear light wiring, horn, blinkers, cruise, keyless module, pedal switches, etc. All that stuff already exists on your Legacy harness so it can be removed from the WRX harness. When you do the merge you are reconnecting the WRX ECU to the Legacy equivalents of what you cut out of the WRX harness and threw away.

You're taking the Legacy harness and removing all engine related wiring, leaving body wiring intact.
You're taking the WRX harness and removing all body related wiring, leaving engine wiring intact.
Once that's done, you just take care of the wires that cross the engine/body boundary and you are done. My spreadsheet has all of those wires listed except coolant temp gauge and oil pressure light which are pretty obvious once you're nearly done.

Having both cars' wiring diagrams printed out and referencing them while you merge each wire is literally the most important part for a first merge.

That's by far one of the best explanations of it I've seen. At some point if you have some time, it'd be cool to see you post your spread sheet and any other tips or tricks you have. Your work is great

[foohfooh]

dude gahhhh i needed to see that cluster removal video like 3 months ago. My right side of the dash surround has little dimples in it now from the back of the cluster. like some little rodent gnawed at it. :banghead:

[Reuben]

Woo! What a cool, and quick build. Love it!

[peugoby]

Wow! Great work. That swap looks really tidy. Must be fun to drive

[Alphius]

That's by far one of the best explanations of it I've seen. At some point if you have some time, it'd be cool to see you post your spread sheet and any other tips or tricks you have. Your work is great
I posted the spreadsheet a few posts back, it was a Google Docs link.

Thanks for the props everybody! I'm glad you like my build.

[NALegacy]

[QUOTE=Alphius;272414]I made a video to help people remove the gauge cluster in a 95-99 Legacy without tearing up the dash and without removing the steering wheel. It's surprisingly easier than you would think, I don't know why I've never seen anybody figure this out before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjfktz_WIJ8

... i don't believe it

[lord flashheart]

I thought that's just how they were supposed to be removed lol.

I gotta hand it to you that was one of the quickest swaps I've seen. Somewhere in the forced induction section there is a post explaining exactly what you did. Only I was telling people to pay enginewiring.com to make a harness for you. Its not that expensive. That's basically what I did with my car except I run a standalone.

[bijon440]

Lol that corner of my dash is demoed from doing this so many times. Wish I took my time and fiddled with it more before just ripping it out haha

[Reuben]

FFS... where was that video 5 years ago when I started playing with Beast's dash cluster...

[Alphius]

Ha, I knew you guys would like that video. It's so simple and yet so many ruined dashboards are out there. I think I'll go post it in DIY for more exposure too.

So, I've been putting a few miles on the car after work every day just to test things out. Still running a stock WRX tune, but I've been completely staying out of boost and watching knock counts to make sure it's safe. Well, I succumbed to temptation last night and gave it the beans through second. Oh yes, so good! According to my log I made just under 13psi peak (with -6 degrees of knock correction, ouch!). I ran the log in Airboy's spreadsheet and it said 196whp. It honestly feels almost as fast as my old '94 Legacy SS with the stock EJ22T, RevTronix tune, TMIC, TD05-16g, 440cc greytops and a stock 3.90 5-speed at 17psi. Hopefully this weekend I'll get a few hours to dedicate to tuning and dial this thing in. I'm planning to go for 16-18psi in the midrange tapering to 12 or so at redline, but we'll see how it goes. I'm not upgrading the injectors so I'll be limited by IDC on the stock ones, but that's fine with me. That'll help keep my motor safe. It'll be a very conservative tune.

I fixed my Airbag light last night: there's a connector by the fusebox on the driver's side that needs to be plugged together AND also have a little green button pushed. I forgot to push the green button when I put the interior back together.

I also gave the car an alignment, I left just a hair of toe out in the front end for turn-in response and zero toe in the rear. Somewhere around -1.25 degrees camber in the front and -.5 in the rear. I've experimented with different setups over the years and I think this is a good compromise for an aggressive daily driver yet still doesn't wear tires out too quickly.

The ECU I'm using is an '05 WRX one. It apparently reads my Neutral Position Switch backwards. I read that in '05 all Subarus inverted the NPS behavior so I'm going to put my '02 ECU in tonight and see if it fixes that particular problem. I'd rather run the '02 so I don't have to disable quite as many codes and so eventually I can try out the CarBerry Speed Density ROM, but I couldn't get it to flash while I was putting the car together. After I put the '05 ECU in during the installation/troubleshooting process I found out that you have to "Run as Administrator" in Windows 8.1 to get ECUFlash to work with a Tactrix 2.0 cable, so I suspect I'll be able to flash the '02 ECU as well now.

