Installing a turbo on a 2.2 (97 legacy wagon) Advice Needed

[StUdWaG]

I found a good deal on a turbo from a 92 leg gt (500 $ CAD)
My questions: What is needed to install the turbo?
Is it a good thing (worth it?, reliability?, power improvement?)?
How much to make it done in a shop?

info: my car: 1997 legacy L 2.2 MT Wagon
turbo from : LEGACY GT 1992
thanks

[Wiscon_Mark]

uhhhhh....

You can't just slap a turbo on there dude. You've got to consider all sorts of things, like getting oil to the turbo, intercooling, uppipes, downpipes, etc

And after you get all that stuff, then you're limited to very very little boost. It's just not worth it. The N/A engine is not the same as a turbo engine.

Spend the 500 somewhere else - or find yourself a Legacy SS (91-94) that already is a turbo model. Stock reliability is awesome.

[Sarra]

Well, the 2.2 block is build pretty tough. Unless you use a cometic gasket to decrease your compression ratio, you won't be able to run much boost without doing a partial rebuild of the motor.

You'll need to get a crossmember from a turbo car, and the exhaust, including the manifold, uppipe, downpipe, and maybe a few other odd's'n'ends.

You'll make more power, sure. Tuning wil be a pita. Best bet woudl be to just get a front clip from a wrecked car with an EJ22T. Swap the engine and maybe transmission, and ECU, crossmember, and exhaust, and you'll be good.

If I had a 2.2 liter NA engine, I would get some cams for it, low CR pistons, and slap a supercharger on it. Either way, supercharger or turbo, it'll be a lot more fun with boost. Just remember to properly tune it, or it could pop.

[StUdWaG]

Thx for the responds Wiscon_Mark and Sarra, I really don't know much about mechanic and with your good information I'll think about it :oops:

[Wiscon_Mark]

Well, the 2.2 block is build pretty tough. Unless you use a cometic gasket to decrease your compression ratio, you won't be able to run much boost without doing a partial rebuild of the motor.

Cometic gaskets would actually increase the CR, making it harder to boost.

My overall advice is: forget the turbo on the N/A, it's not worth the effort. It'd be easier and not much more money to swap the car, not to mention more reliable and a lot more powerful & fun!

[Sarra]

Well, the 2.2 block is build pretty tough. Unless you use a cometic gasket to decrease your compression ratio, you won't be able to run much boost without doing a partial rebuild of the motor.

Cometic gaskets would actually increase the CR, making it harder to boost.

My overall advice is: forget the turbo on the N/A, it's not worth the effort. It'd be easier and not much more money to swap the car, not to mention more reliable and a lot more powerful & fun!

Go to their website. They offer "thicker" headgaskets to decrease your CR. ;)

I agree. Find a wrecked WRX and do a 2 liter turbo and 5 mt swap. :)

[Wiscon_Mark]

Really? Interesting...I always heard Cometic come up when people wanted HG jobs and the ultrathins would be a good way to boost N/A power.

[Sarra]

Really? Interesting...I always heard Cometic come up when people wanted HG jobs and the ultrathins would be a good way to boost N/A power.

They do that very well. According to their website, you can order Cometic gaskets in stock thickness, or most custom thicknesses, including thicker. ;)

If/when my HG's go on me, I'm gonna order a set of cometics. Going to try to increase my CR, though. If I do a turbo/supercharger setup, i'll get custom pistons and connecting rods instead of messing with the headgaskets.