ej22 into Brumby

cheffy · Post by **cheffy** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:44 pm

Hi everyone out there in Subaru land
I've got a 88 Brumby that I had been doing all sorts of homework on replacing the ever tiring ea81, whether to rebuild ,put in a ea81T or something else altogether.So I decided to do something different altogether.I bought a wrecked 93 Liberty and pulled out the ej22 to put in the brumby I've also got a L series 5 speed to marry to it. If anyone has any helpful hints or threads on similar work you guys & girls may have carried out, this would be greatly appreciated, I know mechawagon had some great step by step instructions that he had on the old site that I was following carefully that fortuneately I saved the thread before the collapse of the site,but curious if he has any updates on his progress?
Regards Cheffy

SuBaRiNo · Post by **SuBaRiNo** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 8:30 pm

Here are some pics that might help.

http://community.webshots.com/album/134929361hUEpcw

Dave

BRUMBERTY · Post by **BRUMBERTY** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 8:40 pm

Good luck Cheffy, I have done something very similar...

http://www.ultimatesubaru.net/forum/sho ... hp?t=39822

I am rapt with my end result.
Matt

cheffy · Post by **cheffy** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 2:44 am

Nice pics and thanks for the links
Cheffy

Outback bloke · Post by **Outback bloke** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 5:45 am

Just a bit of curiousity here but why do people want to mate the EJ series of motor to EA series gearboxes? We have done plenty of conversions and the EJ box is not a doubt when the conversion is being done. They mate to motor as they are meant to and there is not really any great troubles in making linkages work.

BaronVonChickenPants · Post by **BaronVonChickenPants** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 7:42 am

My guess is to avoid the cost of the custom tailshaft, or possibly for slightly better 4wd performance, for me I'm going for an AWD EJ box first chance I get.

Jordan.

Outback bloke · Post by **Outback bloke** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:26 am

I was thinking that the tail shaft may be an issue but when you consider the cost of an adapter plate for an EA box they sort of cancel each other out in the $$ comparison. Add to that the issue of the width of the adapter and you have mounting issues which in comparison to the EJ box would be similar.

stinky · Post by **stinky** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 12:57 pm

Brett,

I think most of us who fit into the "want to fit 5spd L series onto EJ engine" believe the gearbox to be better than the AWD gearboxes for some of the more hardcore 4x4'ing. Is also more suited to handling a welded rear diff.

When I get around to doing my ej18 I'll be doing the L series gearbox for that very reason.

However I also have the opposite situation, I want to hook up a AWD EJ box to my EA81-T eventually

hatchback88 · Post by **hatchback88** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 2:58 pm

The EJ adapter plate doesn't create any fitment issues. The EJ engine belhousing is 12mm (about 1/2") shallower than the EA bellhousing. So you bolt up an adapter plate of that thickness and any EA series tranny mounts just like it would to an EA motor.

SuBaRiNo · Post by **SuBaRiNo** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 6:15 pm

I agree with Hatchback and Stinky.

Another reason i did it is... the L box JUST fits in my hatch with a 3 inch lift kit. When i say JUST fits i mean... i had to physically cut the gear box to get it to fit... don't ask me why this had to be done. I assume the EJ boxes are bigger... if even 5mm bigger... it would not fit in my car without a bigger lift kit.

Another reason is i could use the same tail shaft, linkages, gear box mounts, rear diff... etc etc. When comparing the costs of them with an adapter plate and flywheel that can be easily modified and built yourself it is by far the cheepest option when doing an EJ conversion. cost me less than $100 for the adpter plate ally and a second hand flywheel and half a day making/modifying.

Sorry to ramble.
Dave

Outback bloke · Post by **Outback bloke** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 8:56 pm

It is interesting to hear how and why other members do their conversions. I don't hesitate to use the EJ box with the viscous centre. I have never had a problem with it slipping between front and back at all. I do recognise that people are wanting the lower ratio low range though. Understandable.

