02 wrx int my 97 legacy gt!!

[bentleyshane25]

Okay so here goes, after all my shit talkin about wantin to do a swap. . i have finally got somewhere. I now have in my garage a 02 wrx engine, with 35k on it. I got it for tradin my d2 racing coilovers and one hundred bucks!! All i am missin is the turbo, intercooler, and exhaust manifold. I am currently in the market for needed parts!! I want to know if anyone has done this exact swap. I would really like to do a full interior swap. dash, guages carpet and all!! has anyone done this, and can anyone send me some links, i looked through a couple pages on the swap section and didnt find anything that matches what i am doing.
so a re cap. I have the 02 wrx ej20t, I have a runnin 97 leg gt, with 245k on the odometer. I need help, i have a subie master at my disposal, for doin the engine swap and all, but he has never done the wiring swap or dash ect. . there is an o3 wrx wagon in a junkyard near me with the full dash, cluster, ecu, wiring harness, crossmember. . ect. .
can i hear some tips, tricks, links, mods ect to help me out. I have pictures of my dissasembeled engine ready to put new gaskets ect, possibly some more aggressive cams also. This is my first big project. I love my leggy and want it to be a sweet build. all help will be much appreciated and i will post lots of pics as soon as i figure out how too! lol
wish me luck!!

[anothernord]

Here are three WRX swaps in the member's ride section.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14181 (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14181)

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4583 (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4583)

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=124 (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=124)

It can be done; perhaps the hardest part is merging the wiring harnesses.

[bentleyshane25]

i hear alot about merging the wiring harness, but if im able to swap the full dash, will i need to merge the wire harness? i would like to try and put a full wrx dash in my legacy if its possible. i can get one out of an 03 wagon. . im hopin its been done and is possible.

[Huffer]

you still need to merge a section of your harness. Pretty sure the WRX has different gas tank sensors, and door lock wiring.

And you really do need to read a LOT more - your exact swap has basically been done by AussieDan:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4583 (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4583)

Read his blog...

[bentleyshane25]

Thanks much! and beleive me, im not thinkin its gonna be a weekend project. I currently am just seeking everything i need to get for the most part before i start, and i am lookin to learn alot before i dive in. I want to do it right, and i just want it clean. I am not lookin to build a racer. I want a clean swap for a daily driver, and i want it to last. And most importantly. No BLING! lol, i plan on paintin it flat black with simple but effective rims, no emblems other than the gt. and i would love to ditch the hood scoop for a plain ol hood, but with a nice fmic. if all goes as planned anyway!

[bentleyshane25]

also i seem to have a problem everytime i try to log in. it says my username or password is wrong? so everytime i log in, i have to hit forgot password, go to my email, copy the new password and log in again. Every time. WTF??

[hallowpoint]

^^do you have caps or a space in your password

[bentleyshane25]

i do not have any caps or spaces, just simple eight letters and one number.

[AussieDan]

It sounds like you're just planning to swap the engine, in which case the simplest route is to follow one of the many rs25 swap guides out there and merge just the engine-related parts of the harness.

I did a complete harness swap, which involved a huge amount of work to splice the WRX harness into the Legacy doors, trunk & roof wiring, radiator, headlights, steering column & hvac. The reason for doing all that was that I was also swapping the WRX body systems such as the ABS, security system, central locking, cruise control, etc, etc. There is actually MUCH MORE wiring involved in this swap than in doing a regular engine-only swap.

You'll note that while I did use the WRX gauge cluster, I retained the Legacy dash, airbags, steering column & controls and hvac system. This is because swapping the WRX dash into the BD/G/K legacy involves a large amount of metal work to make it fit (to get the dash beam in, make the WRX steering column work, make the WRX hvac unit work, etc, etc). I know ECS did one car, and then swore to never do it again.

If you're thinking about doing a complete conversion, take a step back and think about it a little. For the amount of work involved, and the number of small parts you'll need, the only sensible way to do it is to purchase a complete wrecked donor car. I had every part you could hope for from a 'complete swap kit' (engine, trans, diff, axles, hubs, complete harness, ecu, gas tank, cluster, etc, etc), and I still wound up having to buy more additional parts than I care to remember. If you're starting from a bare motor, trying to do anything other than an engine-only swap is going to end up being a very long and painful project.