I found a WRX alternator belt cover for $25 on eBay that I bought; that should finish the engine bay cosmetics up.

The to-do list for my own reference:
1. Install '02 WRX ECU and flash to stock/disable codes
2. Change oil and add coolant (It's got plain distilled water in it now in case I had to pull the motor again)
3. Road tune the car for the increased displacement and increased compression!
4. Wire my heated mirrors back up (Had to cut my custom wiring harness to take the dash out, rewiring it in with weatherpack connectors)
5. Recharge A/C (I have the tools for this)
6. Install alternator belt cover (Bought on eBay)

[lord flashheart]

I believe it! I run my car at 12psi which is around 250 and it shits-n-gets. Imho 230-250ish is the ideal amount for our cars. the EJ205 16 bit ECU is sequential injection right? Cuz I think the 440cc injectors are only good for 230-240whp with sequential. If its batch fire, you could get closer to the 270whp mark.

[Alphius]

Excuse the super dirty car.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/LDUDimuh-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/UvuD4W0h-1.jpg

Current to-do list:
1. Install and tune for GrimmSpeed EBCS
2. Recharge A/C (I have the tools for this)
3. Install alternator belt cover (Bought on eBay)

The '02 WRX ECU is in and fixed my neutral position switch problem. It also is compatible with all of my fuel level/pressure/EVAP sensors in the tank so I had far fewer codes to disable vs. running the '05 ECU.

I've been tuning the car, had to pull quite a bit of timing out of the low load cruise areas and high load WOT acceleration. My stock bleed style 2-port BCS can't hold any more than about 14psi in the midrange and 11-12 at the top end so I ordered a GrimmSpeed 3-port EBCS to replace it and hopefully be better able to achieve my boost targets. Even at 14psi I'm pulling a pretty impressive number of g/rev airflow compared to a stock EJ205. I can't get over how torquey and smooth the high compression EJ22 is and how much fun it is to boost around in a BD. These cars should've come with a turbo engine from the factory. Even just driving around without getting on it the engine is much more smooth and driveability with the WRX ECU is better. As a bonus, it looks like I'm getting better gas mileage than the EJ25D as well, but I have a suspicion my O2 sensor was starting to get tired on that engine.

The 06-07 WRX clutch works great. You absolutely need the following parts to convert an N/A trans to WRX push clutch:
WRX stepped flywheel
WRX clutch disk
WRX pressure plate
WRX throwout bearing
WRX fork
WRX fork pivot pin
Grind rib on transmission down to clear fork

Aside from that, all my hydraulics and everything are still factory '99 Legacy GT parts.



Another interesting tidbit; after adding up all of my costs and all the parts I've sold it looks like the entire swap only cost me a bit under $1k. :iconbiggrin: Pretty good value considering I needed a new EJ25 anyway.

[foohfooh]

Shoot that was fast and cheap-ish. You should talk to slavik.86, that dude is mad good at swaps too. Hey i pmd you about that woodgrain wheel. Headed up to good ol warshington in 5 days, gonnna keep my eyes peeled for modded subarus bwhaha

[Alphius]

Boom! Engine bay cosmetics done. Last things to do here are install the GrimmSpeed EBCS and recharge the A/C. Once those are done I can officially say my swap is 100% done.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/F5Da9xRh-1.jpg

[lord flashheart]

We nominated u for ride-o-the-month-o

[Alphius]

20psi in the midrange tapering to 13 by redline.

No knock.

Holy crap.

[Alphius]

Oh yeah, A/C is recharged and the GrimmSpeed BCS is in, as if that wasn't obvious.
I need to get my snow tires off now, they aren't too happy with 60-70 degree days and all the hard driving I've been doing.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/03/PC9P2rqh-1.jpg

[lord flashheart]

Macvalve eh? Any reason you chose an EBC over a MBC?

[Alphius]

I really enjoy the part throttle controllability of an EBC vs an MBC. All of my 1st gen Turbo Legacys had MBCs and I'm really enjoying being able to tune boost based on throttle position and RPM. Boost targets based on throttle position are much nicer than a typical MBC turbo car where you can get part-throttle full boost. Not to mention I wouldn't be able to run 18psi in the midrange tapering down to 13psi by redline if I had an MBC. I'd have to compromise the midrange power to keep from exiting the efficiency range of the TD04 at redline.

Yes, I realize I gave GrimmSpeed three times the money for a MAC valve I could've bought somewhere else, but I'm a sucker for plug'n'play upgrades.
It bolted right onto the factory bracket and plugged right into the factory wiring, plus it came with more than enough vacuum line to redo all the boost hoses.

