Subaru EJ22 in the Flatback Bug...

[Joel]

[Nepenthe88]

^^^ I had one pin stuck in the engine case. One stuck in the Trans. I used a small drift to thwack it out from the trans (the hole is drilled all the way thru). If you bought an engine WITHOUT those pins, it shouldn't be a big deal to get another (though you do need it for proper alignment). I wanna say someone doing a conversion accidentally scrapped his car without removing the pin and he was able to get one at the local subaru dealer for a dollar or something stupid.
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[Nepenthe88]

[madness726]

Ya the 93 Legacy was a good year. The car only has 151,xxx on it .. And i payed 150 and traded a guitar and amp for it.. I am not going to get all the body work done first.. I plan on getting it running, then do all the suspension, And then i will strip it back down again and fully restore it.. I am impatient so i want it to drive .. I called outfront motorsports they will only do custon wiring harnesses for the stand alone ECU's they sell. I did find a guy Named Tom Shiels in Canada who does them But a bit out of my budget.. .. I might just have to try to do the wiring harness myself.. I did not label anything when I took it out so it will be a pain figuring it out, But in time I will... Hopefully I can find a place to do it, for a reasonable price before i try it tho.

[Nepenthe88]

It won't be as much of a pain as you might think. Troll back to page3 on this thread and you will find pictures of all the engine plugs. You should be able to identify MOST of the important stuff just by doing that as each plug is unique. Then I would seriously consider spending some time on ts39136's ShopTalk thread (http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=136053) . Those directions + the engine plug stuff should be enough to help you properly identify everything. Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to ask

***edit*** I would also put a link to your AussieVW thread in your sig, so that people have a convenient way to see what you're up to!!
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[madness726]

I will be attempting to do it myself but I am going to get everything else done first, then all I will have to do is get the wiring sorted and plug and play .
I have been follow his thread too.. I also have a wiring diagram for the EJ22.
But just was hoping to not have to spend the time doing it.. But it looks like I am going to.
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http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=97861

[ikonos]

I'm also doing something like this, I have a 1997 ej22 non turbo It took me some time to trace each wire and find ecu pinouts that nearly match my ecu three plug just looking for a simple wiring diagram nice and easy for starter/ alternator and power to ecu for hovercraft no need for fan harness most of the big job is done with the chopping so next week will be working on the start/charge.

[JasonBaker]

I gotta ask a question or two.

Are the pre95 engines ODBI and they are non-interference?

And the 95's+ are ODBII, but if the timing belt breaks bad shit happens?

[Joel]

its only the 96 and earlier SOHC that are non interference.
All the DOHC are and SOHC after 97.

But in saying that my local Subi joint in most cases only see bent valves as a result of broken timing belts, piston damage isn't that common with the interference models.
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Quick little bug, you got a Porsche motor in that?
1974 Germanlook 1303 2.5 Suba-Beetle

[Nepenthe88]

I went on Vacation to Cape Cod all last week and while laying on the beach lookin at the seals I started thinking about my fleet of VW's and how to maximize the potential of each. That said, I've decided NOT to put the EJ22 in the red 74' SuperBeetle. Sorry. The current aircooled engine that's powering that particular VW is running really well and I can't currently justify (in terms of time or the financial investment I have in that engine) yanking it out for a Subee swap... not yet anyway

Don't fret however! The EJ22 isn't going to go to waste!! I finally went and picked up the 1973 Domus Flatback Bug this afternoon and it's all but screaming for a fresh start in life, complete with a (mildly) badass subee swap (and a paint-job, haha!). Here's a quick pic:

Doing a swap on the Redneck Flatback bug is going to be way easier than on a "real" bug if only because I won't have any space issues to deal with. I'll be able to fiddle to my heart's content and learn what's involved before cutting into a car that I've already invested in significantly (again in terms of time and $). Besides... I'm already thinking it might be a good idea to shove an EJ25 of some sort in the Red 74 Super and I don't see any point in fabricating stuff for that car twice.

