Outback MY00 Turbo Conversion

d8300 · Post by **d8300** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 2:42 pm

Hi Guys,

I have high hopes of putting an EJ20 turbo into my Subaru outback MY00 5sp manual. A few things I need to clarify...

1. will the transmission fit with a high/low range gearbox?
2. which model ej20 will work best? (looking at bug eye)
3. exhaust, I have a 2 inch on there at the moment.
4. will stock brakes be okay?
5. new cross member?
6. anything else I may not have thought of?

I am pretty excited to get started I just need to make sure everything will work before i do this.

THANKS!

Davidov · Post by **Davidov** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:08 pm

d8300 wrote:Hi Guys,

I have high hopes of putting an EJ20 turbo into my Subaru outback MY00 5sp manual. A few things I need to clarify...

1. will the transmission fit with a high/low range gearbox?
2. which model ej20 will work best? (looking at bug eye)
3. exhaust, I have a 2 inch on there at the moment.
4. will stock brakes be okay?
5. new cross member?
6. anything else I may not have thought of?

I am pretty excited to get started I just need to make sure everything will work before i do this.

THANKS!

Hi D8300, Welcome to Ausubaru.

First off, it is a HUGE job.
I am currently doing a JDM EJ205 Peanut (04 wrx) conversion on my 03 Outback (same Gen as yours).

1-Im not too sure if the dual range gearbox will bolt straight on someone else will have to tell you that.
2-Makes not too much difference really but bugeye-peanut will both be pretty good.
3-You will need a new exhaust. Stock EJ20T exhaust up to the cat then a custom 2.5" catback to be made up.
4-Stock brakes arent too bad, but i'd reccomend upgrading to WRX 4 pots from the same sort of age as the outback. They should bolt straight onbut you will need new rims.
5-A wrx crossmember (mine from an 04) will bolt on and is required.

6-Wiring. It will be an absolute nightmare. It took me only about 6 hours to do the physical motor swap, but its been dead in the water for almost 4 months because no one in WA really wants to tackle it. JDM is more complex but be prepared to pay at least a grand to get it done.
Also you will need to get a new radiator from the same gen Liberty GT.

It will be easiest to get a motor from either a wreck or a halfcut as it will have almost everything you need. Thats everything i can think of for now, if you have any questions just ask here.

Good luck.

jayrod · Post by **jayrod** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:33 pm

i have just finished putting in a ej20 out of a rs turbo into my gx wagon liberty
Swap the entire loom out and its extremely easy.

Only reason you would have issues is if you needed to use the old loom, or old Ecu ( which just makes things harder )

d8300 · Post by **d8300** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:32 pm

Thanks Davidov.
Will it be that hard if I just take the harness from the half cut I buy? Also i didn't consider the radiator, that's a good one. I read somewhere that I ca just throws gen 3 b4 Bonet in there aswell, is that what you did with yours?

Hey jayrod,

I do want to just swap out the entre harness so hoping that would make it easier. ECU will be switched aswell. I am planning on keeping the difs, did you swap yours? And if so was it worth it?

Cheers.

Post by **Alex** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 5:31 pm

in regards to the bonnet, youll only be able to use a early gen3 b4 bonnet, the upgraded gen3 (02 onwards) looks the same but is different enough not to fit nicely.

alex

Davidov · Post by **Davidov** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:55 pm

d8300 wrote:Thanks Davidov.
Will it be that hard if I just take the harness from the half cut I buy? Also i didn't consider the radiator, that's a good one. I read somewhere that I ca just throws gen 3 b4 Bonet in there aswell, is that what you did with yours?

Cheers.

Its not that straight forward because WRX BCM, dash cluster, etc is different, so the new loom would have to be spliced together with the old loom. They will put all the WRX loom engine/ecu wiring in with the Outback interior loom all spliced together so everything operates correctly.

For this you can send both looms off to places like AM Autos who will do it. Then you get the loom back and its as simple as running it all back in, plugging it all in and should be good to go.
Basicly if you can find someone to do the splice then its no problem you will just be looking at outlaying some $$ to get it done. Its just hard in WA because no one here wants to do it.

For the bonnet yes i used a B4 bonnet.

EDIT: Oh anothering I forgot to say that Am Autos informed me of is that we will also need a fuel pump controller and adaptor plug that will cost ~250 or so.

Davidov · Post by **Davidov** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:01 pm

d8300 wrote:Thanks Davidov.
Will it be that hard if I just take the harness from the half cut I buy? Also i didn't consider the radiator, that's a good one. I read somewhere that I ca just throws gen 3 b4 Bonet in there aswell, is that what you did with yours?

Cheers.

Its not that straight forward because WRX BCM, dash cluster, etc is different, so the new loom would have to be spliced together with the old loom. For this you can send both looms off to places like AM Autos who will do it. Then you get the loom back and its as simple as running it all back in, plugging it all in and should be good to go.
Basicly if you can find someone to do the splice then its no problem you will just be looking at outlaying some $$ to get it done. Its just hard in WA because no one here wants to do it.

For the bonnet yes i used a B4 bonnet.

jayrod wrote:i have just finished putting in a ej20 out of a rs turbo into my gx wagon liberty
Swap the entire loom out and its extremely easy.

Only reason you would have issues is if you needed to use the old loom, or old Ecu ( which just makes things harder )

That is because it is going liberty-liberty. It is the same with going forester NA- Forester GT swap. However WRX-Outback, everything is completely different so you need parts of both looms to work.

EDIT:
If you get a halfcut with the gearbox still in, I reccomend using the new turbo gearbox unless you plan on going offroad. They are much stronger, far better at downshifting, and it would also make the physical swap a lot easier.

taza · Post by **taza** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 4:31 pm

Sell the car and but a rex. Cheapest and easiest solution

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 7:22 pm

If you get a half cut or donor vehicle keep it's VIN on record as it will make getting parts for the engine a pot load easier!

Not an easy job to do, but I'd say it's worth the effort - I've not played around with something so new in the subaru world...

Cheers

Bennie

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:04 pm

Only one thing i can say - gearbox will fit. Gen 3 has 8 bolt just remove the pins and it'll become 8bolt box.
Cheers
AP