[lord flashheart]

I'm not being critical. I was asking because I have both a AEM Mac valve, and an Grimmspeed MBC. I've been to lazy to install the EBC. I was just curious what your stance was.

[Alphius]

Haha, yeah, I was just explaining too, I didnt see your comment as critical at all. I got a little excited; I just feel strongly that if you have programmable boost control capability you should use it. ;) An MBC is way easier to tune though.

[foohfooh]

Pmed ya again

[Alphius]

I took advantage of a $70 rebate and ordered a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS tires today. I have been running the snow tires that came on my Prodrives until now, and its far too warm and far too late in the year to be running those. If anyone wants an almost new set of 225/45/17 General Altimax Arctic unstudded tires they'll be up for sale soon.

[wtdash]

Hi GC,
Very, very nice.

I read the thread but didn't see what HG you used w/the EJ22+EJ205 from the 1st page's list?

I was headed this direction w/an EJ22 'til I got access to an EJ257...I hope that isn't a mistake.

I want a turbo'd BG....maybe someday.


I, and the friend that bought it from me, got the same # of miles out of an EJ25D. It had also gone thru 3 HG, too. It lasted 30K miles after I fixed it the last time.
Td

[Alphius]

Thanks Td!
I used the 11044AA542 headgaskets, they are a MLS gasket measuring 0.8mm compressed. Originally for a circa '99-'01 Phase2 EJ22.
I've always thought it would be cool to build a BG too; I'd grab a '99 Limited with the dual sunroofs and lower it, build an EJ22/EJ205 swap, and throw in a manual transmission. That would be a nice sleeper wagon.

So, I purchased a set of '04 WRX Limited heated front seats for an amazing deal. They had been in a wreck, so I had to strip the passenger seat cover off and re-sew it where the airbag ripped the seam open. When I got done, you couldn't even tell it had been ripped. Score!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/04/K0Wbaj2h-1.jpg

The one problem is that they sit just a little too high for me. I'm 6'1" and I have to slouch to keep my head from hitting the headliner. I'm going to see if I can figure out how to get at least an inch or so lower by modifying the rails. I really like the seats, so I hope I can figure out a way to make them bearable. You can also see in this picture that my seatbelt was totally frayed. (Embarrassed!) I got that replaced for free at the local dealer under warranty last Thursday so it is all good now!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/04/ydIvgxRh-1.jpg

On Saturday I threw on a set of 50k mile '04 WRX wagon struts and springs as well. After I did my turbo swap with the stock struts and springs I had a bit of forward rake because the added weight lowered the front of my car almost an inch. The '04 WRX wagon suspension kept that same slight lowering in the front, but brought the rear down to match. Overall my car is now about an inch lower in the front and 3/4 of an inch lower in the rear than it was when it was stock. The spring rate is also a little higher with the WRX suspension so it feels a little bit more "sporty" without being too stiff. Overall, a great upgrade. I can definitely see how with the stock EJ25D "saggy butt" spacers would be necessary.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/04/imwV55xh-1.jpg

[86bratman]

Well you just gave me hope that my bd will sit level when I get my swap done. I'm on GC RS struts and springs and the rear sits roughly 1/2-3/4 of an inch lower than the front when on level ground.

[Alphius]

I couldn't handle the added height of the WRX seats anymore so I swapped my stockers back in and sold the WRX ones. I'm so much happier while I'm driving now. Really the biggest issue is the collapsed bolster on the driver's seat; I think I'll try to disassemble an extra passenger seat and see if I can re-foam my driver's seat with those parts.

Car is still running good. I'm making small tweaks here and there on the tune to dial in driveability. I have been getting around 23-24mpg on my daily commute (90% freeway @ 80mph, 10% city) but on the highway alone at less than 70 I've seen 26-27mpg. I'm experimenting with a couple tweaks to improve fuel economy even more: I used to have a '96 Brighton wagon that could regularly hit 30-31mpg on the highway and want to see if I can achieve those numbers with this car too.

[Alphius]

And...

It is blowed up. Spun a bearing in the EJ22 shortblock. Preliminary investigation makes me suspect an injector issue causing one cylinder to run lean. I had some symptoms immediately prior to the spun bearing that point toward an intermittently failing injector. I'll know more when I tear it apart. Hoping to get it back together with a fresh EJ22 block by the end of the month. I'm in the middle of a HG job on a Forester, so my car will have to wait until that is done.

Bought a set of flowtested and cleaned 565cc injectors and an STI fuel pump to rule out future fuel issues. Also going to do a TGV delete while it is apart, because why not? Haha. I also want to run CarBerry ROM when it is back together which can't control the TGVs yet.