Soooo... let me apologize to everyone who's been waiting to see the specifics of that version of this project. I'm probably going to ask a moderator to change the title of this thread to something along the lines of "EJ22 in the Flatback Bug" and move it to Reader's Rides since this is going to be a full on build thread at this point, so if you're still interested, you'll find this thread there. One way or another, thanks for tuning in!!
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[Nepenthe88]

Ok then... ELECTRICAL

First things first. I hooked up the battery and checked all the electrical bits. Everything works except:
-- oil pressure light (I can see the wire's broke off the female connector in the engine compartment)
-- horn (it kinda works. It does a quick BLIP, as opposed to a BEEP)
-- Brake lights (there's no fluid in the system, therefore no possibility of lights. The brake warning light is on however )
-- The dome light / door open lights (could just be a bulb?)
-- the swivel eyeball light in the dash (oh well)

some electrical stuff that works but needs love:
-- the fresh air fan needs some lube
-- the wipers suck (this could be normal, makes me happy I upgraded the wiper system on the 1303STCC, cause I don't see how this would do anything in the rain!?)
-- the radio is HOT even with the key off???? (strange. I won't keep the battery hooked up)

Here's a peek at the rear end and how the lights are arranged:

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[Nepenthe88]

BODY

Overall, the body's in very decent condition all things considered. The car hasn't seen the light of day (or the feel of the road) since April of 1989, so she's more than solid for a rustbelt-mobile.

Here's a pic of the kit as seen from the side. It's a little odd at the very back (theoretically) to accommodate airflow?:

The Domus kit also looks to have been grafted on fairly well, though it is starting to show some signs of age / stress right where the bed meets the bug. Both sides have some cracking, though it's exclusively at this spot. The passenger side is far worse than the driver's side:

While the kit may have been grafted to the bug in a halfway decent sort of way, the sunroof install is completely ham-handed. It looks like the port-hole once had a piece of glass that popped up on a squeeze mechanism (similar to an old foxbox mustang). Whether something fell on the glass and broke it or it was lost, I dunno... but someone used a lot of silicone to adhere a plexi-glass plate to the top. It's not pretty. Long term, I might have to find something a little nicer:

The trunk lock mechanism works great (surprise surprise). It is missing the seal however. It looks like the bottom lip of the stock seal attachment piece started to rust away before the black truck-bed-liner was applied. I'll probably wind up cutting the entire thing off and going with a mexi seal (might still do that on the 1303STCC as well). Interestingly enough, the entire wiper bottle to spare tire mechanism is there and in good shape. The squirter bottle is missing however (might have an extra in the basement though). Regardless, I have the squirter pump and bottle out of the subaru which I'll eventually fit (also note the working bilstein jack and locking gas cap. I still have yet to check if I have a key):

Biggest problem of the entire car (and it's a big one) the driver's strut tower and bumper attachment point are both rotten. The passenger side is amazingly solid, so I'm guessing the car got tapped on the driver's side and then rusted out? I dunno. The guy who made the flatback obviously didn't think it was a big deal since he painted over it. I do consider it a big deal. It'll get fixed before I put it on the road (sorry for the blurry pic, it was getting to twilight and it's dark in there)

Heater channels are perfect and the floor pans look solid, with the exception of the battery tray which has a couple quarter sized holes and some scaling. No biggie though as I still have rear half-pans that came with the original Red w/ Stripes Bug. Tunnel and hammerhead are rock solid
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[Nepenthe88]

INTERIOR

Half the reason I had no qualms about buying the car was the condition of the dashboard. Rock solid. It's absolutely perfect. It is however different (in some subtle ways) than the 74 Super, notably the seatbelt warning light and defroster vents (meaning the heater plumbing is subtly different too). Note the pool ball shifter knob To be honest, it does have a nice feel to it. Nicer than the stock knob in the 1303STCC. I just can't remember if it's a 6 or a 9 (cue Jimi Hendrix). Seats are in excellent nick, function in all directions and have no tears (though the passenger side one needs shims as it's a bit wobbly). Seatbelts even work!! Note the sick aftermarket radio. Yeah buddy!! Oh... one thing I DON"T know is the switch next to the hazard light switch. It's a solid black rocker switch with a green light at the very top. Was this the defroster? and if so, why does it (and the headlight switch) have no markings???:

The headliner install is kindov interesting. Fiberglass needs some paint:

Both the windows roll down smoothly (glass is even tinted, though it's turning brown of all colors?) and the vent windows operate smoothly. all the window scrapers are in surprisingly excellent condition. The only thing missing is the door to body seal on the passenger side. That door is slightly difficult to open. The latch mechanism is in dire need of lube, but I'm also thinking the lack of a seal is messing up the lateral alignment cause it's just not right. that door might also need to be shimmed up a crotch hair as well. All in all though, these are easy-ish fixes.
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[Nepenthe88]