I don't mean to sound negative or to discourage you, but I would advise you to think carefully about your goals and do your homework thoroughly on exactly what is involved in the many different ways you can swap these cars, before you get in over your head.

[bentleyshane25]

Well i thought i would start throwin some pics up to start my project!!!
Here it is as it sits. 97 legacy gt, complete with bone stock 2.5, Still kickin with 241 THOUSAND miles!!!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/09/SubaruSwap009-1.jpg
Original clutch, tranny, engine. Only serious problems is head gaskets replaced at 180 k!! Okay, and well, i threw my drive line doin seventy, cracked the tail end of the tranny. Replaced the tail end of it with another used one. and a used axle. Only mods, wrx franken exhaust, cut and welded five or so inches and rotated the flange to fit. Definatly not a bolt on and had to be pretty ghetto to get it to hang right, but when my axle went out it smashed my exhaust and was only hanging on by the manifold, and the last hangar under the rear bumper. so i fixed it but its a lil crooked!! also, i have replaced all the interior doors with a newer set that has the leather, and fit all the wood grain bezels inside.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/09/SubaruSwap010-1.jpg
And well, my past includes owning a 03 wrx, started to customise it, was a great car and quickly won me over. Then i totalled it. Sad day for me. So i moved on, some years later i purchased a lil red 97 impresa. I loved it. It was already beaten to shit, so i continued to wale on it, never customised it, just ralleyd the shit out of it and sold it for a grand. When i had it though, i thought man how cool would it be to have a wrx engine in this lil thing!! But again i moved on. I got a big ol explorer to get me through the winters in my area. Long winters. about 7 months of cold unpredictable weather. And then I came up on the deal of a lifetime. I purchased this legacy for 900 bucks, never been wrecked, barely cared for, but overall was in great shape, just needed cleaned up alot, and some maintenance. And i know that i will keep this car for a loooong time. And the day i got it i said im going to turbo this sucker. And well its been along time coming, but i finally came up with the 2002 ej20t. I got it for one hell of a deal. and now it sits in my garage, dismantled, and waiting for gaskets and an oil pump. Other than maybe getting some more aggressive cams, i plan to keep it pretty stock. So heres a picture of my progress so far. . . :smt017
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/09/SubaruSwap004-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/09/SubaruSwap001-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/09/SubaruSwap002-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/09/SubaruSwap003-1.jpg

Im still in the process of accumulating much needed parts, but i will keep everyone posted. I am having back surgery on the 6th of october, so once i heal up a bit, i will have alot of time to devote to my project before i have to go back to work. Ill detail what i am planning to do to my exterior of my car later. Definatly a sleeper in the making.
thanks for lookin.

[bentleyshane25]

It sounds like you're just planning to swap the engine, in which case the simplest route is to follow one of the many rs25 swap guides out there and merge just the engine-related parts of the harness.

I did a complete harness swap, which involved a huge amount of work to splice the WRX harness into the Legacy doors, trunk & roof wiring, radiator, headlights, steering column & hvac. The reason for doing all that was that I was also swapping the WRX body systems such as the ABS, security system, central locking, cruise control, etc, etc. There is actually MUCH MORE wiring involved in this swap than in doing a regular engine-only swap.

You'll note that while I did use the WRX gauge cluster, I retained the Legacy dash, airbags, steering column & controls and hvac system. This is because swapping the WRX dash into the BD/G/K legacy involves a large amount of metal work to make it fit (to get the dash beam in, make the WRX steering column work, make the WRX hvac unit work, etc, etc). I know ECS did one car, and then swore to never do it again.

If you're thinking about doing a complete conversion, take a step back and think about it a little. For the amount of work involved, and the number of small parts you'll need, the only sensible way to do it is to purchase a complete wrecked donor car. I had every part you could hope for from a 'complete swap kit' (engine, trans, diff, axles, hubs, complete harness, ecu, gas tank, cluster, etc, etc), and I still wound up having to buy more additional parts than I care to remember. If you're starting from a bare motor, trying to do anything other than an engine-only swap is going to end up being a very long and painful project.

I don't mean to sound negative or to discourage you, but I would advise you to think carefully about your goals and do your homework thoroughly on exactly what is involved in the many different ways you can swap these cars, before you get in over your head.