[KNaph]

That sucks! I was just looking through your thread to read up more on the swap and then now this!
If your first build is any example though you'll have this thing fixed in no time.

Were you just running the stock injectors at a higher duty cycle? or do you think they just died out?

[Alphius]

Well, I used the injectors off of an engine that detonated itself to death and blew a hole in piston #4. I'm thinking that 14 years and 160k miles on these stock WRX injectors may have left one or more in poor shape. If the trashed rod bearing in my EJ22 is #4 then it will be a pretty good clue of that injector being faulty. This is the risk you take when you build a budget engine with used parts. Hopefully my second shortblock lives a long, happy and well-fueled life.

It shouldn't take me more than a day to pull the engine and swap a good shortblock in with new gaskets, I just have to find one first.

Problems I had that point to a fueling problem:
1. Intermittent rough idle
2. Sometimes fuel trims would be heavily positive
3. Occasional knock in random places that I couldn't seem to tune out
4. Sometimes slightly jerky in boost

All the problems were very intermittent and started maybe a week or two before it blew up.

[Hinyo]

=( *insert all the sads here* sorry to hear about that man. but I know you'll build yours back and better than ever!!! cant wait to see it!!!! now to source my motor...

[86bratman]

Just wondering if you ever got that jdm cluster from Ruben? I finally said screw it and repined the connectors to use mine properly instead of trying to adapt the tach to a usdm cluster housing, took literally 20 minutes after I made a hand written pinout of the usdm cluster wiring to compare to Ruben's jdm diagram.

[Alphius]

Nope, I never did get it. He didn't get back to me and I sort of dropped it. Good to hear that repinning is fairly easy if I do decide to pursue it further. I've been spending too much money on this car lately anyway, so I might just stay with what I have. ;)

Speaking of spending money:
My car is getting a replacement EJ22 shortblock (with 13 month no questions asked replacement warranty!) this weekend that's in much better shape than the original one I used, along with freshly cleaned and flowtested dark blue 565cc injectors, KSTech TGV deletes, WRX front and H6 rear brakes with braided lines and Hawk pads, GrimmSpeed turbo heatshield and a Deatschwerks DW200 fuel pump just to make sure I have zero fuel problems. I'm also going to convert to CarBerry ROM on an 02-03 WRX ECU while I'm at it. The big reason is so that I'll have real PID boost control with per-gear WGDC offsets instead of the dumb 02-05 WRX boost control system. I'll also have the ability to use no-lift-shift, anti-lag, launch control and many other cool features that I probably will never touch. It'll be really nice to drive it again, since it has broken I've pulled and regasketed three Subaru engines for other cars and I'm starting to get tired of not being able to work on or drive my own car!

I might also have a very unexpected surprise for you all after the weekend, we will see. :p

[86bratman]

Unfortunately I had the same luck with him last fall trying to get an intercooler splitter and a few other parts for my swap. The contact in New Zealand from facebook no longer works at the Subaru wrecking yard so I've went aftermarket with several parts I wanted to stay oem with.

Good to hear you aren't too far from getting yours going again. I haven't driven my 97 since April either. Since then I've shortblock swapped my mom's outback, put an engine and transmission in my 99 GT, and done several brake jobs and other minor repairs for friends and family. It's been nice to get my hands back on my project.

[Alphius]

Yeah, I suppose my total downtime of less than a month doesn't compare to some people's months-long or years-long projects. I like to get things done as quickly as possible. I swapped an EJ25D, resealed an '06 Forester and built an EJ22/EJ25D hybrid for a friend's car in the last three weeks. Also found time in all that to hit the junkyard on 50% off day to get my new EJ22 shortblock.

The one part that I probably should find still is an intercooler splitter. If you happen to come across one let me know. It's too bad Ben doesn't work for that yard anymore. Maybe I'll ping Reuben one more time.

[86bratman]

This is the absolute longest it's ever taken me to do anything. But there's been a lot that's gone into the time, a now 8 month old little girl is the biggest part of that. Before now the longest time my car was down was 3 days for the auto to manual swap last March.

[Alphius]

I put in my new EJ22 shortblock, 565cc injectors, DW200 fuel pump, TGV deletes and GrimmSpeed heatshield in on Saturday. Car seems to run good, but I've only put a few miles on it so far. Hopefully this will be a nice, reliable engine now.