The lower ratio swap has always had me wondering with the EJ boxes and the recent spate of breaking boxes between mine and Subamans has given us the opportunity to look in to it at greater lengths. It turns out that the low range swap is actually pretty straight forward using parts from a low ratio L box combined with the Liberty internals. All of which can be done with basic hand tools. No pressing is necessary.

We have nearly got all the parts we need to fix the broken bits. Once we get them Grant and I are going to take plenty of pics and do a write up for the board on both swaps.

I think these boxes are going to become a very popular option as the cost won't be much at all. While we were looking at the low ratio swap we also found out that a lower diff ratio is a very simple swap as well. Probably easier than the low ratio swap.

Doing the diff swap in an L box is also doable but does require a fair bit more work. Involves pressing.

tim_81coupe · Post by **tim_81coupe** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:26 pm

byb555 wrote:While we were looking at the low ratio swap we also found out that a lower diff ratio is a very simple swap as well. Probably easier than the low ratio swap.

How is this done may I ask? Obviously you'll be using a different ring gear, but from what? I thought the rear differential was incompatible.

By the same token how hard is it to install a front LSD?

I might not be making sense here, I've never pulled apart an EJ gearbox, only 1 EA 4spd box and I was never going to put that back together...

Xtreme_RX · Post by **Xtreme_RX** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:38 pm

You need a front crown wheel & drive pinion from another gearbox.
At least the 4.11 AWD as it is interchangeable with the 4.444 crown wheel.
So you can have 4.11 or 4.444

Subaman · Post by **Subaman** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:44 pm

With out giving away to many secrets, you can use either the 3.9, the 4.11 or the 4.444 diff , the rear must be changed to suit ofcourse. I too have an EJ22 into Brumby conversion about to happen but am going to be fitting an L Series AWD box with the manual locking centre diff, best of both worlds that way. The L Series and Liberty boxes are the same size so there is no problems there however there is a slight difference in length of the bellhousing on the box itself so the flywheel may need to be spaced to suit. As for the front wheel drive box, I just couldnt go back to all that torque steer and crap that the EJ is going to create as a front wheel drive.. CV`s wouldnt last an outing with a welded diff in a car like Bretts Lib with a 2.5 turbo and 29inch tyres, and I think you guys will find them an issue too once the EJ conversion is done.

Cheers
Grant

aspro · Post by **aspro** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 10:07 pm

I can recommend the awd d/r lib box. Reckon you will find that with the extra power you will enjoy the improved on road manners the awd box will give you compared to the minor losses (i havnt noticed any loss) it will give you offroad. Anyway thats my 5cents for what its worth.

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:53 pm

Brett, I chose using the L series box purely on an upfront cost basis, and very close behind that is the low range issue.

However, I recognise that to get my car to where I want to I am going to have to spend money in the future - but thats ok, because its money I haven't already spent getting a lib box into my car.

When the time comes I'll be looking for a D/R Constant AWD box with 1.596 low, 3.545 first gear and 4.44 diffs. Is this a possible box to build?

To fit an auto as I want the cost will be prohibitive, several times more than the cost of building a sweet 5 speed anyway.

Oh yeah, for all those contemplating ej's into L's with the standard box - in 2wd my car can easily get smoke off the BFG 27's on a dry road - it's insane, esp as I have 3.7 diffs too - in all the worst combination for turning big tyres...

chubby37 · Post by **chubby37** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 10:42 pm

on this topic i need some answers answered if possible......the S/R AWD L box is it 3.7 or 3.9.............how can i tell?????i was told by the person i got it from it is 3.7 but then i heard from fang that it may be 3.9 if he heard right
?

PeeJay · Post by **PeeJay** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 10:07 am

My AWD box is 3.7, I'm not sure if it is dual range or not. It has the lever but the speed dosen't seem to change.

Outback bloke · Post by **Outback bloke** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 4:32 pm

3.7 ratio unless some one has changed it some where along the line.

cheffy · Post by **cheffy** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:29 pm

Hi guys
The other reason behind using the 5spd ea box over a liberty box is that I believe converting the cv's and shafts are a nightmare to fit from hubs to gearbox unless anyone know's of a special trick involved without setting a grinder and welder to fit the 2 cv's together.
Regards cheffy.