Well thank you, this is exactly what i wanted someone to tell me. I do have a entire wrx wagon at my disposal for the most part, minus the trans and engine, (the engine i have is not from this car) But other than that the car is fairly complete, And thats what peaked my interest about doing the full conversion. I am fairly good at other kinds of wiring and reading wiring diagrams and such, but this definatly would be the biggest project i have ever delved into and would indeed be over my head if i tried tackling it on my own. I am definatly rethinking doing the dash swap, but i do like how you did yours, If i chose not to do the full dash swap, but still used the wrx guages, will my current cruise, and fog and braking and security, doorlocks ect ect still work? Like could i use the wrx harness, but without swapping the WRX body systems such as the ABS, security system, central locking, cruise control, etc, etc. ? After hearing this and thinking about it, i beleive i could be just as happy to keep my dash, and just do the main engine swap ect. Thanks and if ya think of anything else i should know, keep me posted.

[anothernord]

If you decide to go ahead and swap, you ought to document your work. I know AussieDan has a blog on his swap, but hey, the more information, the more easily others can do the same project.

[bentleyshane25]

If you decide to go ahead and swap, you ought to document your work. I know AussieDan has a blog on his swap, but hey, the more information, the more easily others can do the same project.

For sure!! Thats the way i feel because right now i am solely basing my decisions on reading from other members. Its awesome that we can all do this and share!! I love seeing the little things you can learn from someone who has tried something and it worked, or did not. I am defintaly doin the engine swap, but Im startin to veer from the dash swap. I think it would be a lil easier and cheaper if i chose not to do so. But overall undecided. I think one or two more "you can do it, but man is it hard" horror stories will make my mind up. But yea, ill keep everyone posted!! Im excited!

[anothernord]

There is a ton of info on swapped Imprezas over on RS2.5. Most of them are for SOHC Phase II swaps, but there are a few DOHC Phase I swaps there too.

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f128-swaps-conversions

[AussieDan]

If i chose not to do the full dash swap, but still used the wrx guages, will my current cruise, and fog and braking and security, doorlocks ect ect still work? Like could i use the wrx harness, but without swapping the WRX body systems such as the ABS, security system, central locking, cruise control, etc, etc. ?Yes, you can swap out the gauges without needing to convert everything else, though it will make the harness merge a bit more involved and you'll need to do the same mods to the cluster & dash to make it physically fit.

Basically you'll want to get the wiring diagrams for your car and the car that is donating the harness (pm me and I'll hook you up), then trace out the wires that feed the cluster and make sure they connect to the proper wires in your merged harness. You will need to figure out how to handle the speedo signal (due to the different final drive ratio between the legacy and wrx transmissions).

[bentleyshane25]

There is a ton of info on swapped Imprezas over on RS2.5. Most of them are for SOHC Phase II swaps, but there are a few DOHC Phase I swaps there too.

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f128-swaps-conversions

Thanks much, and i am sort of confused, as you keep talkin about impreza swaps. . . I am swappin into my legacy. Are you confused or am i??? lol

[anothernord]

There is a ton of info on swapped Imprezas over on RS2.5. Most of them are for SOHC Phase II swaps, but there are a few DOHC Phase I swaps there too.

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f128-swaps-conversions

Thanks much, and i am sort of confused, as you keep talkin about impreza swaps. . . I am swappin into my legacy. Are you confused or am i??? lol

Our cars are pretty similar; especially the DOHC imprezas. You can't really go off their swaps for your exact swap, since your wiring will be slightly different for things like door locks and cabin lighting, but their builds will help you understand more of what's involved in the swapping process.

[bentleyshane25]