The big news that I alluded to the other day... I bought Brydon's Forester. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2726346
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/06/ymNZD9Bh-1.jpg

This car is ridiculous. It's somewhere around 500whp with a built EJ257 WRX hybrid, GT4088R turbo, AEM standalone ECU and full STI 6-speed/R180/Brembos.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/06/lFMztDah-1.jpg

The reason I bought it, right here. I'll be parting it out and hopefully making enough to end up with a cheap or free 6-speed for my Legacy. I know my 227k mile original 5-speed could fail at any time, if not from power it'll just fail from sheer mileage at some point. I couldn't pass up this opportunity to own a crazy car and also get a cheap 6-speed out of the deal. It's kind of a shame to part this build out though.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/06/v3lnqwxh-1.jpg

[dynonacht]

Nice score!

[KNaph]

Hmmm part out you say? Are you gonna swap the whole drivetrain and motor in? or just keep your motor and 6 speed swap it?

[Alphius]

I'm keeping my daily-driver-friendly engine and simply swapping in the 6-speed and hopefully the R180. ;)
The rest is just too crazy to live with on a daily basis.

[Alphius]

I put a few more miles on my new hybrid build and it runs better than it ever did before. I also flashed the CarBerry Group-N ROM onto a spare 02 WRX ECU and started tuning the PID boost control with per-gear WGDC. I'm almost hitting my target of 18psi in every gear now with way less lag than before. It also runs smoother on CarBerry than it does with any factory ROM. CarBerry ROM is awesome and Jason is awesome, I am very happy with it.

[Alphius]

Have a terrible picture of my new SUS grille. Thanks to nikolaus.conrad.
Forester disassembly and partout begins. DCCD 6mt here I come!

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/06/xvgWodOh-1.jpg

[KNaph]

I'm assuming the Forester has the 5x114.3 conversion done since it has a DCCD 6mt. Or are you gonna do hybrid axles?

[Alphius]

Forester is 5x100 with 04 STI hubs and rotors. I'm probably selling all that though including the R180 and taking the cheap/easy way out with an R160 rear. I might decide to throw the R180 in if I can't get what I want for it and run Suberdaves races to build hybrid axles.

[meepers]

I vote install the R180. lol. Looks great. Now I am REALLY kicking myself in the ass for sticking with OBD1 and going Emanage Ultimate. I seriously considered getting a set of phase 2 heads and WRX ecu and doing all the wiring. Which, I am sure would have been less then the wiring I did in my car since I made a PNP harness using an ECU connector and wiring.

Your car has inspired me to get Ruby Pulled square so I can atleast get some miles on the motor and get some tuning in before swapping evrything to the 99 Limited shell. Besides, dual moon roofs in Phoenix in the summer = the dumb.

[Alphius]

Nice, glad I am inspiration to somebody!

I helped a friend of mine do some things on his swapped BD the other day, and he wired in an '04 WRX cluster. I must say that I haven't been happy with the look or the fitment of that swap in any BD I've seen so far. I've always said I'll keep my stock gauges because I like them just fine. Well, seeing my friend's car with them in person made me maybe reconsider that thought, so I spent some time tonight working on a proof of concept WRX cluster swap mod that's more well done than any I've seen so far. No gaps next to the gauges, no loose cover, it's all firmly attached. All 4 stock mounting points for the BD cluster are preserved so it should go in just like a stock cluster. Now I've got to figure out a way to do the wiring yet still be able to swap back to the stock gauge cluster if I want. Completely reversible mod is the goal here.

Here's what I got done tonight:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/07/JCf2jVZh-1.jpg

I'll have to mod another clear front cover a little better to put this in my car permanently, it is nearly impossible to drill the hole for the trip reset accurately and I didn't do so well. Now that I have one done I can measure and make a more precise hole in the next one.

The key for me on this cluster swap is to not have the gaps on the side, so I'm glad I accomplished that!

Gross:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/07/lCn61Vbh-1.jpg

Ugly gaps (not my car):
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/07/DIDS9jWh-1.jpg

[Alphius]

I was playing with some gear ratio charts between my 5mt and the 6mt swap to predict how the driving dynamics will change. I found something pretty interesting. 1st-5th are quite a bit shorter than my 4.11 USDM '99 Legacy GT transmission, but 1st-5th on a V.5-6 JDM STI RA DCCD 4.44 5-speed transmission match up almost exactly to the 1st-5th of the USDM STI 6MT. So having the 6MT will be almost exactly like having a JDM 4.44 STI RA 5-speed but with an extra gear up top. Sweet!