MECHANICAL

I was hoping to post a video of the bloody thing running. Unfortunately, that's not gonna happen I checked the oil and replaced all the fuel lines then ran the feed line to a gas can then turned things over. After cranking a couple times and not hearing any sounds of almost catching I checked some stuff. The coil's making spark (orange, not blue.... if memory serves that means the coil is up for replacement?.. no biggie, I have a spare in the basement). Unfortunately, the fuel pump isn't sucking fuel. I pulled off the feed line, covered the barb with my finger and cranked the car over enough to get suck, but didn't feel anything. Sucks. It's not a big deal, but I wound up selling all THREE of my spare fuel pumps this spring?! Ugh!! I might do a compression check tomorrow just for giggles... not that it much matters since she's getting the EJ22, but... it woulda been nice to know it COULD run (even if it didn't run well). Also of note, it has a SOLEX 34 Pict 2.. I didn't know there was such a thing. That or I read it wrong? I also can't read the distributor numbers, but the block is an AH.

What's really interesting is this^^^ Haha! it took me a second, but I'm pretty sure those are air adjust shocks (can't read the label with the wheels on) and that circle thing is the air fill nozzle. I didn't fiddle too much, but it looks to be a valve stem, same as you'd find on a tire. Thought that was kinda cool, especially for a "pickup" truck which would have varying loads back there

...

The car also steers well (no clicks or dead spots in the box) and the front suspension looks surprisingly well cared for.
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[Nepenthe88]

... Now that I know what I have, I'm pretty sure all I have to do is go thru the brake system, look into the horn situation and weld a patch on the strut tower and I should be able to pass NYS safety inspection no probs. Not bad for $500, haha!!

Since it needs brakes anyway (and since it's getting a scooby) I'm gonna spend the long dollar and buy a set of Ghia front disks from Topline. Eventually I'll also do rear disks to match the 1303STCC. It would be nice to have 2 vehicles with similar parts. Unfortunately, I don't have paperwork for the vehicle yet. The PO never bothered to register the car or swap the title over after he bought it, so he's only getting around to doing that right now. NYS apparently told him it would take 10 weeks to get papers... Ooof!

Without documentation, I don't really feel all that comfortable dropping money into the vehicle, that means I probably won't be able to order brakes till Thanksgiving time and for those that know... Buffalo could very well be buried asunder by then and I don't have a garage to work in, so chances of getting this vehicle on the road till next summer are slim Bummer... but that's life.

Either way, I will pull the aircooled engine here soon and bolt the EJ22 to the tranny to make sure things fit. I might even sacrifice an old gas can and slap the Subee fuel pump into the top of it so I can get the thing to run. we'll see.
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a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

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[Nepenthe88]

Pre- Pressurewashing...

Post- Pressurewashing progress...

Tomorrow I'll tear off the torque converter, install the adapter plate and (hopefully) get it bolted onto the Flatback.... if I'm feeling up to it. manhandling VW parts by your lonesome is relatively easy. Manhandling Subaru stuff, not so much. The extra 40lbs or whatever it is (plus radiator and antifreeze) makes for one awkwardly heavy PITA.
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a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

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[Nepenthe88]

Time to finish off the donor Subee:

It made sense in some twisted I-Like-to-destroy-stuff kinda way. The tin will probably get loaded on a trailer and smooshed tomorrow. I'm excited to see how much she goes for!! The rear end is going into a 39 Ford coup (probably) and the front end is gonna rot in the iron pile for a little while, on the off chance it can be used for something. The steering U-joints and shaft were donated to a buddy for future use on some old as dirt tractor. It's nice to see things recycled for future duty. I was also able to salvage the only remaining puzzle piece I still desired off the donor-- the fuel pump mounting flange! Just sawzall it off, gas be damned (um, please don't be like me)

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[Joel]

Kicking myself for not doing the same ^^.

Now I have to track down another fuel tank to hack up when I do finally decide to go that way.
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Quick little bug, you got a Porsche motor in that?
1974 Germanlook 1303 2.5 Suba-Beetle

[Nepenthe88]

I hear ya. Getting the gas-tank out requires removing the drive axle and dropping the rear end. It's a fair bit of work (I just flipped the bloody car on it's side with the bobcat and had at it). That said, I can't imagine it's easy to find gas-tanks on CL or anything because of the difficulty in getting it out. You might be wise to prowl your local Subee dealer to see if they've replaced one lately. The dealers up here constantly have a stack of leaky gas-tanks out back near the dumpster which could serve as a suitable donor flange (this is the rust-belt however). OR...it is possible to cut the flange out from within the car thru the access port in the body. This would require a junkyard donor car, a battery powered sawzall, a quick removal of the rear seats and a prayer there's no significant buildup of fumes
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a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

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[surfbeetle]

Now just make sure you have lots of fumes from when you weld that into the VW gas tank... NOT!
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