Well the newest bump in my road, is i found out the block i bought has a problem in cylinder number one. And i am PISSED!!! I havent gotten into it yet but i beleive it is a bearing. I called the guy i got it from (which lives six hours away from me) and he says he swore it was a good engine and he cant beleive there is anything wrong with it. He took the engine as payment for swappin it out for an sti engine in the guys car. So now i have to wait for him to come through and make things right. DAMMMMMITTTT!!! very upsetting. i worked long and hard to get this engine. I did get a great deal because i mainly bartered with a friend of mine and bought his d2 racing coilovers he wasnt using for five hundred bucks, and traded them and a hundred bucks, and made the 12 hour round trip for the engine. Everything else looks good, but cylinder one is definatly got some issues. You can hear in knockin just from rotating the crank gear with your hand back and forth. If you turn it so it comes to tdc and turn the crank back the opposit just a hair, you can then push the piston in with your finger. . almost a quarter inch before it thunks. BULLLLLSHIIITTTT!! So i asked the guy what he is gonna do to make it right. He owns blacklist motorsports in nampa idaho, he says he is going to contact the guy he got it from and try to take it out of his pocket first, then he said worst case scenario since he doesnt have another good block on hand, said he would drive all the way here, and put in a new piston rod and rings. Does this sound like a good deal? The sleeve itself looks good still, all the other sleeves are great, dont look like there is any other problems, but i am not that knowledgeable about the internals. My friend said if the rod has any problems then there is a good chance the crank could be no good any more? Is it smart to just put one new piston and rod in? Should i get him to replace all four? I dont want to get screwed over here. And say i need to do all four. Should i just go with stock ones or is there better pistons i can put in without having to bore it out or anything? Someone please give me a heads up. It feels like my swap dreams were shattered!!! I finally got my engine and it is just a big ass paper weight! :smt022

[bentleyshane25]

On a brighter note, I did win a auction on ebay for a "excellent, 100% working" 02 wrx guage cluster with 37k miles on it. And the best part. . For 36.00$ and 20.00$ shipping. Great deal!!

[bentleyshane25]

Well the newest bump in my road, is i found out the block i bought has a problem in cylinder number one. And i am PISSED!!! I havent gotten into it yet but i beleive it is a bearing. I called the guy i got it from (which lives six hours away from me) and he says he swore it was a good engine and he cant beleive there is anything wrong with it. He took the engine as payment for swappin it out for an sti engine in the guys car. So now i have to wait for him to come through and make things right. DAMMMMMITTTT!!! very upsetting. i worked long and hard to get this engine. I did get a great deal because i mainly bartered with a friend of mine and bought his d2 racing coilovers he wasnt using for five hundred bucks, and traded them and a hundred bucks, and made the 12 hour round trip for the engine. Everything else looks good, but cylinder one is definatly got some issues. You can hear in knockin just from rotating the crank gear with your hand back and forth. If you turn it so it comes to tdc and turn the crank back the opposit just a hair, you can then push the piston in with your finger. . almost a quarter inch before it thunks. BULLLLLSHIIITTTT!! So i asked the guy what he is gonna do to make it right. He owns blacklist motorsports in nampa idaho, he says he is going to contact the guy he got it from and try to take it out of his pocket first, then he said worst case scenario since he doesnt have another good block on hand, said he would drive all the way here, and put in a new piston rod and rings. Does this sound like a good deal? The sleeve itself looks good still, all the other sleeves are great, dont look like there is any other problems, but i am not that knowledgeable about the internals. My friend said if the rod has any problems then there is a good chance the crank could be no good any more? Is it smart to just put one new piston and rod in? Should i get him to replace all four? I dont want to get screwed over here. And say i need to do all four. Should i just go with stock ones or is there better pistons i can put in without having to bore it out or anything? Someone please give me a heads up. It feels like my swap dreams were shattered!!! I finally got my engine and it is just a big ass paper weight! :smt022

:wav:
Just a lil bump, i really need some info on what i should expect out of this guy to help make things right? If the problem is a bearing on the piston end and the crankshaft is good still should i have to have all four pistons to turn this back into a reliable engine? The sleeve is okay in the bad cylinder, all the rest are tits and you can still see the nice original marks from when it was honed at the factory, And the engine only has 35k on it. (allegedly, and does look so other than the bad cylinder) Help please!!

[ccampbell2546]

Hey man, I think your idea is awesome. Don't give up, if you finish it I will be inspired to swap mine too. My car looks exactly like yours only with less miles. Keep up the good work!

[bentleyshane25]

Sorry i havent been postin guys. . .i have back surgery in 48 hours....its been overrulling everything in my life...And as a result....i may no longer have my subaru...Might have to sell it to help my financial situation.... :smt022 Ill keep yall posted. . . if i sell it...im going to have to sell my ej20 long block also. . . . :smt022 :smt022 :smt022 :smt022 :smt022

[daleyswanson]

sorry to hear that you may have to get rid of the soob. i hope the surgery goes well. i have been researching an engine and dash swap as well. don't give up!