Here's the gear ratio comparison between my USDM transmission and the 6mt.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/07/ckye4NCpng-1.jpg

And here's the gear ratio comparison between the v.5-6 STI RA transmission and the 6mt. Sweet!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/07/TJpvgsgpng-1.jpg

[Alphius]

Here's a Google Docs spreadsheet for the wiring necessary to use an 02-04 WRX cluster in a 98-99 Legacy. 95-97 Legacy will require a three wire speed sensor swap and wiring. An 05 cluster will work as well but you'll have to use a relay to invert the ABS light behavior. Keep in mind that sometime between 02 and 04 the WRX diagrams reversed the A and C connectors. Mine is made from the 02 WRX diagram where the A connector is leftmost when looking at the cluster from the back and C is rightmost. I haven't wired this cluster into my car yet but I am working on it soon, and as far as I know this diagram will be correct. If not, I'll update it.

With a minor change or two this diagram will also work for an 04 STI cluster with the red lighting and gauge sweep startup. I might try to score one of those someday.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RH7vYnQORh8rGYdynGfwOoJljrlWwXLF_RpiAhmcCxo/edit?usp=sharing

[dynonacht]

I would be all over this, but for whater reason it would kill me to not keep track of the miles on my car.

[Alphius]

Well you my friend are in luck then!
I'm going to get setup to do in-circuit odometer reprogramming and get mine sorted out. My car has like 228,xxx miles on the ticker and this WRX cluster is at 45,xxx.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Odometer-Reprogramming/
http://www.rs25.com/forums/f105/t105267-diy-reprogram-odometer-your-swapped-dash.html

[Alphius]

And... I didn't care for the 04 WRX cluster terribly much. Took it out and went back to stock.

Hello beautiful. ;)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/07/hChtjunh-1.jpg

[Alphius]

Clutch and flywheel ordered, got some good deals on lightly used parts (2k miles) so ended up spending less than half of new for both. Also bought the TiC 04-05 STI Holy Shift kit with all new bushings to firm up the shifter. I have an aftermarket short throw lever but all stock and worn out bushings. Finally, put in the order for a MapDCCD as well, which I am super excited to get!

The project is coming along.

[Alphius]

Well, since I've been slacking off (not really, just waiting on a super slow dealer parts order to swap the 6-speed in) I figured I'd show you what I've been up to in the meantime.

I found an '05 Legacy GT Limited 5EAT with spun bearings for a good price. Brought it home this weekend, so I have to acquire a shortblock to throw in it now.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/08/ZrFtmJeh-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/08/pYpeNbUh-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/08/c1bVqqah-1.jpg

[98legwag]

Another 4th gen FTW!

[86bratman]

So now we both have swapped BD's and silver 05 lgt's. Nice.

[Alphius]

I acquired a set of Sparco Terras in a partial trade deal. Not sure what I want to do with them yet, white isn't my favorite wheel color but I might throw my snow tires on them and use them in the winter. It's either that or sell them. :P They are absolutely immaculate, but a bitch to clean. I hate brake dust.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/08/ddXuWwRh-1.jpg

My buddy came over in his Spec.B. He bought it a couple weeks ago and is loving it so far. We made a row. ;)
Between us we have a bunch of Legacys:
His 1994 Legacy SS EJ20G/4.44 5spd (not pictured, used to be mine)
My 1999 Legacy GT sedan WRX swap/soon-to-be 6mt
My 2005 Legacy GT sedan 5eat
His 2008 Legacy Spec.B

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/01/aNn1VTYh-1.jpg

[98legwag]

Thats a nice picture. I like the truck too.

[dynonacht]

Saw you post your driveway on fb, lot of cool cars!

[peugoby]

Your BD must be a blast to drive. Turbo & 6 speed - I am so jealous! I love the SUS grill too. Are you coming to West Coast Subaru Show at the end of the month? I'll be there, would love to see your ride in person.

[Alphius]

Well, hopefully I'll be putting the power down to the ground through a 6-speed by the end of the weekend. No DCCD controller yet, but it is shipping from the other side of the world so I can't be too mad. I'll just run open for now.

The goal this weekend is to get the 6mt swap done, pull the engine in the 05 GT out and tear it down to evaluate what parts I need to buy. I've got a long weekend ahead of me!

Hadn't thought about whether I'll go to WCSS, but I might. I'm not really a car show/meet kind of guy but I do like showing off my OEM-appearance build.

[Alphius]

My dirty car is getting an upgrade today...

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/08/KlZTOcNh-1.jpg

[Alphius]

And the 6-speed is in. Had a couple unforeseen issues that slowed me down, but finally got it done. Drives good!

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/08/YkUpy6jh-1.jpg

[wtdash]

Don't see that very often: 6-speed w/a Fozzy compass. :-)

Well done.

[Dead91silvia]

Keeping it nice and clean, I like that!

[KNaph]

Man I really want those Sparcos but I'm broke and already have white wheels...

You've got a fleet of Subarus now...

[Alphius]

I'll make the decision really easy for you...
They sold last night. :)

I've always got a fleet going on. 4 permanent cars and a bit of a rotation of 1 or 2 additional.

[Alphius]

Alright guys, PSA coming up.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/sVLYgdLh-1.jpg

Don't use the 11044AA542 '99-'01 EJ22 MLS headgaskets if you have a '90-'96 EJ22 shortblock. Many people out there have had it work properly, but I'm here to tell you that I've built three engines so far with those HGs, and all three have broken shortly after. Under moderate to high RPM the pistons will contact the heads and ruin your pistons, rings and bearings in short order. Bad news for my turbo car, but it shall return, better faster and stronger!

Combustion chamber imprint on piston top. By the way, these pistons were spotless less than 3k miles ago. Blowby like crazy! Engine passed a leakdown when I built it with less than 3% leakdown in every cylinder, so all the blowby is from piston-to-head contact.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/mJCV5Jhh-1.jpg

Clear evidence of contact:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/ruXS3TNh-1.jpg

The solution: Cometic 98mm 1.3mm thickness multi-layer steel headgaskets:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/s2PbMIbh-1.jpg

Beefy!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/axEbCHrh-2.jpg

I'm waiting on a dealer parts order to put the car back together. Luckily I had the foresight to buy the cheap 13-month warranty on the block at Pick-N-Pull, so I have gotten my replacement shortblocks for free. She'll be back together better than ever within a week or so.

Also forgot to post up my DCCD controller when I installed it. Nice setup!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/1BgqizNh-2.jpg

[Hinyo]

Also forgot to post up my DCCD controller when I installed it. Nice setup!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/1BgqizNh-1.jpg[/QUOTE]


My baby will look like this....

*insert soon picture here*

[Alphius]

New engine is all together and runs good! Running lowish boost (14-15psi) until I am satisfied that it's good, then I'll dial it back up to 18psi. So far it is doing excellent. Hopefully with the thick headgaskets, this engine will last longer than 3k miles! Third EJ22 shortblock in 6k miles since the original swap...

I hate these stupid hex cam bolts, but I have a foolproof way to remove them when (not if) they strip out! I even have the proper tools (Company 23 cam tool and high quality 10mm 1/2"-drive hex bit) to remove them nicely and they still strip out. If I have to tear this down again I'm buying the TiC F-U Cam Bolt kit which replaces them with normal hex head bolts. EJ25D bolts sadly do not work.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/H6UFFfJh-1.jpg

Weld a 32mm axle nut on and it zips right out. Gotta be quick with the impact wrench after you weld, otherwise the heat cracks the composite cam gear.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/9VHNbGOh-1.jpg

[86bratman]

What makes the ej25d bolts not work on the ej205 cams? Also with the thicker gaskets did you have any trouble getting the timing belt installed? I may be doing something similar with my 05 soon, 93 ej22e shortblock with the b25 heads and ditching the vf40 for reliability reasons as I don't trust ej25s of any flavor or vf40s lol.

[Alphius]

The EJ25D bolts are only like half the length of the EJ205 bolts. They won't engage enough threads in the cams to be safe. (If any at all, I didn't even try.) It's possible that EJ251/3 bolts might work, but I didn't have any on hand to compare against.

The thicker gaskets did make the t-belt install a little trickier, but the method I use is to install the bottom left idler after the belt is on, and it still went in OK, just a little more difficult than normal. When I pulled the pin on the tensioner, it didn't move hardly at all. There's an extra 1mm in length between cams because each HG is .5mm thicker than stock. I considered leaving out the half-size idler like a 25D to gain a bit of length, but ultimately decided not to mess with it. I actually noticed the thicker gaskets when I put the intake manifold on as well. I had to loosely thread the bolts on one side, then tug the manifold over and thread the other side. Still went together just fine though.

I don't trust EJ25s or VF40/46s either, so you're in good company. ;) The biggest problem I see with your plan is that the B25/D25 head's combustion chamber is sized to the 99.5mm bore of the EJ25, so it will be too big for the 96.9mm bore of the EJ22 block. Not sure how well the headgasket will seal on the liner in that situation. If you did try it despite that, the B25 castings would give you about 7.85:1 CR with the 1.3mm headgaskets which isn't too bad. (I'm sure you've already run the numbers and came to the same conclusion.)

[Alphius]

If you really like my build, go vote for me in ROTM! ;)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?19437-2015-October-Ride-Of-The-Month!

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/0r0lIaih-2.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/NgThVr3h-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/aZMpu13h-2.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/A0I0nk0h-2.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/pTUIpbXh-1.jpg

And then I swapped the winters on. No more Prodrives for a few months. :(

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2015/10/ixUuC94h-2.jpg

[Alphius]

Back to the Prodrives this week. Car looks so much nicer!
Work on the car has been non-existent, because let's face it, it's my DD. Haha. I've put about 12,000 miles on it since the swap, and once I figured out my head gasket/shortblock issue it's been dead reliable at 18psi.
I did put on a Helix catless DP and a custom 3" exhaust with a Thrush chambered muffler and a resonator. Seemed to help with spool and smoothness, but it might be too loud for me. Thinking about keeping the DP on but putting the STI catback back for that stealth sleeper mod. ;)

I'm not liking the 6-speed for a daily driver too much, so it'll probably go away and be replaced by a 5-speed eventually. Not like I really need the strength of a 6-speed for my weenie little 22e/TD04 combo. :P

[digdug18]

What radiator are you running?

[Alphius]

Stock 99 Legacy GT rad with the cap gutted to use the old overflow nipple to connect to the turbo coolant tank. The cap on the tank is the real cap and the overflow from that runs to the stock overflow bottle.

[Reuben]

Interesting. The JDM BH5D twin turbs run a similar setup. The second cap on the radiator has an over flow too, which is tee'd into the overflow coming from the top tank. Top tank cap is something like 1.05 bar, and the rad cap is 1.3 bar.

Makes them suuuuuper easy to bleed!

[digdug18]

No issues with excess heat with the stock 99 radiator then?

[Alphius]

No, none at all. 100+ degree weather with the A/C blasting it still runs at 185-190 all the time. The radiator is just as big as a WRX or turbo Legacy radiator.

[Alphius]

Well, there's some bittersweet news on the Legacy. I found a deal I couldn't say no to on a 2005 Legacy GT Limited wagon, black on black with a factory 5-speed. Pretty much the ultimate daily driver for me since I love wagons and the 4th gen is just so nice to drive. That means my time with this car is soon to come to an end. I'll be swapping a 5-speed back in and selling the car within the next couple months. I'm excited about the new wagon but at the same time I made lots of great memories working on and driving this car.

[Hinyo]

Sad to see it go but cant wait to see what you do next!

[Alphius]

The new car:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/05/OJyNS59h-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/05/0fW1Hk8h-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/05/WC7HhFqh-1.jpg

[Hinyo]

looks really nice! cant wait to see the mods start!

[Muse]

Do you still have those gold 6-spokes? I bet they'd set off against the black amazingly!
Will the new car get the 6-speed?

[Alphius]

Yes, the gold Prodrive P7s will definitely go on the new car. I'll probably get around to swapping them this week. I can't wait, I just know they'll look super good. :)

With 6 months or so of driving on the 6-speed, I came to the conclusion that I never want to daily drive another 6-speed Subaru again. The shifter is notchy, the gears are too closely spaced and DCCD is a gimmick. The front LSD is nice for a corner carver, but my commute is on the highway and I already have another car I use for fun drives. The 5-speed is much nicer to drive if you don't plan to make tons of power, which I don't. The new wagon will stay at stock boost and keep the 5-speed. The 6-speed is being sold to a friend of mine for his EJ207 RSTi coupe build.

[Alphius]

Here ya go, the Prodrives are on and looking good.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/05/H8FQl3Fh-1.jpg

[98legwag]

Time to make a new thread for the GT.

[Muse]

Whoof... so pretty.

[peugoby]

That wagon is gorgeous, congrats!

[subieadam]

That wagon is gorgeous, congrats!

+1 to that

[dynonacht]

So you figured out the wrx cluster in a bd. Buddy is putting a rs trans in a 91 legacy ss, so speedo won't work. Could you figure out wrx cluster in that? Sorry to ask in your thread but you're the guy to ask.

[86bratman]

Use the 1st gen speedo cable in place of the electronic speed sensor. It'll work just fine.

[dynonacht]

Use the 1st gen speedo cable in place of the electronic speed sensor. It'll work just fine.

Funny story, we both were used to newer subarus and forgot to disconnect it :( Broke it.

[86bratman]

You'll spend less money on a new cable than you will a wrx cluster.

[Panda_Legacy]

dude gahhhh i needed to see that cluster removal video like 3 months ago. My right side of the dash surround has little dimples in it now from the back of the cluster. like some little rodent gnawed at it. :banghead:

Me too! But mine was from previous owner